Kenmore 158.850 belt question
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 94
Kenmore 158.850 belt question
I was going to take my Kenmore to the repair man today, but decided to let my engineer son take a look at it. Then I said, I'll look at it. The problem was that the belt didn't seem tight enough to move the needle. I thought maybe the motor needed to be adjusted, but I never could find any information about how to do it. (I ordered a manual for this machine today) So I got to looking at it. Low and behold there is a little pad like thing on the machine that the motor rests on when you pull on the belt. So I got to thinking that the belt had probably wore out and instead of the motor being adjusted, the belt needed replacing.
Does that sound about right? Anyone else have one of these heavy monsters? I can't wait to get that needle racing up and down.
Does that sound about right? Anyone else have one of these heavy monsters? I can't wait to get that needle racing up and down.
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 2,093
Those Kenmores sometimes have a 2-belt system, with a central pulley. So there's a belt that goes up to the hand wheel, and another belt that goes down to the motor, but they're both attached to the pulley in the middle. That central pulley can freeze-up. That's usually the problem.
#5
That machine only has one belt, and I don't know that there is really away to adjust the motor to change the tension on the belt.
I used to have a model 52, that is similar to the 85, and I seem to recall that the motor pivot was spring loaded to put tension on the belt. I may be misremembering that part though.
If everything works when you turn the hand wheel, a new belt would probably solve the issue.
I used to have a model 52, that is similar to the 85, and I seem to recall that the motor pivot was spring loaded to put tension on the belt. I may be misremembering that part though.
If everything works when you turn the hand wheel, a new belt would probably solve the issue.
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 94
Well I got the new belt in and it doesn't help. In fact I think something on the top, one of the things that hold thread has lowered itself into the machine. I have no idea why it did that. I guess it goes to the repair man this week. Blimey. I so wanted to do this myself. I'll go look at the exploded diagrams, but frankly I don't want to do anymore wrong to the machine.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
DonnaC
For Vintage & Antique Machine Enthusiasts
12
11-25-2016 11:19 AM
Notwendy
For Vintage & Antique Machine Enthusiasts
3
01-22-2016 07:25 AM