Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Simplex Five Star belts and takeup drive pulley?

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Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 03-19-2008, 08:23 PM:

Some time ago I acquired a (Strong) Simplex Five Star soundhead for about the price of the red reader installed in it.

What standard timing belt sizes can be used in this unit, both motor belt and main drive belt for an X-L head?

Also, is there a standard-size pulley that can be used in the soundhead to drive a takeup arm for reel-to-reel use? Apparently a takeup drive pulley is optional in the Five Star and I'd rather not pay an arm and a leg for one.

Thanks!

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-20-2008, 03:14 AM:

Square tooth be the 260XL x.050 belt for both motor and drive belt.

Round tooth be the HTD 6705M variety for both motor and drive belt. The round tooth belt is twice as expensive compared to the square tooth variety.

(sorry, don't have the part nos. for the matching seal sprocket kits for both types of belts to match up to an XL head..)

There should already be a belt pulley mounted on that main drive shaft-inbetween the support bracket and the large motor pulley. The belt pulley aids in the support of the main shaft since there is a compression washer between the pulley and the bracket. As for belt size, there is where I haven't the answer.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-20-2008, 12:30 PM:

Be prepared to have to replace the bearings and possibly the shaft. Make sure that the drive belt pully on the projector head is the same as the pully on the sound head. Square tooth or round tooth not mixed.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 03-20-2008, 08:37 PM:

Thanks Monte and Darryl for the replies! [thumbsup]

The soundhead has round-tooth pulleys; fortunately I have a round-tooth main drive pulley for an X-L with the modified oil seal. That Five Star will need bearings; if it needs a shaft, luckily I have one.

Sorry, Monte, this soundhead does not have a takeup drive pulley anywhere. I suspect Strong intentionally left it out under the assumption the soundhead would be used in a platter-based installation, and the 1997-version manual in the Warehouse (5STARMAN.pdf) clearly mentions the pulley as optional. I'm just checking to see if there's a less-expensive alternative to a $50.00+ pulley...

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-20-2008, 08:53 PM:

John,

The pulley was/is indeed optional on a new system. It is NOT an off-the-shelf part anymore. It is a browning pulley but it has been bored out to fit the race on the large wide-race bearing Strong now uses.

You will need to measure your bearing race in order to get the correct pulley. I believe there are three potential sizes.

Please also note, that since the pulley starts out standard, it has a longish set screw...once the ID is bored out, the set screw will be too long. I think it is a 1/4-20 but it might be smaller (10-24)...you won't want that set screw longer than 3/8" long and a 1/4" will work fine too. Since there are no flats on the bearing race, almost all of the set screw will be in the bearing so there should be plenty of threads left even on a shorter set screw.

Steve

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-20-2008, 09:59 PM:

also be aware that the older 5 stars used a different shaft/bearings than the later ones