Transmission bands

R

Ray in La Mesa

Well-known member
I'm mostly into Model A;s but also have '26 T roadster. I have heard many times of the temporary fix of using your leather belt to repair a lost rod bearing to get home but have another question about transmission bands. The original bands were woven cotton so I was wondering if i could use the older style woven cotton military belt hat has the slider buckle, w/o the buckle of course? They seem to be the same fabric construction & dimensions. I don't think the newer nylon ones would work due to the heat generated but hoping someone could offer an opinion. Thanks
 
Just use bands already made and proved worthy of the T transmission. You can get bands made of wood, cork, cotton and even Kevlar.
 
I have been running Kevlar since 2005 in my 26 sedan. Yes you can overheat the drums and crack them if you don't know what you are doing, the ones that I have seen doing this are people who tighten the band too much. I run my car with the pedals very close to the floor but the band is still tight to the drum and there's about 1 to 1-1/2 inches before bottoming out on the floor. Riding or slipping your bands cause excessive heat as well, and buy new Kevlar if you do use it, when they first came out they had a tendency to fray at the ends and would then bunch up under and drag, newer ones don't do that but if you buy bands from eBay you might be getting a spare set leftover from back when.

I think that the belt idea will cause trouble once it starts fraying and plugging up your internal oil tube. A makeshift fix could cause main bearing failures in my opinion.
 
The weave of the belt is too loose and they are too thin. I have thought the same thing about using that material but after refection and really looking at them decided no. Remember even if they look thick enough when installed, the will compress in used.
 
Same thing I have had the Kevlar bands in three cars since 2002 and put lots of miles on one of them every year I have had to take the low band up about once a year the reverse band twice in all those years and the brake the same as I run Rocky Mountains.
I am thinking at some point to swap out the reverse or brake band with the Low band.
Growing up my Dad changed the bands every year or two in the same car.
I put a set of Kevlar bands in his 12 touring when he was 82 and they were still in there when he died at 95
 
Old original bands from the 1920's were a weave of asbestos, cotton and linen fiber (examples Ford, Western Auto, and Montgomery Wards brands). Cotton alone does not make a good band lining material.
 
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