Bandit zt1844 belt tension

[DanBous]

Any Bandit zt1844 grinder owners out there??...

 

I had my first day out with my new zt and when I got back home, I thought id check and adjust the belt tension...

 

So what the manual calls the engine side, was easy enough - slacken off the belt tension pivot bolt, put the torque wrench onto the belt tensioner bolt etc, etc. The belt tension pivot bolt is just a simple bolt, which screws into a captive nut or thread, so one socket is required....

 

However, on the cutter wheel side, I went to slacken off the belt tension pivot bolt and found a hex head bolt. (Apparently this is fitted because a normal bolt head rubs on the belts.) So of course this hex head bolt is tightened right up to the recommended 108Nm, and despite getting a perfect fit hex head socket and a long bar on it, I can't budge it!! Eventually I realise that the hex head socket is actually starting to chew up the hex head bolt!! To make it worse, there is a 19mm nut on the back of this bolt that requires holding with a spanner even more awkward with one person...(why can't Bandit make it captive like the engine side??!!).

 

So how on earth are people getting this bolt undone please??!!

 

I can't believe I have to go and spend a load of money on an impact gun...

I tensioned the belts without slackening the belt tension pivot bolt, but this is not ideal and I am worried that the cutter side belts are not tensioned correctly.

 

Any help from fellow zt owners would be much appreciated.

[john meehan]

You turn the 19mm side bud, I did it the other week on a chipper the Allen nut just holds it.

[DanBous]

I tried that john, but the Allen head turns as well.
Tonight, after another days grinding, I did the belt tensions again and I got my little impact screwdriver, with a hex head bit in it, and tried the hex head bolt, whilst holding the back with the spanner. It didn't turn...gun is rated at 106nm, bolt is 108nm with thread lock...but I gave it some with the gun figuring that the vibrations might loosen it a bit...tried it again with a 3foot bar and it went with a crack!!
Problem solved.