Hi edcstephens
Glad you have opted for a continuous belt.
I have just fired up the headstock yesterday and it just runs so much smoother and quieter with a continuous belt.
When I removed the old belt, I had to guess how much stretch there was, but it looks like I have made the belt about 1 - 1/2 inch shorter than I should. I will compensate by placing a 3/4 inch "packer" under the lifting point, which will make the speed change much smoother.
To answer your questions :
1 I also found that there was no grub acre in the top pulley, but checked the hole to find that no thread had been tapped. I was tempted to tap a thread, but decided that it was not really necessary.
2 The collar in front of the split nut is an easy slide fit. It can be a little difficult to remove due to solidified grease. Once you are sure you have loosened the grub screw sufficiently to clear the indent in the spindle shaft you can GENTLY tap a small screwdriver between the collar and the split nut. Another approach is to insert the spindle locking pin in the outboard end, insert an allen key into the grub screw and gently tap the allen key with a small hammer. Grub screws are easily replaced, so if the collar is really stuck, its the grub screw you can sacrifice.
3 Once te collar and split nut are removed, you can remove the outboard bearing cover. This may require a little leverage, but will come free. There are two bolts and two dowel pins. The dowel pins may come with the flange or remain in the casting. This does not matter.
Having removed the outboard cover, you can tap out the spindle from the inboard side towards the outboard side. As you do this, the short spindle spacer will drop out and as you continue, the top pulley will drop down. As soon as the spindle is clear of the pulley, the spindle can easily be remover from the outboard end. The front ( inboard bearing ) will remain in the casting, and the outboard bearing will either come with the shaft or remain in the casting. Simply, gently and evenly punch out each remaining bearing. They are not tight.
Assembly is easier. Fit the outboard bearing to the spindle against the spindle shoulder. Slide on the long spacer. Insert the key in the spindle keyway. Start to insert the spindle into the casting, and fit the top pulley as you slide the spindle in. Once the pulley is in, continue to insert the spindle and tap in the outboard bearing until it seats against the casting shoulder. Then from the inboard end, you can slide the short spacer through the casting. Then fit the outboard bearing cover and insert the spindle locking pin. Once the spindle is locked, you can tap in the inboard bearing, fit the split nut and finally replace the front collar. Sounds a bit involved, but quite simple and logical.
Hope this helps.
What parts are you missing for your RS6 ? and are you based in UK and where did you find the RS6 ?
