# installing a new drive belt on a DW735 planer



## HarleySoftailDeuce (Jan 14, 2009)

Hi guys & gals,

I'm trying to install a replacement drive belt on my DeWalt DW735 planer.

I've tried to turn the belt on with a 23 mm socket…to no avail. I've even heated the belt with an electricians heat gun…still can't seem to get it on.

I also removed the 23 mm nut and drive wheel…and still not possible to get it on.

Hoping someone can give me some good advice to do it myself.

Thanks to all the guys and gals here on Lumber Jocks !!

Paul


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

Is the difficulty in getting access to the pulleys or is a size or fit issue?


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## pontic (Sep 25, 2016)

This procedure requires a special tool. Dewalt says to go to authorized service person. So good luck.


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## HarleySoftailDeuce (Jan 14, 2009)

I did not use any special tool. What I did do was clear off the bench of all tools etc….and clamped 2 sides of the bench with heavy duty wood clamps, then moved the planer against the corners where the clamps were.
Starting with the belt on the smaller gear…and putting my shoulder into it….I was able to turn the belt slowly and applied continuous pressure and the belt slowly went on the lower large pulley. Voila…that was it…just muscle is all one needs to get it on. Just don't give up and follow my advice and you'll also get it on ok.

Paul


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

This guy was changing to a Byrd Head… but at the 20 minute mark - he shows how he put the belt on. He put it on the pulley first, then installed teh pulley


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## HarleySoftailDeuce (Jan 14, 2009)

Easy when one follows my solution above.


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## gmussell (Dec 23, 2011)

The belt broke on my Dewalt 735. I could not find any good instructions on how to change it except for this post and another on a different board. I finally got around to doing it and I found what I thought was a very easy way to do it, so I thought I would post it and maybe help the next guy.

First part is just like changing blades, remove the top and the dust shoot. Then remove the thickness adjusting wheel and then the cover behind it. Inside the planner on the opposite side of the belt there is a safety switch, it looks like an L bracket with slotted holes, cut a 2 inch block of wood to hold it up so the blades can turn.

Then I removed the chain, one screw on each sprocket, then I removed the chain tensioner, one screw. Then I removed the small access cover over the small pulley, just turn the screw quarter turn and remove.

Now the new part. Put the belt over the small pulley, and then got the belt started on the bottom of the big pulley. Then I took my mini needled nosed vice grips and pinched the belt to the pulley, not hard, I did not want to damage the belt. Then I took a socket and turned the nut at the center of the pulley and the belt went right on. Easy Peazy. Of course it was not completely on I just put some inward pressure on the belt in front of the pulley and kept turning the nut and it worked its way on. I then noticed that it was hanging off the small pulley a little bit. Same thing, some inward pressure in front of the small pulley and keep turning the socket. Reverse the steps and put it back together.

I hope this helps, knowing what I know now the whole job won't take 15 minutes next time.
If this is the "specialized tool" that the authorized service centers use, I got mine at Harbor Freight. Two pair for $5.

George


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## LiquidMovz (Jan 30, 2018)

> Now the new part. Put the belt over the small pulley, and then got the belt started on the bottom of the big pulley. Then I took my mini needled nosed vice grips and pinched the belt to the pulley, not hard, I did not want to damage the belt. Then I took a socket and turned the nut at the center of the pulley and the belt went right on. Easy Peazy. Of course it was not completely on I just put some inward pressure on the belt in front of the pulley and kept turning the nut and it worked its way on. I then noticed that it was hanging off the small pulley a little bit. Same thing, some inward pressure in front of the small pulley and keep turning the socket. Reverse the steps and put it back together.
> 
> George
> 
> - gmussell


@gmussell - George,

You are BRILLIANT!!! the above method worked EFFORTLESSLY! ZERO muscle! I couldn't find my needle nose vise grips, so just used a smaller regular vise grips…pinched the belt to the wheel (starting on the bottom side) and rotated the wheel clockwise…I too had to maneuver it by pushing while rotating to get it all the way on for both pulleys.

That new belt was SUPER tight, I I couldn't see for the life of me how that was going to go on! The 2 vids I found showed those guys getting it on fairly easy…was not gonna happen with mine…

GUYS…this IS the "How-To" for putting a new belt on a DeWalt DW735 - hands down!

"Special Tool" = Vise Grips

Thanks again George!


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## jasnyc (Jan 27, 2011)

I replaced the stock 3-blade cutter with a Shelix just now on my brand new DW735 and getting the brand new belt back on was looking like a real chore. I realized that if you only put it on the top pulley part way you have enough slack to more easily fit it over the bottom pulley. Then its just a matter of weasling and wiggling them back into place, alternating top and bottom. You have to remove the grill over the top pulley in order to push the belt into place.


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## imademybed (Apr 22, 2018)

A scrap of tin makes belt installation a whole lot easier.

I used George's technique to walk the belt onto the lower pulley, but I was struggling to shove the belt all the way over into the correct grooves. So I fed a piece of tin between the belt and the pulley and eliminated the interference between the grooves. Then I could adjust the belt placement.

Cut a piece of 30-gauge sheet metal, about 1-1/8" wide and 5" long. Lay it atop the lower span of the belt, between the two pulleys, and use your 23 mm socket to crank the lower pulley clockwise until you've fed the tin in between the belt and the pulley. Then you can slide the belt side to side until the grooves will line up, and crank the pulley clockwise another half-turn until the tin comes out. Note: When you're walking the belt onto the pulleys initially, keep it properly aligned on the upper pulley so that you have to adjust it on only the lower pulley.

This technique works for removing the belt as well as installing it.


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## ChuckB (Jun 12, 2018)

I appreciate all the folks who contribute here and especially to this specific post. Hopefully, as I did, someone will find this post by doing a search on how to change/replace the drive belt on DeWalt 735 as I did. I'd like to offer an alternate to the one's the fine folks have already offered as a solution. I signed up for Lumberjocks forum specifically to do this. This is a method I found on the eReplacementParts.com website. They have an article and a video with a suggested method one can access on the site. Even though there is a link to YouTube for the video, THIS video does not come up on a YouTube search for this issue, go figure. Anyway, this is the method I used, and it was quite simple. The only caveat to their method/video I would suggest - if you have a Shelix cutterhead installed (based on my experience with this installation method) - is to Remove the Top Cover, Remove the Dust Shroud and place a piece of wood in the slot near the cutterhead to prevent it from spinning as this keeps the shaft key in one place; allowing the pulley to be more easily lined up with key. Anyway, here are the links to the eReplacementParts.com page and YouTube for this issue:

https://www.ereplacementparts.com/vbelt-p-71295.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v3YBRCOARIsAPkLbK64aNtRumEPiiBiKlTLk_jzTziB2NBQxNjuM1GAhjSGG8t-Igc9YiUaAtpDEALw_wcB


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