Hi gentlemen,

I haven’t tried the water trick on belts of any kind before, as in a plant operations division scenario, we change out the belts completely.
In my early years there was belt dressings of various kinds of viscosities but I always found them to be a messy affair in the end.
Dirty belts and pulleys help to put a glaze on a belt and the dressings tried to address that along with the rubber material aging. Ultimately its the hardness of material that changes the belt on air handlers! They are put in “no man lands” of attics or on roofs and run unmonitored until an interval or complaints!

Most of these old type V belts were smooth without notches or grooves. Then all that has changed to flat belts with “Poly materials.” Lots of belts have multiple grooves and tiny notches.
The notch design and poly materials with cord innovations shaped the industry’s direction a bunch!
Much like Timing and Serpentine belts we see in the automotive industry.
This was due to the desires of compact environments with smaller diameters involving snake like methods!

There is one company in particular that stands out in my mind and that was the GoodYear Rubber company. They use to lead the way in tires and belting materials in the years past!
They always seemed to have distribution problems though and just like Sony, just got a little too crazy with the words proprietary!
The “GatorBack” brand for automotive uses has been bought out by Continental and is now sold under their “Elite” label. It seems to me that when you cannot do better, buy them out!
I have been watching this happening in America for the last thirty years and is one reason why I left the Machining Design world.
GoodYear management must have their reasonings but I see laziness or a quick buck!

The spritz of water cools the materials involved and that probably lengthens a belt, as most flexible belts do the opposite of most materials and get tighter when warmed up.
If you have noticed, Belts squeal more in the morning coolness and then go away!
The clack noise you are referring too, can be a hard segment of belt jumping the belt in the pulley.
Like I said, that pulley is like a speaker cone.
Using High speed photography catches this phenomenon and other events as well!
The squishy sounds are also created during the travel of engagement entrance and exiting the drive or driven members.

Imagine a knife cutting an Apple’s body. Is it the knife or the apple making a noise?
Maybe more water would make it quieter too?

Just take the belt off and fasten it to one side out of the way and remove all doubt too!
Nice thread, huh guys?

Phil