It's time for my first belt change on my Cocoatown Melanger. Inno Concepts tells me that I shouldn't attempt this myself, and that the motor "may" need to be removed in order to change the belt. Has anyone on this forum done this themselves? I'm a newbie.
It shouldn't be too hard to do it yourself. When I was starting out I went to a hardware shop that also repaired appliances like blenders to help me put it together.
I didn't see why the motor would need to be removed to remove the belt.
What you need to know if that the black plastic ring which holds the metal coupling to the bowl is removable. This allows you to separate the top of the machine from the bottom, with the large wheel and makes running the new belt from the motor to the wheel easier. It needs a bit of stretching to fit tight.
As for replacements I read good comments about using Powertwist belts which may last longer.
Hope this helps. How long did the original belt last?
Hi Maria, thanks for the reply. I got the exact belt it needs directly from Inno Concepts, so that shouldn't be an issue. So no motor removal necessary? I actually found a tutorial online on how to replace the belt in a Santha, and I assume it's a similar process (although Inno told me no) I think they're just trying to get me to ship it back to them & pay them to do it....
I don't think we're talking about the same machine. There isn't any metal coupling on the bowl. The bowl is a completely separate piece which lifts right out. I just need to flip the machine over, and remove some screws to get the bottom off, in order to get to the belt. I got the exact belt I needed from Inno. The first one lasted about 6 months, but I know it was my fault for overloading it with something too thick & sticky. Patience this time....
Looks like we have different machines. Mine isn't a grinder, but a melanger ECGC-12SL. It's a lot smaller than what you have, so I'm thinking (hoping) that it shouldn't be that difficult. Inno is offering to walk me through it over the phone for the first time. Should be interesting. 
**Update** I was able to get this changed out with no issues. I have no idea why I was lead to believe that it would be so difficult. Haha. Unfortunately, it didn't resolve the issue, which is, the machine jams up as soon as I put something in it. It runs fine with nothing in it, but as soon as I add ingredients, the wheels get stuck. Back to the drawing board. Thanks to all who replied.
The issue was that the seal on the bottom of the drum wore away, thus creating an air vacuum which stopped the drum from having enough power to spin. I resealed the drum using some food grade epoxy, and voila, issue resolved!
Hi, i'm trying to find the belt to relace the snapped one and i was wondering if you could tell me the code of the belt you bought since their seems to be a variety of sizes..... or which one you bought on Inno Concepts?
thank you!!
Hi Cat,
On my receipt, it said "Belt for ECGC12SL Deluxe Melanger". If you have the same model, this is what you need. If not, call them & give them the model #, and they'll be able to provide the correct item. Good luck!
I'd really recommend switching to the PowerTwist fiberglass link belt that Felipe linked above. They don't stretch and you'll probably never need to replace it. I ran a few Cocoatown ECGC-12s for 3 years or so using them without ever having to change or tighten the belt.
Thank you Katherine for the tip. However, I am here in Ecuador and it's a real challenge to find the replacement with that information. But I did manage to find on today after visiting a million shops. Hope it works.
I will however with more time look for a fiberglass link belt that Ben mentions because it is a real hassle to change these belts so often and with less luck the motor will get damaged. Do you know how many cm or inches the fiberglass link is for the ECGC12?
Thanks both!
The older model ECGC12 that I had used a 3/8" width belt. I'm not sure what the newer model ECGC12SL uses, but I'd assume it is the same. I don't know how long it was/is, but it doesn't really matter since the link belt's length is easily adjusted.
Great! Thank you so much.
Hi Katherine, would you mind sharing how you changed the belt on Cocoatown's SL12? I'll be doing the same thing as soon as my new on arrives and would love to hear how you did it. Thanks!
Hi Ben,
Could you tell me an approximate length on that belt? I'm looking to order one of the Powertwist belts.
If I remember correctly, I think the belts on the small melangers are about 3 feet long.
Hi Laurie,
Sorry for the (very) late reply. If you still need the info:
You need to remove the bottom of the machine, and remove the old belt, which is the simple part. The difficult part is getting the new belt on. Inno was extremely unhelpful when I called after trying for hours to get it changed out. Here's the trick, and I couldn't believe how simple it was:
Thread the belt on the metal piece towards the back of the machine, then take a very strong twist tie, and tie the belt securely to the back wheel (closest to the metal piece). Thread the other end of the belt over the front wheel, and spin. As long as your tie stays secure, the belt will slip right on. Remove the tie, and voila!
Hi,
In all honesty I have had a very bad experience with customer service from Inno Concepts and tend to avoid using them as a resource if I have any problems. The belt I bought is a micro-v 31"x 3/8" belt. Not the powertwist, as it is not a v-belt. Here is the link to the specific product I bought on Amazon, you may find this in an autoparts store as well. These belts have universal part numbers regardless of the company that may produce them, in this case 310J4
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NUROHAY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Very helpful, thank you!
