Flexco Installation & Repair: 7 Questions for Emergency Belt Fixes (2025 Guide)

Flexco Installation & Repair: 7 Questions for Emergency Belt Fixes (2025 Guide)

When a belt goes down, your entire operation stops. I've been there. In my role coordinating conveyor maintenance for a mining supply house, I've handled over 200 rush order situations—including one at 3 PM on a Friday where a primary belt at a coal prep plant tore 16 feet. We had it spliced and running by 7 AM Monday. These are the real questions I get from maintenance teams when they need to fix a belt yesterday.

1. What is Flexco? It's not just one product.

Flexco is a brand, but in the field, “Flexco” usually refers to their mechanical belt fastening systems—the Alligator, the Clipper, the R2 series. Their core products include:

• Belt fasteners (lacing): Alligator, R2, 190E, Quick-Fit
• Installation tools: R2 installation kits, staple hammers, cutters
• Belt maintenance gear: Loobuddy (belt cleaner lubricator), impact beds, belt pullers

The brand is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI (founded 1902)—they know heavy-duty industrial belting. But here's the thing: which “Flexco” you need depends entirely on your belt type and the damage.

2. I need a Flexco R2 installation—how do I do it fast?

When I first started doing emergency belt calls, I assumed the R2 was complicated to install. It's not—if you have the right template and a solid staple gun. Here's the quick version:

1. Square the belt end. If it's not square, the splice will track badly. Use a carpenter's square, not your eye.
2. Mark the centerline. Line up the template arrows with it.
3. Pre-bend the staples. Tap them with the template tool so they start straight (ughr, skip this step and you'll bend a staple mid-install).
4. Staple from center out. Alternate sides every two staples. This prevents tracking buckle.

In a tight situation, the biggest time sink is aligning the belt ends. We paid $350 for a rush-order laser alignment tool in April 2023. Worth every penny when you're up against a shift change.

3. What is the Loobuddy Flexco? (And why does it keep jamming?)

The Loobuddy is a belt cleaner—specifically, a lubricator for the belt wiper blade. It's a small tank that drips lubricant onto the blade to reduce friction and wear.

Why it jams: (note to self: check the needle valve first). The most common cause isn't the unit—it's debris in the lubricant. We had a job in July 2024 where the Loobuddy kept stopping. After an hour of troubleshooting, we found a fleck of tape in the bottle. Use a filtered lubricant, not shop-grade gun oil.

4. Belt failure is happening now. Should I call a service tech or install it myself?

Honestly, I'm not sure why some teams think they can install an R2 splice blind in 20 minutes. You probably can't. Here's a quick decision tree (I really should write this down more formally):

• Self-install, if: You have the correct template, a working staple gun, a square, and at least 90 minutes of downtime. And you've done it at least once before.
• Call a tech, if: The belt is heavily worn (more than 30% carcass damage), the break is at a pulley junction, or you have less than 90 minutes. Rush service fees start around $1,200 for a service call, plus $85/hr for labor. In a coal prep plant shutdown in 2023, the client's alternative cost from lost production was $45,000 per hour. That $1,200 call was a bargain.

In my opinion, if you've never installed an R2 fastener, don't learn on an emergency. Call a pro. Watch them. Then do it yourself next time.

5. I see 'WSG' on my Flexco parts. What is that?

WSG stands for Wear Strip Guide—it's a component of the Flexco slider bed system. It's not a fastener part. If you ordered a belt repair kit and got a WSG part number, you've got the wrong sub-assembly. (unfortunately) I've done this myself—ordered a full impact bed repair kit, got the wear strips but not the mounting bolts. Happened in January 2024. Lesson: check the part number against your bed model before the job.

6. Can I use an Alligator quick-fit on a 3-ply belt? (The honest answer)

Yes, but. The Alligator Quick-Fit is a hinged system, meaning it allows the belt to articulate—great for portable conveyors. But on a 3-ply belt, the fastener's hinge pin sits wider than the fastener plate. If the belt runs under a scraper, that hinge pin will catch.

I recommend it for light-duty, portable, or low-scraper applications. But if you're running a heavy-duty troughing conveyor with a primary cleaner, consider an R2 or a 190E instead. This solution works for 70% of cases. Here's how to know if you're in the other 30%: if the belt sees a scraper or your material is abrasive (>4 on Mohs scale), go riveted, not hinged.

7. How many 'legs' does a Flexco R2 fastener have?

I get this question a lot from new maintenance leads. The R2 fastener is a single-piece, solid-plate fastener—it doesn't have “legs” like a staple. It has two pre-installed rivets that act as legs. Each rivet has two legs (the prongs that go through the belt). So, per fastener: 2 rivets = 4 legs. For a standard 36-inch belt, you'll use about 60 fasteners, which means ~240 rivet legs to install. Use an air hammer—it saves your wrist.

---

Accuracy note: This information reflects my field experience as of early 2025. Flexco upgrades product designs periodically. Always verify fastener compatibility with your specific belt thickness and pulley diameter at flexco.com before purchasing.