How do I adjust an older model 360 sander to keep the belt running stright? I've been trying to adjust the knob on the side but it does not make any difference whch way I turn it the belt runs to the inside and tears the belt as soon as I hit the button.

There is a knob you turn that changes the belt run.

yes ther should be a knob on the top front roller (top side) this should affect tracking , also make sure tension taker (lever for changing belt) Is fully off so that belt gets its full tension , if the belt doesnt get full tension it will walk side to side

There will be a tracking adjustment somewhere, usually a knob or wheel located at one end (axle) of the sander that allows you to adjust that... run the sander at low speed while you turn it until it tracks straight

The porter cable belt sanders have an adjustment knob (threaded screw with a black plastic t-nut on the end). The knob adjusts the angle of one of the rollers and thus the tracking of the belt. The know takes very little adjustment to change the belt's tracking.

Is the know perhaps missing? You can get replacement parts for for porter cable tools at www.servicenet.com.

Hope this helps.

You need to adjust the tracking knob which is by the front handle that looks like a triangle head screw. Make sure the belt tension leaver is tight and the belt has enough tension on it. Quickly press and release the start switch and note the centering of the belt. It should be in the center of the bottom platen. If it is not, adjust the tracking knob and bump the switch again. If the belt is going in the wrong direction turn the knob the other direction. Once you are close the center of the platen, press the power switch to turn the unit on and lock the trigger. Firmly hold the unit vertically from the front handle. Fine adjust the tension knob to center the belt and make sure the belt is not hitting the case which will cause damage. You should be able to use the belt sander without the belt slipping off. Let the sander do the work, do not push down and limit the side to side motion. If the belt will not stay on then the belt is too large or the torsion spring needs to be adjusted to applying more tension on the belt and drive roller.

There should be a tracking adjustment knob on the side of the sander behind the front roller. Run the saw and adjust this knob to center the belt. You will probably have to do this every time you change belts. Hope this helps you...

The tool has an adjustment control to keep centered on the tool. Should be a knob on the side of the tool. Run the tool with the belt on, and as you adjust the knob you'll see the belt migrate left and right; adjust the knob to where the belt is centered on the tool

The problem is that you have not set the adjustment properly. Back off the adjustment screws,slide on the belt and center it over both rollers, addust a little at a time both screws, after belt begins to tighten up stop adjusting. Turn the power switch on for about 1 second. Is the belt tracking? Adjust as necessary. Try the power again for longer and longer periods untill belt tracks in the center of the rollers. Tighten nuts to keep adjustment screws from backing out.

Check first that you have retensioned the belt... i.e. when you removed the other belt, you would have had to pull on a spring-loaded lever to remove the belt tension before you added the new one... make sure the tension lever is flipped back in to ensure the new belt is tensioned...

Next, and the likely problem you are having, is belt tracking... There should be an adjustment knob up near the front of the sander near the front roller, either on top of the front part of the sander, or to the side near the front roller... When you turn this knob, it makes the belt track either left or right over the sander's base. This knob will allow your belt to run square and true and not spin off to one side...You need to adjust the tracking using this knob while the belt sander is running and with the new belt tensioned and in place, so turn the sander upside down, and power it on with one hand, then turn the knob with the other hand whichever way is needed to have the belt track square and in the middle of the rollers. Make small adjustments on the tracking knob to begin with. They can be sensitive at times.

That should stop your belt spinning off to one side.

There should be a knob on the front of the sander which adjusts the front roller on the sander. If the belt runs off in the same direction each time try turning the knob as the sander is running and while watching the belt. If turning the knob one direction does not work try turning the other direction. If turning the knob does not have any affect on the way the belt tracks on the sander then you probably have a broken or missing part on the front of the sander. This may require taking the sander to a service center.