The drive belt transfers power from the crankshaft pulley to the transmission. As the sides of the belt wear off, it makes the belt narrower, which can end up stretching the belt longer. This can make the belt too long to work properly with the variable speed pulleys. To replace this belt, first remove the cutting deck and battery. Locate the instructions for removing the cutting deck in your owner’s manual to determine the correct process for your model. Next, lift the seat to access the battery. When disconnecting the battery, always disconnect the black negative battery cable first, then disconnect the red positive battery cable. Under the battery compartment you will see a large transaxle pulley. Loosen the large nut holding the pulley to the input shaft, and disconnect the spring from the anchor bolt on the left side of the tractor. Use a spring puller or a small piece...
The drive belt transfers power from the crankshaft pulley to the transmission. As the sides of the belt wear off, it makes the belt narrower, which can end up stretching the belt longer. This can make the belt too long to work properly with the variable speed pulleys. To replace this belt, first remove the cutting deck and battery. Locate the instructions for removing the cutting deck in your owner’s manual to determine the correct process for your model. Next, lift the seat to access the battery. When disconnecting the battery, always disconnect the black negative battery cable first, then disconnect the red positive battery cable. Under the battery compartment you will see a large transaxle pulley. Loosen the large nut holding the pulley to the input shaft, and disconnect the spring from the anchor bolt on the left side of the tractor. Use a spring puller or a small piece of rope to relieve tension on the upper drive belt. It is worth noting that the orientation of left and right is determined from the operator's position in the seat. Remove the upper (rear) belt from the transaxle pulley and remove the belt from the mower. Next, remove the belt guide from the variable speed pulley bracket (these are all accessed through the battery compartment). Lift the middle sheave slightly so the belt will clear the belt guide, and remove the belt from the variable speed pulley. Next, remove the belt keeper that surrounds the engine pulley. Then, remove the bolt securing the crank shaft pulley (an air impact gun is recommended for this procedure). Pull the lower drive belt towards the engine for removal. Install the new lower drive belt and check your owner’s manual for correct routing. Re-install the crankshaft pulley and apply anti-seize lubricant to the crankshaft. Re-install the spacer with the rounded shoulder towards the engine. Next, re-install the pulley and torque the hold-down bolt to 38-50 foot-pounds. Replace the lower transmission belt and re-install the mower keeper and belt guide. Re-install the tension spring and tighten the transmission pulley to 10-15 foot-pounds. Next, you need to check the speed control linkage on the variable speed belt drive. With the parking brake engaged, remove the cotter pin from the ferrule on the top side of the variable speed pulley bracket and disconnect the ferrule from the bracket. If you need to make an adjustment, there will be tension on the linkage and the resulting friction will cause resistance as you slide out the ferrule. Thread the ferrule up or down the rod until the post fits in the hole without any resistance. Reinstall the cotter pin back in the ferrule on the top side of the variable speed pulley bracket. At this point, check the cruise control/parking brake adjustment on the variable speed belt drive with the parking brake engaged. Remove the cotter pin that secures the ferrule in the latch assembly and disconnect the linkage from the latch assembly. Adjust the ferrule with a new cotter pin as you did when adjusting the speed control linkage. Then, secure the ferrule with a new cotter pin and test the operation of the linkage. Finally, re-install the mower deck and battery.
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