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Bob Giddings Posted on May 17, 2014
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How to adjust a loose mower deck drive belt?

When i engage the attachment clutch lever, the blades don't turn. Yet if if pull just a bit on the v-belt, which turns the blades, away it goes. seems like the belt is too loose - replaced it last year - perhaps there are adjustments that can be made?

1 Answer

Harry Goodwin

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  • Expert 353 Answers
  • Posted on May 29, 2014
Harry Goodwin
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Joined: May 07, 2009
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Check your pulleys to make sure they haven't split as this does happen. Adjust the belt tensioner to tighten the belt when you engage the clutch to drive the mower. You should be able to see the belt tensioner by dropping the cutting deck to its lowest point and looking underneath the mower to see which pulley actually puts the tension on the belt to make it drive. there is no need to start the mower to find which pulley needs to be adjusted, it should be obvious when you look at the belt and the pulleys.
Hope this helps you

5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 148 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 26, 2009

SOURCE: Mower Belt Won't Engage

The fact is that belts don't stretch. They wear down on the sides, causing them to ride deeper in the pulleys and they APPEAR to be longer. Check belt "width" to see if it is less than one half inch. Most craftsman riders use half-inch (AKA: "A section") belts.

Testimonial: "I removed the mower & checked everything - pulleys, bearings, mandrells, springs. All OK. Re-assembled and it works again. Thanks for your feedback."

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Anonymous

  • 57 Answers
  • Posted on May 18, 2009

SOURCE: craftsman 42 inch deck won't run

Check proper belt routing. These models are a little tricky. Also check tensioner spring.

Anonymous

  • 226 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 01, 2009

SOURCE: Knocking in mower deck or belt clutch when engaging blades, motor bogs / slows down

YOU MAY HAVE A BENT BLADE OR EXESSEIVE BUILD UP UNDER THE DECK

Anonymous

  • 43501 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 11, 2011

SOURCE: I have a Toro 16hp, 44 inch HXL Model 71196

Hi,
Sounds like a belt replacement is needed, but first check that the spring loaded pulley that serves as the mechanism to keep the belt tight, has not hung up or is seized up....if this pulley cannot keep tension on the belt and keep it tight, then the belt will slip on start up on if in heavy grass...
If the tension pulley is free and working fine but is at the end of it's travel, then the belt will need to be replaced...I'm thinking that, that is what you will find wrong...

heatman101

Anthony Browning

  • 640 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 10, 2011

SOURCE: Found large spring at end

There are 4 pulleys on your deck. Two for the blades, these are the big ones on the outsides. To the insides there are two, one on left side is an idler and the one on the right is a tenioning pulley that hooks to the blade engage lever throught the cable you found. Look on top of this pulley and see if it has a piece sticking up. If so the spring at the end of the cable attaches here. Slide it over. You also need to find the clip that goes through the little hole in the end that keeps it from sliding off. Make sure that the cable is properly routed and attached near the back of the deck. If it is still attached, good, if not you will have to find that pin also.

If this is helpful, please rate.

Testimonial: "I tracked down the problem,hooked up the cable, put the pin back in, got the blades to engage before I got your response.Thank you just the same."

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Did the smoking stop when you disengaged the blades? If so it is most likely your belt that is smoking. Make sure all the blades turn freely by hand to ensure you have not hit anything that may have bent a shaft on one of the blades. If one of the shafts is bent and wont turn FREELY, the belt driving the blades would slip and start smoking as it tried to turn them.
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If you look at the motor pulley area, there should be two different pulleys with a PTO clutch between them. The PTO clutch has wires going to it, because it is operated electrically by the blade engage switch.
It sounds like you could have accidentally put the mower deck belt onto the main drive pulley (which turns all the time) rather than the pulley that is farther out from the engine, which only turns when the engage the blade switch. If so, just loosen the mower belt and move it to the right pulley.
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