How do you unstick idler pulley

It seems like you're experiencing issues with your MacAllister JE150/92A lawn mower where the blades are not being driven and the clutch is not engaging properly. This can be frustrating, but there are several potential reasons for this problem. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take:

1. Check the Drive Belt: The drive belt is responsible for transferring power from the engine to the blades. If it's loose, worn, or broken, it can lead to the symptoms you're experiencing. Inspect the drive belt for any signs of damage and make sure it's properly tensioned. If it's worn or damaged, you'll need to replace it.
2. Inspect the Clutch Mechanism: The clutch is what engages and disengages the blades. If the clutch isn't engaging properly, it could be due to a mechanical issue. Check for any obstructions or debris around the clutch mechanism that might be preventing it from engaging. Also, inspect the clutch cable for any signs of damage or disconnection.
3. Check the Pulleys and Idler Arm: The pulleys and idler arm play a crucial role in driving the blades. Make sure the pulleys are properly aligned and not damaged. The idler arm should move smoothly and maintain proper tension on the drive belt when the clutch is engaged.
4. Inspect the Engagement Lever: The lever that you use to engage the blades should be functioning properly. If it's loose, damaged, or not connecting with the clutch mechanism effectively, the blades won't engage. Ensure that the lever is moving smoothly and engaging the clutch properly.
5. Examine the Safety Interlocks: Many modern lawn mowers have safety interlocks that prevent the blades from engaging if certain conditions aren't met, such as the presence of a person on the seat or the parking brake not being engaged. Check these safety features to make sure they're not causing the issue.
6. Check for Engine Issues: Sometimes, the problem might be related to the engine itself. If the engine isn't running smoothly or generating enough power, it might not be able to drive the blades effectively. Make sure the engine is running properly and doesn't have any issues.

If you've checked these common issues and are still unable to determine the cause of the problem, it might be a good idea to consult the owner's manual for your specific lawn mower model. If you're not comfortable troubleshooting and fixing the issue yourself, it's recommended to contact a professional lawn mower repair service to diagnose and fix the problem for you.

Safety and Preparation Serious injury can occur if the engine or mower blades accidentally start while you are working with lawn tractors. To prevent this, drive the Murray lawn tractor onto a flat work surface and disengage the mowing deck cutting blades. Engage the parking brake to keep the mower from moving; chock the wheels with a wooden block or brick. Adjust the mowing deck to the lowest position. Turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition. While not necessary, you may even wish to disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug. Mowing Deck Removal You must remove the mowing deck on a Murray lawn tractor to gain access to the belts. Remove the adjustment rod hairpins, followed by the adjustment rod pins from the front left and right sides of the mowing deck. At the rear on the left and right sides, pull out the retaining hairpins and slide the mowing deck suspension links from the adjuster plates to separate the rear mowing deck from the frame. Remove the blade control rod stud, including the hairpin and washer, from the top of the blade control lever shift linkage at the left rear of the deck. Remove the front hanger rod, including the hairpin and flat washer that hold the rod in place. Loosen the belt guide retaining bolts with a socket wrench and remove the engine stack pulley belt so you can slide the mower deck out from under the tractor Transmission Drive Belt Installation Slide the new transmission drive belt between the engine stack pulley belt guides, over the belt guide plate and under the engine stack pulley. Fit the transmission drive belt around the top engine stack pulley. Push the free end of the transmission drive belt up through the transmission shifter hole in the lawn tractor floorboard. Slip the transmission drive belt loop over the transmission shifter. Pull the transmission drive belt down through the transmission shifter hole. Fit the transmission drive belt around the transmission drive pulley and tighten the transmission drive pulley belt guide retaining bolts to hold it in place. Fit the transmission drive belt flat side around the idler pulley. Slide the idler pulley onto the idler pulley stud while holding the belt in place. Tighten the transmission idler pulley retaining nut with a socket wrench to secure the idler pulley to the idler pulley stud. Mowing Deck Drive Belt Installation Pull back on the right side mowing deck mandrel pulley spring-tensioned belt retainer. Guide the new mowing deck drive belt around the right side mandrel pulley and release the belt retainer. Pull the drive belt spring-tensioned retainer away from the mowing deck idler pulley, guiding the deck drive belt around the idler pulley. Fit the mowing deck drive belt around the left side mandrel pulley and under the rear mowing deck cross link rod between the right and left side mandrel pulley. Slide the mowing deck under the right side lawn tractor frame, reconnecting the deck to the frame in reverse order of removal. Engage and disengage the mower deck while driving the mower to test the belt for proper operation.

Check to see if your idler pulley is moving freely to engage the deck. There are two pulleys that keep tension on the belt when engaged while at the same time releasing the blade brakes.

depending on the age of the machine, there could be several possibilities
1-- belts are not tight enough--- belt tension system is not correct, wrong length belts
2--bearings for the shafts for the blades are rusted up and seized - preventing the blades from moving--- switch the machine off , disengage the belt drive and see if you can turn the blades by hand
3--- if you have an electric pto system to drive the belts to the blades then that system is not getting full power to engage the PTO or the clutch is not working--worn facings
take it to a service dealer and have a proper diagnosis done

When you look under the mower do you see two belts ? Top one goes to the rear axle and lower one goes to mower deck spindle.
Your description sounds like the electric clutch is engaging,so if you are seeing two belts coming off the bottom of the engine maybe the belt bounced off a idler pulley on the deck and is not tight enough.

Since it bogs down, your PTO clutch is engaging, but something driven by the mower belt is stuck. Turn it off and look for simple things first: look under the mower deck for a branch or object jammed in there, or a bent blade. If that's all ok, then take off the mower belt and spin each of the spindles (the pulleys that drive the blades) and also the idler pulleys. If one if stuck or binding badly, you have found the problem. Idler pulley bearing are inexpensive, but spindles are spendy. Good luck! Please rate my solution if helpful, thanks.

I am not sure what type of blade engagement mechanism you have (ex. clutch, tensioner/idler pulley, etc...) but make sure that the blades can spin freely with the belt taken off of their pulleys. It could very well be that one of the pulley bearings is seized.

First things first! Before you installed the new belt, did you check the blades and idler pulleys to see if they all turned freely with no resistance while the belt was off and the blade brakes released? Release the blade brakes by engaging the handle with the engine off!
When you installed the new belt, did you put the back side of the belt against the flat pulleys and the inside of the belt in the V-pulleys? Did you double check to make sure you didn't inadvertently miss a belt guide getting the belt on the outside of it instead of underneath it. Did you look at the picture in your owners manual to make sure you had it routed correctly and make sure it is not rubbing against anything when you have the blade lever engaged? CHECK THIS WITH THE ENGINE OFF If you don't have your owners manual, look under the foot boards on the tractor, many of the Sears tractors have the routing diagrams there. If it is not there you can go to searspartsdirect.com , enter model number 917.257644 (NOTE the number difference) and look at the picture of the deck, it shows what the belt should look like when it is installed. You can also download an owners manual there. As best as I can remember, there is no adjustment for the idler pulleys.

There's a couple of things that could be causing this. First, make sure the idler pulleys and blade pulleys spin freely. Second make sure the belt is behind the belt keepers on the two idler pulleys. There is only one on the left idler, but TWO on the right idler. I suspect that is your problem. Anyway, once the belt is on, engage the blades, with engine OFF, and inspect the belt routing, making sure it's not over or under something it shouldn't be.

Are you saying the blades start turning when you crank your mower? If so, you either have the wrong belt (should be # 144959) or have it routed incorrectly. Belt should go straight across the back between the spindle (blade) pulleys, then, in front of those, to the inside of both smaller, idler pulleys and then to the engine. Be sure to work the belt down between the pulleys and the flat, metal belt keepers on each idler pulley.