Cutter Deck Belt Adjustment

b)To tighten transmission belt, loosen the 3/8" nyloc nut on transmission belt idler pulley. Slide bolt inward in slot and retighten nyloc nut.

c)When properly adjusted, the belt should have 1/2" of deflection with three pounds of pressure on the belt midway between the transmission and engine pulley.

5.2.4Wheel drive belts and scrapers.

a)If wheel traction appears to be slipping, drive lever rods may be touching bottom of neutral lock/park brake latch slot. To adjust, refer to Section 3.8.5.

NOTE: There are three (3) adjustment holes for the wheel drive spring tension bolt (Refer to Section 5.2.15).

b)Be sure mud and grass scraper, on each side, is adjusted properly and centered in the pulley grooves. The pointed part of the scraper should be centered and as deep in the pulley groove as possible without rubbing at any point.

5.2.5Engine to cutter deck belt.

a)Stop engine and remove spark plug wire(s).

b)Check the adjustment of the lower blade drive linkage located between the bellcrank on the engine deck and assist arm on the mower deck. Lengthen or shorten the linkage. When properly adjusted, there should be 1/16" to 1/8" of clearance between bell-crank and transmission output shaft when belt is engaged. Make sure the assist arm is against the rear assist arm stop on the deck (See Figure 17). Push the lever down to the disengaged position. The assist arm should contact the front assist arm stop on the deck. If it does not contact, readjust so that the bellcrank is closer to the transmission output shaft.

c)Belt must be tight enough to not slip during heavy loads while cutting grass. Overtensioning will reduce belt and spindle bearing life. To adjust belt tension, loosen the 5/16" whizlock nut on turnbuckle and rotate the turnbuckle; rotate turnbuckle toward rear of mower to tighten, and toward front of mower to loosen belt tension (See Figure 17). Leave a minimum of

.31” (5/16”) of the eyebolt threads engaged on both ends of the turnbuckle.

For 48” Decks: If there is no adjustment left in the turnbuckle and the belt is still loose, the rear idler pulley can be repositioned in the front hole (See Figure 17). The belt guide located next to the pulley must also be repositioned in the front hole when the pulley is moved. The turnbuckle will need to be readjusted.

Check belt tension after the first hour of operation and at least twice during the first 24 hours of operation. Adjust as necessary.

FIG. 17	48” Deck Shown
CUTTER DECK BELT ADJUSTMENT	for Reference Only

d)Proper belt tension will require about 10 lbs. side pull on belt, halfway between pulleys (See Figure 17, Point A) to deflect belt 1/2”.

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