MTD 616 warranty Maintaining Your Lawn Tractor, Changing the Deck Belt

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Maintaining

Your Lawn

Tractor

WARNING

Be sure to shut the engine off, remove ignition key, discon- nect the spark plug wire(s) and ground against the engine to prevent unintended starting before remov- ing the belt(s).

Avoid the possibility of a pinching injury. Do not place your fingers on the idler spring or between the belt and a pulley while removing the belt.

Changing the Deck Belt

WARNING: Be sure to shut the engine off, remove ignition key, disconnect the spark plug wire(s) and ground against the engine to prevent unintended starting before removing the belt(s).

All belts on your tractor are subject to wear and should be replaced if any signs of wear are present.

IMPORTANT: The V-belts found on your tractor are specially designed to engage and disengage safely. A substitute (non-OEM) V-belt can be dangerous by not disengaging completely. For a proper working machine, use factory approved belts.

To change or replace the deck belt and PTO belt on your tractor, proceed as follows:

1.Remove the belt keeper rod(s) from around the engine pulley.

2.Remove the cutting deck as instructed earlier in this section.

3.Remove the belt guards by removing the self-tapping screws that fasten them to the deck.

4.Carefully loosen, but do not remove, the deck idler pulleys.

5.Remove the deck belt from around all pulleys, including the deck idler pulleys and the electric PTO clutch (units with electric PTO).

6.Route the new belt as shown in Fig. 6-7, 6-8, and 6-9 and retighten the deck idler pulleys.

7.Reinstall the belt guards removed earlier and remount the deck to the tractor.

8.Route the belt around the engine pulley and reinstall the belt keeper rod(s).

Changing the Lower Deck Belt (46” Decks)

NOTE: Several components must be removed in order to change the tractor’s lower deck belt. See an authorized Service Dealer to have your lower drive belt replaced

or phone Customer Support as instructed on page 2 for information on ordering a Service Manual.

Changing the Transmission Drive Belt

NOTE: Several components must be removed and special tools (i.e. air/impact wrench) in order to change the tractor’s drive belt. See an authorized dealer to have your drive belts replaced.

Figure 6-7

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