MTD RZT Series Deck Installation

27sectiOn 7 — service

Working from the middle of the tractor, pivot the idler

bracket and movable idler pulley rearward away from

the backside of the ‘V” belt just far enough to lift the

belt up and over the idler pulley. See Figure 7-3.

Figure 7-3

From beneath the rear of the tractor, slide the belt off

of the PTO pulley on the bottom of the engine.

Rolling the belt off the PTO pulley.

Using the deck lift handle, raise the deck to the

position that provides the most horizontal run of the

belt between the deck idler pulleys and the PTO pulley

on the bottom of the engine.

Sitting behind the tractor facing forward, reach

beneath the tractor to grasp the belt at the front of the

PTO pulley.

WARNING!: Use caution to avoid pinching

your fingers when rolling the belt off the PTO

pulley.

Pull the left side of the belt rearward and downward

while manually turning the PTO pulley to the right until

the belt rides out onto the edge of the lower sheave of

the pulley. NOTE: If pulling the right side of the belt, turn

the pulley to the left.

While still holding the belt downward, continue turning

the PTO pulley until the belt is rolled off the pulley.

Refer to Figure 7-5.

Lower the deck to the ground using the deck lift

handle.

Locate the LH and RH deck support pins on each side of

the deck. Pull the deck support pins outward and lock

in the disengaged position to release the deck from the

tractor’s LH and RH deck lift arms. Refer to Figure 7-4.

Raise the deck lift arms out of the rear hanger bracket

slots by raising the deck lift handle on the tractor to its

highest position. Refer to Figure 7-4.

Slide the deck forward so that the deck front hanger

rod can be lifted out of the two slots of the front deck

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bracket. After lifting the front hanger rod out of the

slots, slide the deck rearward so that the rod can no

longer engage the slots.

Figure 7-4

Using care to prevent the front hanger rod from falling

back into the deck bracket slots, carefully slide the

cutting deck (from the right side) out from underneath

the tractor.

Deck Installation

To install the mower deck, proceed as follows:

While holding the deck front hanger rod upward,

carefully slide the deck underneath the right side of the

tractor.

While still holding the front hanger rod, slide the deck

forward until the front hanger rod can be lowered into

the slots of the front deck bracket.

Lower the front hanger rod into the slots of the front

deck bracket, then slide the deck rearward.

Maneuver the deck so that the slots in the two rear

deck hanger brackets approximately align with the

deck lift arms of the tractor. Refer to Figure 7-4.

Use the tractor deck lift handle to lower the deck lift

arms into the slots of the rear deck hanger brackets.

Pull the deck support pins outward and maneuver the

deck as necessary to align the holes in the deck lift

arms with the pins. Refer to Figure 7-4.

When aligned, push each pin fully inward through the

lift arms to secure the arms in the rear hanger bracket

slots.

Make certain the ‘V’ belt is in the spindle pulleys on the

deck; then route the belt rearward beneath the tractor

frame, above the transmission tube(s), to the PTO

pulley on the bottom of the engine.

Install the ‘V’ belt onto the PTO pulley using one of the

following two methods.

WARNING! : The muffler at the rear of the

tractor may be extremely hot, and could cause

serious burns. Use extreme caution when near

the muffler. Allow the muffler to fully cool

before installing the belt.

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