29sectiOn 7 — service
Mower Blade Care
WARNING!: Before performing any
maintenance, place the PTO switch in the
“OFF” position, engage the parking brake lever,
turn the ignition key to the “OFF” position
and remove the key from the switch. When
servicing the mower deck, be careful not to cut
yourself on the sharpened blades.
The cutting blades must be kept sharp at all times.
Sharpen the cutting edges of the blades evenly so that the
blades remain balanced and the same angle of sharpness
is maintained.
If the cutting edge of a blade has already been sharpened
many times, or if any metal separation is present, it is
recommended that new blades be installed. New blades
are available at your authorized dealer.
The blades may be removed as follows.
Remove the deck from beneath the tractor, (refer to
Deck Removal on page 26) then gently flip the deck
over to expose its underside.
Use a 15/16 inch wrench to hold the hex nut on top
of the spindle assembly when loosening the hex nut
securing the blade. A block of wood may be placed
between the deck housing and the cutting edge of the
blade to help in breaking loose the hex nut securing
the blade. See Figure 7-7.
Figure 7-7
When reinstalling the blades, be sure they are installed
so that the wind wings are pointing upward toward the
top of the deck.
Tighten the blade nuts to 70-90 ft. lbs.
Reinstall the deck (refer to Deck Installation on page
27).
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Transmission Drive Belt
If the transmission drive belt becomes worn and causes the
drive transmissions to slip, the drive belt must be replaced.
To replace the drive belt, proceed as follows:
Remove the deck drive belt from the PTO clutch on
the bottom of the engine following the instructions in
Deck Removal.
From beneath the rear of the tractor, insert a 3/8 inch
drive ratchet into the square hole of the drive idler
bracket. See Figure 7-8.
Figure 7-8
Using the ratchet for leverage, pivot the idler bracket
and idler pulley away from the backside of the ‘V” belt;
then lift the belt off and above the engine pulley and
off the idler pulley.
With the belt loose, lift the belt off, up and over the two
transmission drive pulleys. Remove the belt from the
engine and idler pulleys.
Loop the new belt and slide over and onto the two
transmission pulleys.
Route the belt above the idler bracket back to the
engine drive pulley. Lift the belt over the PTO pulley
and above the engine drive pulley.
Using the ratchet for leverage, pivot the idler bracket
and idler pulley against the spring tension; then slip the
belt down into the engine drive pulley and onto the
idler pulley.
Release the idler bracket so that the idler pulley
tightens against the back side of the belt and tensions
the drive belt.
Reinstall the deck drive belt.
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