Blades won't disengage

C

CLStout

Well-Known Member
This is on an Ariens 936042. It's a 42" deck. I just tore it down to repaint and rebuild it. I replaced the spindles, idler pulleys and blades. Replaced the blade brakes. Reinstalled everything the same as I found it. Now the blades won't disengage. Any thoughts? I used a schematic from an online parts store (Jack's Small Engines), to be sure that I installed everything correctly. Maybe I still did something wrong? Maybe the parts schematic was wrong?

I forgot to add: the belt isn't new. It's the only thing that I carried over to the other new parts. It was in good shape, so I decided to use it. I have a replacement belt, and I checked the old one against the new one. They appear to be the same length.
 
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This is a Husqvarna deck setup.

Have you checked the PTO cable for correct movement or the idler arm for binding? They wear and seize under load.
 
Thanks for the response. The PTO cable was replaced last spring. The deck idler arm hasn't been replaced. I can remove the deck and check/lube the idler arm. The spring that attaches to the arm seems to cause a little restriction of movement. Maybe I reinstalled it incorrectly.
 
Save yourself some aggravation by testing the deck prior to reinstalling next. It won't test the belt but it engage and disengage without problems.
 
Thanks. I did test it, but without being able to see if the idler arm was moving enough to disengage the blades, I thought everything was good.
 
Just FYI, I had to "adjust" the blade brake bracket on the right side of the deck. It wasn't lined up very well with the pulley. Just the edge of the brake was contacting the pulley and also preventing the idler arm from its full travel. The blades now engage and disengage as designed. Not happy with the design of the brakes, but I can live with it now.
 
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