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Hello I have Craftsman 917274822 tractor 42 riding mower the problem I am having is the Deck Belt, Each replacement belt I get for it, IT IS TOO TIGHT.. I try ordering from the Sears Online, and it sending me to Amazon where I tried there belts, and they are to tight, and when you go to crank the mower up the blades are turning

it's possible someone slipped up when the belt was made, put the wrong belt in the wrong cardboard sleeve, i've ordered several belts where the part number on the belt was one number and on the sleeve was the correct number.
should be

1/2" wide x 95-1/4" belt​

Usually this would be because the belt is routed wrong or the return spring on the tension arm was not replaced or in the wrong position .

Scrubcadet10 said:

it's possible someone slipped up when the belt was made, put the wrong belt in the wrong cardboard sleeve, i've ordered several belts where the part number on the belt was one number and on the sleeve was the correct number.
should be

1/2" wide x 95-1/4" belt​

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Wow unreal and thanks for the info

bertsmobile1 said:

Usually this would be because the belt is routed wrong or the return spring on the tension arm was not replaced or in the wrong position .

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It is only one to put the belt on if you put the belt Wrong you can’t even get it on the motor pulley.

Maybe the tensioner pulley arm is stuck. I have this happen periodically.

Sears is really a distributor and not a manufacturer. Maybe someone can lead you to the original maker's same model. Their catalog may suggest a longer belt.

Craftsman 917 models have belt routing illustration under where you place your feet.

917.274822 mower engagement parts / Any or all of these following parts do freeze up regularly . Storing outside and lack of cleaning the deck will accelerate the problem.
Replace cable if not working. Craftsman 917 model numbers are manufactured by American Yard Products.
Sears parts is one of the most expensive places to buy parts.

Need2learn said:

Hello I have Craftsman 917274822 tractor 42 riding mower the problem I am having is the Deck Belt, Each replacement belt I get for it, IT IS TOO TIGHT.. I try ordering from the Sears Online, and it sending me to Amazon where I tried there belts, and they are to tight, and when you go to crank the mower up the blades are turning

Click to expand...

go to partstree.com, use your craftsman model # and see if you come up with the same belt. when all else fails, use the dimensions you've been given here and do a belt search on the internet or ebay, just longer as you determine.

mechanic mark said:

Craftsman 917274822 front-engine lawn tractor parts | Sears PartsDirect

Craftsman 917274822 front-engine lawn tractor parts - manufacturer-approved parts for a proper fit every time! We also have installation guides, diagrams and manuals to help you along the way!

www.searspartsdirect.com

Lawn Tractor Blade Drive Belt, 1/2 x 95-1/4-in 532144959 parts | Sears PartsDirect

Lawn Tractor Blade Drive Belt, 1/2 x 95-1/4-in 532144959 parts - manufacturer-approved parts for a proper fit every time! We also have installation guides, diagrams and manuals to help you along the way!

www.searspartsdirect.com

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Ok that is the one I ordered IT NOT Sears parts it cost 32.00 dollars it is a generic it is made in China and shipped through Amazon, that's who delivered it. The original sear brand is 59.00 like a brownish color, this is totally black and like an inch shorter.

Cusser said:

Maybe the tensioner pulley arm is stuck. I have this happen periodically.

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Cusser said:

Maybe the tensioner pulley arm is stuck. I have this happen periodically.

Click to expand...

I didn't say it is not working THE BELT IS TOO TIGHT they are NOT sears belts they are made in China and like 20 bucks cheaper

so the sears site kept sending you to amazon?

Need2learn said:

It is only one to put the belt on if you put the belt Wrong you can’t even get it on the motor pulley.

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Now I am confused
917 274822 was made by AYP ( Husqvarna ) so your deck should have 2 spindles and 2 idler pulleys
When mounted it should look like a T so the belt goes from the engine to the idlers then go left or right to the spindle pulleys and directly from spindle to spindle at the back.
The left side pulley should get pulled back when you engage the blades to tighten the belt & release the blade brake.
One or both of he idlers will have a single or double belt keeper to stop the belt coming off when slack
The belt has to go in the V of the pulley with the keeper behind the back of the belt.
Very common for owners to run the belt around the outside of one or more keeper which makes the belt too short & destroys it quickly should you try to mow .

If your deck has only 1 idler pulley then it was made by MTD and that model number is wrong.
On the MTD deck, the entire deck moves down & back to tighten the belt & release the spindle brakes .

Which system do you have ?

Like Bertsmobile 1 said. The belt must go between the idler pulley belt guide and the pulley. Also the belt must go between the mandrel pulley and brake pad on both mandrel pulleys. If you remove pulley guards it's easy to see .

Thanks, forgot about those brake pads
Cost me more than one free belt over the years when in a "not thinking hurry " to get a mower out of the shop .

Yep, have let some belt smoke out once or twice myself. As soon as I looked at the deck illustration that mandrel cover caught my eye. That brake pad is out of sight out of mind and so easy to loop the belt outside the pad. Think'n it's stumped a few folks over the years just as the belt guides have.

tensioner arm gets notch wore in it and part it mates to. grind notches out and put never seize on them . its a common problem video on taryl fixes all shows fix

wingnut1955 said:

tensioner arm gets notch wore in it and part it mates to. grind notches out and put never seize on them . its a common problem video on taryl fixes all shows fix

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Yep , and the brake arm rollers freeze up. That area on the deck collects garbage that acts like mulch and holds moister to rust everything up.

Update I was able to get it right, after trying like 3 belts from amazon they were ALL TOO TIGHT, I found a original Sears Belt and it was like 1 1/2 longer, I put that belt and it works just fine.. Stay away from Amazon Cheap Chinese belts they will NOT FIT.
I even ordered a blade cable and THAT WAS TOO SHORT... I had to reroute into to get it to work... the black belts you get are OEM junk,,, make sure you get the brown original sears belts.

Bellcrank said:

Like Bertsmobile 1 said. The belt must go between the idler pulley belt guide and the pulley. Also the belt must go between the mandrel pulley and brake pad on both mandrel pulleys. If you remove pulley guards it's easy to see .

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Yeah I said there only one way to put the belts on,,, it wasn't ME it was Amazon cheap cut belts

Glad to hear you got it sorted.
If you go through the various threads you se the techs, the people who do this stuff day in & day out just about preaching .
1) measure every belt to confirm it is what it is what the label says it is
2) don't buy off Amazon or ebay

There is a good reason why we keep telling people that .

bertsmobile1 said:

Glad to hear you got it sorted.
If you go through the various threads you se the techs, the people who do this stuff day in & day out just about preaching .
1) measure every belt to confirm it is what it is what the label says it is
2) don't buy off Amazon or ebay

There is a good reason why we keep telling people that .

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You are not lying about buying off Amazon for lawnmower parts. Thanks again you buy and you learn.