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Hi,
My mower is a Craftsman LT 1500
I replaced the drive belt, and checked the variable speed pulley to make sure it was sliding and rotating freely.
The mower will jerk when I let go of the clutch quickly, so I am pretty sure there is no problem with the transmission but slowly looses speed until it stops.
No gear noise, no belt squeals.
If I try to drive up a mild slope, it will slow to a stop because the belt starts slipping.
I haven't figured out if there is an adjustment that I can do to tighten the belt and where to do it.
I have attached a diagram from the manual hoping someone can tell me if and where there is an adjustment I can do.
Thanks

The whole system relies on the strength of the spring # 27.
If it is weak or anchored in the wrong holes you aint going nowhere.
Next is the belts must be replaced in pairs
Finally the belts must be the correct profile & exact length
They are not standard B section belts .

The other thing to check is the root of the pulleys
If they are polished shiny that showd the belt is running in the bottom of the V and not gripping the sides so will slip

bertsmobile1 said:

The whole system relies on the strength of the spring # 27.
If it is weak or anchored in the wrong holes you aint going nowhere.
Next is the belts must be replaced in pairs
Finally the belts must be the correct profile & exact length
They are not standard B section belts .

The other thing to check is the root of the pulleys
If they are polished shiny that showd the belt is running in the bottom of the V and not gripping the sides so will slip

Click to expand...

Thanks,
I will check tomorrow.
You answered a similar question a while ago and the spring for the clutch pedal was the problem.
I think I remember the pulley being shiny
I haven't replaced the upper drive belt.
Thanks again

Like Bert said, belts, spring and pulleys are the key to those working or not. Make sure you get OEM belts ONLY and a new #27 spring. Or go to Ace Hardware and get another similar size one and double up on springs.

slomo

Thanks Bertsmobile1 and Slomo,
I fixed it
I checked the belt tension of the lower drive belt (spring 27) and it was fairly tight.
Then I checked the tension on the upper drive belt (spring 25) that pulls on the variable speed pulley and it was loose.
I could not get the spring to pull any tighter so I replaced it temporarily with a threaded rod which allowed me to tighten the belt a little more and now the mower climbs the slopes in my yard without a problem.
I don't think I can modify the old spring so I may have to look for a shorter one.
The mower however, does seem slow even at the highest speed, so I need to figure out where and how can I adjust for a slightly faster speed forward.
Thanks again guys!

Your pulley might be worn causing slow speeds. Again you might need to double up on the springs to get more tension.

slomo

OR simply the variable to transaxle belt is worn out. It is the one that usually wears first.

Thanks Slomo and StarTech,
You think there is a way to adjust the forward speed?

mouthman said:

Thanks Slomo and StarTech,
You think there is a way to adjust the forward speed?

Click to expand...

New OEM pulley and OEM belt is all there is.

slomo

Hi guys, I do not know how to mark this thread as solved, but I went ahead and bought both belts and that solved the slow speed problem.
Thanks again!