Repairs Cub Cadet, LTX 1050 VT, deck belt replacement

[dahermit]

Need to put on a new deck belt (not drive belt) for my 2007 LTX 1050VT. The problem is, when I was removing the old one, it was routed under the spring bracket for the idler pulleys. Nowhere in the manual where it talks about shows the diagram for changing the deck belt, does it ever say anything about having to route the belt under (requires removing one of the that bracket and torsion spring). All the diagram shows or indicates is the routing of the belt around the various pulleys. Just to be reassured and know for sure, does the belt go under the bracket?

The Owner's Manual also did not mention that the Idler Pulleys are flat bottomed and therefore the belt needs be twisted to allow the correct orientation with the flat side of the belt. I guess that who ever produced that document assumed that everyone would know that decks have flat bottomed pulleys and "V" bottomed pulleys.

As a person with a Master's Degree whose job it was to produce instructional material (how to do something) in industry, I consider the instruction manual in general for my Cub Cadet to be very poorly done...only fit for finding recommendations as to spark plugs, oil, filters, etc. As a how-to manual to fix something as basic as a deck belt replacement...useless.

 

[Rivets]

Looking at the diagram in the owners manual, I see NO placed where the belt needs to be twisted, to be installed properly. I also do not see where the belt would go under the spring bracket. The manual I looked at, seemed to be very easy to follow the belt routing and installation. You are looking at an owners manual, not a repair manual. MTD does not produce a service manual for your unit, which would answer the questions you raise.

 

[cpurvis]

Wow, I wrote a lot of 'how to do something' instructions, too, and did it with only a BS degree.

At the time, I thought even that was overkill. What I really needed was an 8th grade education and some mechanical aptitude because nothing in that degree program was of the slightest use in writing work directions.

Anyway, having owned two Cub Cadets, I'm nearly certain the deck belt doesn't run under anything that has to be removed to change belts.

All the pulleys on the mower deck are horizontal, so where would the need for a twist come from?

 

[BlazNT]

One simple thing about mowers that the manual you are reading assumes and it should not it the belt rides in the v pulleys and behind the idler pulleys. So when routing the v of the belt always is in the v grove and then the idler pulley gets the back of the belt. So if when you are putting the belt on and you think it needs to be turned to fit you are going the wrong way around the pulley. In the picture I have attached I circled in red the v-belt and the back of belt in green. If you went around the other side of the idler pulley the v would be touching it incorrectly.

 

[cpurvis]

I owe the OP of this thread an apology.

I finally got around to seeing one of these decks and the belt DOES run under the idler pulley bracket. OP was correct; I was wrong.

Good grief that is a poorly designed belt system.