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Last year I picked up a Craftsman II eager -1 Mower. I think its a 1991 model. The mower had no oil in it but the engine moved freely. I was able to fix it up and after some Carb work it runs strong.

Here is my problem. The front wheel self propelled mechanism which runs via belt from the driveshaft through a hole in the deck to the front gear box keeps filling to the brim with grass clippings and its rusting out the mower deck. I thought when I got it, it was a mouse nest but after using it I see its doing this just from use.




I circled in RED where on the deck the hole the V-belt comes through. This is where its filling up with grass. Should there be a belt guide or Plate I am missing to plug the hole?



When you remove the cover for the drive belt its like a tight Jell-O mold of Grass molding away rusting the deck I have to pull off then spray off with the hose.



Any advice? This cant be how its designed to operate. Going over the parts list I cannot see any type of plate, but maybe I am missing it: https://www.manualslib.com/download/495025/Craftsman-917-372490.html

Did I add this post to the wrong area or something?!

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

That's typical. In the last 10?? years they have been building mowers with a cover underneath the mower covering the belt reducing the grass collecting problem u have. I posted a pic here before where grass collected forming the shape of the whole cover.

You could look around to find a cover(from underneath) that fits your mower. Being it is not identical, you likely need to modify it to fit.
If u want to rustproof the areas under the cover, I use Eastwood rustproofing- given sand off all loose rust and let it dry a few days before applying.

Thanks UpUpandaway. Yeah I would like to treath the rust but its pointless until I fix the collecting grass. I got a pretty big yard so it will fill up to the shape of the cover after every use. Right now I have the cover off. And Without finding some similar belt cover I can rig onto it, I may just leave the best area exposed.