Idler pulley out-of-plane

[Albionwood]

Craftsman 42" deck, lawn tractor model no. 917.272754 (the popular 18HP model). Belt broke while wife mowing - maybe hit something? See photo; the idler pulley is way off-plane, so the belt rides up and rubs agains the edge, quickly overheating. I took it off and tried straightening the bracket, but it seems that this pulley is not actually meant to be completely co-planar with the others. If I were to bend it far enough to make it coplanar, the mounting bolt would then hit the deck.

Anyone here know what angle it should make?

 

[KennyV]

Can not really see what all is under that idler and the associated hardware... can you click a couple other picture angles?
Have you had this deck since new?
Is it possible someone has assembled it with the wrong parts or pieces, and prior to the last bending it "sort of" worked...
:smile:KennyV

 

[Albionwood]

I took that pic, and a few others (equally obscure), when I had the deck off a while back. Then I disassembled the idler and tried bending the bracket that mounts it to the deck, to get the pulley closer to parallel. Seemed like the bracket isn't designed to go completely flat/parallel to the other pulleys; maybe there is supposed to be some angle, to prevent the belt from travelling?

All that's under the idler is the bracket that mounts it to the deck. This is the fixed pulley on the left in the pic; the tensioner is on the right. I could try to scan the IPL if that would help. The bracket that seems to be at the wrong angle is part no. 157109.

 

[glennsjr]

I've worked on a couple of these and one I remember is that the bolt holding the bracket has a bushing that when worn lets the whole thing flop around. Not sure yours has it It's on the bolt that holds the bracket with the pulley rotates on.

 

[Albionwood]

That could be at least part of the problem, it does seem a bit wobbly. There's no bushing listed on the IPL, probably have to replace the pulley. Thanks for the tip. I still think that angle is way off though...

 

[Slater]

Belt broke while wife mowing - maybe hit something?

Thats what happens when you get to mow before all of us :biggrin:

But seriously, the other guys on here will be a better help, I am just telling you how jealous I am that you are already mowing:smile:

 

[BKBrown]

It might help to have a picture of the entire top of the deck ?

 

[Albionwood]

how jealous I am that you are already mowing:smile:

HAH! I wish... this happened last fall near the end of mowing season... we're getting drowned in rain out here this spring. Grass is growing but way too wet to mow... by the time it dries out enough to cut, it will be too high... as usual for us. Bigger problem is the 100 lbs of seed potatoes that need to go in the ground!