LT 1050 Hydro Eating Drive Belts?

[Hitechluddite]

Hello All
I just recently bought this mower, 600hrs cosmetically great, doesn't burn oil so I think it's been well cared for. After about 10hrs of mowing the drive belt fragged. , A hunk about 6" long came out of the V side of the belt and it came off track. It looked like it was a few years old so I thought nothing of it, I ordered a new Stens belt, removed the deck crawled under and threaded the new belt. My forward speed did not increase like I was hoping but it did pull up hill with almost no loss in speed. However after about 6hrs of mowing the new belt did the exact same thing! I am wondering if there is something in the FWD/Rev rocker assembly that needs replaced because forward speed is less than what most mowers have, the FWD/Rev ratio seems right.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

I'd check for burrs/sharp spots on the pulleys.

 

[Hitechluddite]

The pulley on the motor shaft had a spot where the lip was a little bent but it was bent wider so I didn’t check for burrs. The belt retaining tabs on that pulley looks like they’re bent a little too, they don’t run parallel to the pulley but angle away at about 45 degrees

 

[hlw49]

Someone has replaced the belt and bent the belt guide away from the pulley. Probably because they didn't want to pull the clutch or could not get it off to pull the pulley down to replace the belt. They probably bent the pulely in the process and ruined the pulley. You can take the clutch off and try to get the pulley off but they very seldom come off. I have had to cut them off after some nimrod bent the pulley prying against it to bend the belt guides out to get the belt on. Not a good idea.

 

[Hitechluddite]

I dropped the PTO clutch when I installed the new belt. It's a PIA to put back on but I wanted to do a good job, So how does the drive pulley come off? PB Blaster and pray? I'll start it up after I drop the Clutch this time and see if the Pulley is still true...

 

[StarTech]

Most likely you will not have the tools needed to get the pulley off. The main problem is Cub Cadet doesn't use anti-seize compound when the install these pulleys so they get galled on the engine's PTO shaft by rust.

The only way I found to get these off is to pull the engine on riders. Then using a bearing separator and a torch remove the pulley which of course in the process destroys the pulley. After which the PTO shaft gets cleaned of the rust. Once cleaned an application of anti-seize compound along with a new pulley.

What many don't realize is if the pulley is stuck and un-damage all they got to do is unbolt the engine so it can be moved for a new belt to installed. Instead they attempt to get the engine's pulley off and damage it and the belt retainers. The last CC here the DIYer mechanic even used a die grinder and cut off one the ears leaving a very sharp edge which destroyed the new belt. He also bent the heck out of the drive pulley. That customer needed that repaired along with new drive belt and all the idler pulleys replaced. I gave a $600 estimate which most it was for the parts and he turned it down. He was pissed but it not my fault he carried to mower to someone that didn't know what they were doing and had messed up his mower.

You are lucky it is a rider as if a ZTR sometimes you can't even pull the engine to get to the pulley and the work has to done while the engine is still on mower. CC did get a little smarter later and add a way to get the engine off while the pulley is still on.

 

[Hitechluddite]

Yeah, It didn't have enough relief to get a wheel puller in there. If the pulley isn't true I shoot some PB blaster on top of the shaft and give it some time to work.and see if I can get it off, other wise I'll pay close attention to those retaining tabs and make sure they don't contact the belt. So there's no parts that could be worn anywhere in the belt drive path that could resolve?