LT1000 917.272061 deck "rebuild" belt too tight.

[joea99]

New thread on old topic.
Replaced brake arms, pivot plate, clutch cable on the deck. I'm pretty sure I got the stationary idler pulley on correctly

Put on a new belt as well. Advertised to be 95.5 inches. p/n 144959 is marked on it.

Started engine and the blades turn furiously with the clutch disengaged. Turned engine off.

Clutch lever does actuate the clutch idler properly and there is slack in the belt with it disengaged. Just not enough.

Attempted to adjust the "arc" of the stationary idler and it does change the tension on the pulley but only gets tighter. Red arrow points to the idler.

My only thoughts are I installed in incorrectly, or this new belt is actually too short. Too late in the day to hunt up another or dig into it any more today.

Suggestions?

 

[Scrubcadet10]

I would take that belt to a mower shop, or compare it to another belt of the same part number. A mower shop could probably measure the actual length of your 144959 belt to be sure it is 95.5"

 

[StarTech]

Definitely check the belt's OD as many after market belts are short. Even with a good after market parts supplier you can get bad belts length wise. This why I invested $200 in a v-belt measuring tool that can measure up to 200 inch belts.

One supplier insisted that I was wrong about their belts being short. So I proved them wrong by buying the tool. When most of their 1/2 belt were up to an inch short and the 5/8 belts were up to two inches short, I finally showed the vendor the door. And even Stens belts can be either too short or too long. I had one Stens belt belt that was over an inch too long. I called them and they said I was just measuring the belt wrong. When I told I was using the measuring tool to check it they said those tools are no good. This is when I said then why in the Heck are you selling the same tool. They shut up and had me to return the belt. Six weeks later they email me confirming that the belt indeed was 104 inches inches instead being 103.

BTW the $200 investment was well worth in it in a shop setting.

 

[joea99]

Well, as a driveway mechanic, $200 for a belt measuring tool is not happening. I do have an old "tailors tape" that might do in a pinch. The fabric kind.

So, the OD is the measurement to go by? Always wondered about that.

Edit: I found a way to measure the length by making a mark on the side of the belt and rolling the belt along a flat surface and measuring the distance between marks. Still, some sources say the ID, some say the OD. But making a mark on the side of the belt, I guess not that much difference.

 

[joea99]

I measured both belts I have and they measure just about 94 1/4 inches. One is a cheaper ebay belt made in india the other is by D&D off Amazon several years ago.

Measured by method described earlier. Making a mark on the V side of the belt, matching it to a mark on the floor and rolling it along the floor on the outer flat to the same mark on the belt, the measuring the distance. That should be pretty accurate, right?

 

[SeniorCitizen]

i believe the plumbing and v-belt industries are cousins and there has been some in-breeding . I see the pitch diameter is infrequently mentioned .

 

[joea99]

i believe the plumbing and v-belt industries are cousins and there has been some in-breeding . I see the pitch diameter is infrequently mentioned .

Got no clue what pitch diameter is. Guess I have to look that one up.

 

[StarTech]

I measured both belts I have and they measure just about 94 1/4 inches. One is a cheaper ebay belt made in india the other is by D&D off Amazon several years ago.

Measured by method described earlier. Making a mark on the V side of the belt, matching it to a mark on the floor and rolling it along the floor on the outer flat to the same mark on the belt, the measuring the distance. That should be pretty accurate, right?

Yes it is very close way to measure the OD as long as the belt don't slip during the measuring and both belts appears to be short.

 

[hlw49]

They can be the stated length plus or minus an inch and a half. As per industry standards.

 

[StarTech]

They can be the stated length plus or minus an inch and a half. As per industry standards.

And when I find a vendor that is constantly sending me short belts I quit buying all their products. There is a reason why belts for equipment is spec'd at a particular length.

BTW you won't find me buying A&I and Sunbelt belts for the very reason that they had sent out many short belts it was costing time and money here. I was with Sunbelt Outdoors for over ten years then A&I took them over and start the BS of constantly sending out bad products. I dumped them two year ago. So far PIX has done the best job of sending proper length belts. And one belt too long from Stens. Not much experience with Rotary yet so only time will tell with them.

It is this way send me the correctly spec'd belt or not at all. I don't like wasting my time installing a belt to only find out it is not what it was suppose to be. It is the reason I check all new belts as I received them to make sure they meet the specs.