So I meant, the belt was able to turn the pulley but the bad bearing is obviously creating drag. Just not sure if that is enough drag to cause the belt to slip
new steering gear getting chewed up
- Thread starter bigjake
- Start date
bertsmobile1
Lawn Royalty
Thanks for doing as asked
So it will appear that your transmission is reasonable
FWIW I do this test on my tilting trailer while unloading the mower .
An old belt will have rubber that has extruded through the cover so will be a little sticky when hot
A new belt will not
And old belt will be uniform because it has been run & gotten hot
A new belt will have set bends where it has been folded for transport & storage and may take a coupe of hours use to get hot hot enough to stretch them out
The pulleys need to spin freely & quietly , if not they need replacing
A very small amount of wear in the pivot hole for the tension arm can make a bit difference to the amount of tension on the belt
So it will appear that your transmission is reasonable
FWIW I do this test on my tilting trailer while unloading the mower .
An old belt will have rubber that has extruded through the cover so will be a little sticky when hot
A new belt will not
And old belt will be uniform because it has been run & gotten hot
A new belt will have set bends where it has been folded for transport & storage and may take a coupe of hours use to get hot hot enough to stretch them out
The pulleys need to spin freely & quietly , if not they need replacing
A very small amount of wear in the pivot hole for the tension arm can make a bit difference to the amount of tension on the belt
Thanks. That's good news on the transmission. Hmm, that would explain the mystery of why the problem started when the new belt was installed. If it may be a matter of the new belt just needing a "break in" period, if it's still slipping after installing the new pulleys, would you suggest the next step just be trying some belt dressing before going to a different size belt? Any thoughts on how close the belt is to the belt guide?
bertsmobile1
Lawn Royalty
No
Belt dressing is designed for use on plain belts
However when you change the belt check the mower & the transmission pulley carefully
If either of them are polished right down to the bottom of the V then they are worn past their useable limit
Belt dressing is designed for use on plain belts
However when you change the belt check the mower & the transmission pulley carefully
If either of them are polished right down to the bottom of the V then they are worn past their useable limit
You need to do some closer inspecting while changing those two pulleys.
I try to replace that plastic V-groove pulley with a metal type if readily available at about same price.
You indicated previously that you seen the fan on the transmission pulley getting slower, which is a sign of belt slippage.
While you are replacing those two zig zag pulleys, I'm not sure on yours because I never could find a IPL, but if that is the type that pulleys swivel on a spring loaded plate that is spring loaded you need to make sure the plate that the pulleys are attached to swivels freely and that the spring is attached in the correct holes at each end. I've seen those springs get hooked in the wrong hole and the spring would not be holding the pulleys tight to the belt. (it's a strong spring is why is gets hooked in the wrong place)
A hint of the two (spring and not getting a full swivel is if that rig has a clutch brake pedal the brake pedal could be pulled back further with the heel of the foot as the mower is slowing down going up a hill and the mower then goes faster. (the more tension that those two pulley place on the belt as they swivel is what makes for more belt tension)
You cannot put a wider belt on that rig due to the spacing of the belt keeper being close to the existing belt.
Also as bert says, you need to inspect the engine and transaxle pulleys and if the grooves are worn (on the sides) to where the belt is touching/running in the very bottom of the very bottom of just one pulley the belt will slip.
The most likely suspect is the smaller front pulley up by the engine. The belt will have to be removed and the pulley pulled down on the shaft and a bright ring in the very bottom of the pulley and dished out side is a hint it's worn too bad. This will not be an easy task if the engine has a electric PTO clutch.
Also you mentioned the belt gets hot. that is a sign of a slipping belt.
I think your belt keeper you inquired about is ok. It only touches the belt when the clutch/brake is depressed giving the belt slack to slip so it's not rubbing hard when the belt is snug. (and the belt slippage even when pulling or the clutch/brake depressed will be at the smaller upper front engine pulley)
I try to replace that plastic V-groove pulley with a metal type if readily available at about same price.
You indicated previously that you seen the fan on the transmission pulley getting slower, which is a sign of belt slippage.
While you are replacing those two zig zag pulleys, I'm not sure on yours because I never could find a IPL, but if that is the type that pulleys swivel on a spring loaded plate that is spring loaded you need to make sure the plate that the pulleys are attached to swivels freely and that the spring is attached in the correct holes at each end. I've seen those springs get hooked in the wrong hole and the spring would not be holding the pulleys tight to the belt. (it's a strong spring is why is gets hooked in the wrong place)
A hint of the two (spring and not getting a full swivel is if that rig has a clutch brake pedal the brake pedal could be pulled back further with the heel of the foot as the mower is slowing down going up a hill and the mower then goes faster. (the more tension that those two pulley place on the belt as they swivel is what makes for more belt tension)
You cannot put a wider belt on that rig due to the spacing of the belt keeper being close to the existing belt.
Also as bert says, you need to inspect the engine and transaxle pulleys and if the grooves are worn (on the sides) to where the belt is touching/running in the very bottom of the very bottom of just one pulley the belt will slip.
The most likely suspect is the smaller front pulley up by the engine. The belt will have to be removed and the pulley pulled down on the shaft and a bright ring in the very bottom of the pulley and dished out side is a hint it's worn too bad. This will not be an easy task if the engine has a electric PTO clutch.
Also you mentioned the belt gets hot. that is a sign of a slipping belt.
I think your belt keeper you inquired about is ok. It only touches the belt when the clutch/brake is depressed giving the belt slack to slip so it's not rubbing hard when the belt is snug. (and the belt slippage even when pulling or the clutch/brake depressed will be at the smaller upper front engine pulley)
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Well the new pulleys just arrived. Am I wrong in thinking that I should be to put my finger through the bearing and give the pulley a spin and it should spin freely for several seconds? Like at the 1 minute mark in this youtube video
Neither of the new pulleys will spin at all. They turn freely if I manually turn them, but do not spin. Thats what the old V pulley did and I assumed it was bad, The old flat pulley spins but only for a second. I know you only get what you pay for but I went with a cheap set since I'm still trying to confirm I can get the tractor climbing hills again properly. I assumed the bearings in the cheap set woud be good but just might not last very long and I'd have to replace them again with better but these don't seem any better than the old ones and the diameter of the flat pulley where the belt rides, is almost 1/8" smaller than the old pulley so is not going to help my belt slippage problem. Am I wrong in thinking that these pulleys should spin like in the video?
Neither of the new pulleys will spin at all. They turn freely if I manually turn them, but do not spin. Thats what the old V pulley did and I assumed it was bad, The old flat pulley spins but only for a second. I know you only get what you pay for but I went with a cheap set since I'm still trying to confirm I can get the tractor climbing hills again properly. I assumed the bearings in the cheap set woud be good but just might not last very long and I'd have to replace them again with better but these don't seem any better than the old ones and the diameter of the flat pulley where the belt rides, is almost 1/8" smaller than the old pulley so is not going to help my belt slippage problem. Am I wrong in thinking that these pulleys should spin like in the video?
They are most likely full of grease.(which is a good thing)
They will turn free after they have ran for awhile.
1/8 inch in the flat pulley will still be ok.
I quite often buy a bearing or bearing/pulley now days and it free wheel spins easy when new. That is a sign that China did not pack the bearing with grease.
I use a vaccinating needle on my grease gun and pack them kind if I cannot pop the seal out.
Install the pulleys and test.
They will turn free after they have ran for awhile.
1/8 inch in the flat pulley will still be ok.
I quite often buy a bearing or bearing/pulley now days and it free wheel spins easy when new. That is a sign that China did not pack the bearing with grease.
I use a vaccinating needle on my grease gun and pack them kind if I cannot pop the seal out.
Install the pulleys and test.
bertsmobile1
Lawn Royalty
Unless you buy premium brand bearings that are genuine, most now dats seem to come with nothing but assembly / transport lube in them
OK for a shopping trolley but not for a spindle or mower pulley
