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The belt that drives the transmission broke well shredded. My questions are.
1. What is the best way to take off the remanence of the belt? the tractor is really heavy.
2. What size belt or belt number should I get to replace it? where to order it from online.
Thank you

https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Craftsman-Poulan-140294-532140294/dp/B07GCM1CR8

remove mower deck, take pictures if you wish to facilitate reinstallation, check idler pulleys for bearing wear & some have grease fittings, take your time & clean, inspect, & grease deck spindles before re-installing, check blades after cleaning them to see if they need to be replaced or dressed up with a file & properly balanced before re-installing them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pou...ome..69i57.33994j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

You have to figure out what tore up the old belt, taking the deck off might be helpful, but not neccessary.

Look for locked up idler pullies.

https://www.ereplacementparts.com/poulan-hd145h42f-lawn-tractor-parts-c-16962_18479_205212.html

If it is the drive belt the only way to diagnose the cause is to remove the deck and then crawl under and look for bad tensioner arm, bad pulleys and worn guides. Deck will need to be pulled to replace the belt anyway. If you post the model and serial numbers, under the seat, we will be able to tell you the belt part number and maybe even a procedure for replacing the belt. While the deck is off it would not be a bad idea to do all the checks which mechanic mark listed.

Rivets said:

If it is the drive belt the only way to diagnose the cause is to remove the deck and then crawl under and look for bad tensioner arm, bad pulleys and worn guides. Deck will need to be pulled to replace the belt anyway. If you post the model and serial numbers, under the seat, we will be able to tell you the belt part number and maybe even a procedure for replacing the belt. While the deck is off it would not be a bad idea to do all the checks which mechanic mark listed.

Click to expand...

mechanic mark said:

https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Craftsman-Poulan-140294-532140294/dp/B07GCM1CR8

remove mower deck, take pictures if you wish to facilitate reinstallation, check idler pulleys for bearing wear & some have grease fittings, take your time & clean, inspect, & grease deck spindles before re-installing, check blades after cleaning them to see if they need to be replaced or dressed up with a file & properly balanced before re-installing them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pou...ome..69i57.33994j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Click to expand...

Thank you, Mark,
I just ordered belt today

Here is the owners manual which shows how to replace the drive belt.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/132725/Poulan-Pro-161491.html?page=22#manual

I use a yard crane which makes things really easy rather than crawling underneath perpetually eating grass & trying to keep crud out of my eyes.
If you put some cling film on the fuel tank filler then screw down the cap, most mowers with a sealed battery can be stood vertical on their back wheels and an amazingly large number will actually sit there quite happily.
Now you can see exactly clearly what is going on, you can get to everything easily and crud is not falling into your face.

Rivets said:

Here is the owners manual which shows how to replace the drive belt.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/132725/Poulan-Pro-161491.html?page=22#manual

Click to expand...

Thank you Rivets,
That's what I needed to see!. I will chime in when the part gets here

We replace deck belts daily. We have never taken a deck off yet.
Raise the nose and drop the front hanger off, support the front of the deck with a jack stand. You now have full access to the deck.

A shredded belt tends to be cut by a bent belt guide. Pullies being stuck will snap a belt clean, just like stopping them blade when mowing.

I to have replaced deck belts many times without removing the deck. In this case the OP wants to replace the drive belt, see his first post, and if someone has an easier method to replace a drive belt without removing the deck, I would like to learn how to do it.

ice said:

Thank you, Mark,
I just ordered belt today

Click to expand...

Hello, took me a while to back
The dang them is just to tight to get around the last pully/ Any tips? I am getting very frustrated and the lawn is getting tall

Have someone hold the brake pedal down and if you have the correct belt it should slide right on.

Rivets said:

Have someone hold the brake pedal down and if you have the correct belt it should slide right on.

Click to expand...

This is with the break on all the way it can go..?...This is no way going to slide in easy :confused2:
This is the correct belt also.

If that is as far as the brake pedal can move the tensioning pulley it explains why the belt broke.
The tension pulley should move in so far that it just about touches the other run of the belt.
It has to go far enough to allow the belt to get so slack that it slips on the drive pulley without burning.
If the belt can not slip then you are doing the same thing as tromping you foot on the accelerator while the other is on the brake.
Something has to give & that is the belt.
If you manage to get this one on it will break within the first 10 minutes of operation.
So pull the tensioning pulley right off , along with the spring and work out why it is not travelling far enough.
Pretty sure you will find some debris in there jambing it.

ice said:

This is with the break on all the way it can go..?...This is no way going to slide in easy :confused2:
This is the correct belt also.

Click to expand...

You have belt with one of the following part numbers correct 161850/165813/532165813 and not the 584448801 as suggested in an earlier post correct.

ILENGINE said:

You have belt with one of the following part numbers correct 161850/165813/532165813 and not the 584448801 as suggested in an earlier post correct.

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?????? ehaaaaaaaaa//// I orderd the belt that was on the post

The diagram that Fish posted is for a 1997 model HD145H42F which is a 1/2 x 82 inch belt which is also the length that Mark posted from Amazon, but you have a 1998 model HD145H42H which calls for a belt that is 1/2 x 85.

ILENGINE said:

The diagram that Fish posted is for a 1997 model HD145H42F which is a 1/2 x 82 inch belt which is also the length that Mark posted from Amazon, but you have a 1998 model HD145H42H which calls for a belt that is 1/2 x 85.

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omg! you are so right ilenengine!!!
3 new wrong belts later! Anyhoo if you want those other belts pm k.
Again thank you so much Ilengine

hi-
hey ilengine
while i have your ear- what is this hole in the rear axle for? it looks like it has threads

Item 113 on this parts diagram. It is the vent cap for the hydrogear tranny.

https://www.partstree.com/parts/ele...oulan-lawn-tractor-1998/transaxle-hydro-gear/

ILENGINE said:

Item 113 on this parts diagram. It is the vent cap for the hydrogear tranny.

https://www.partstree.com/parts/ele...oulan-lawn-tractor-1998/transaxle-hydro-gear/

Click to expand...

$30.00 buck part... - If you think I need it I will buy it. If it doesn't matter much- I will keep as is.:thumbsup:

It keeps the dirt, dust, and grass out of the transmission. Dirt and other contaminates are the killer of hydrostat trannys, so I would replace it.