Well I decided this would be a good winter job so I motivated myself to remove the engine and move the mower carcass to my basement. I doing so I discovered that the belt came off the gear box pulley and was jammed between the pulley and the the belt retainer bracket, locking the drive mechanism. So now I have two questions:
1. What may have been the cause of the (original) belt jamming?
2. Should I now also open up the gear box even though it is still functioning properly?
Thanks for any input that you may have!
BOJO3919
Most often the cause is a small stick or mulch gets caught, causing the belt to jump off. I’ve seen this very often. Just replace the belt, because most times you will find the belt burnt. No reason to open the gearbox.
I found a new belt and will do the swap. While I have it on the bench I plan to clean and re-grease the drive wheel pinions and front wheel axel bolts as well. Hope it serves me well for a few more years as this is my trimming mower and the bulk of grass I mow with my lawn tractor. Thanks for your help!
bojo3919