Spring location and more

[ILENGINE]

One the first notch down the deck should move rearward to tension the belt, and then not move backwards since the deck belt should be tight and then the deck should just move downward as the deck is lowered. There may be an adjustment rod connected to the lowering lever that will change the point that the belt tightens.

 

[Quietcowboy]

One the first notch down the deck should move rearward to tension the belt, and then not move backwards since the deck belt should be tight and then the deck should just move downward as the deck is lowered. There may be an adjustment rod connected to the lowering lever that will change the point that the belt tightens.

CORRECTION: .... when I lower the deck lever past the third notch down the lever seems loose like it doesn't lower any more or do anything.

I know from my other mower. Which is not close for me to compare right now. But when I lower the same lever down past the third notch it seems to still have tension and I can feel it lowering down. I don't know if tension is the right word.

I tested the mower out on some taller grass and it seems to cut on all levels but I don't see a difference from bottom notch up to the third. I didn't measure the height of the cut of each but the all look the same height. Scalping......

 

[bertsmobile1]

The overall adjustment is under the plate that sits between the dash panel and the seat.
The whole deck height control and belt tensioning system is very simple and fits into the "cheap & nasty" catagory.
The adjuster adjusts all 4 deck lifters and sort of compensates for wear in the belt & pulleys but there is no adjustment to compensate for wear in the lifting mechanism.
Right now I have one in the shop and am about to cut the 3 non adjustable hangers to thread them so they can be adjusted.
Usually what happens is the deck just hangs too low so by the time you are at 3 the deck is already on the ground so 3,2 & 1 are all 1/2" cut which is what you use when you want to kill the grass .

At the off position, are both of the pulleys pushing against the brake pads hard enough to stop the blades rotating ?
Good bet they will be hanging 1/2" to 1" below the pads
Every second one of these I work on, some one has put a spacer block under the brake arms to make up for the fact that the deck is lower than it should be, otherwise the blades never really stop spinning and the belt tends to burn on the drive pulley.

 

[Quietcowboy]

At the off position, are both of the pulleys pushing against the brake pads hard enough to stop the blades rotating ?
Good bet they will be hanging 1/2" to 1" below the pads
Every second one of these I work on, some one has put a spacer block under the brake arms to make up for the fact that the deck is lower than it should be, otherwise the blades never really stop spinning and the belt tends to burn on the drive pulley.

I took a look and you're right. One side is just touching the pad and the other is about a 1/2 inch away. I see two hangers on one side that can twist. The other side are just flat bars. The side that has the twists hangers the pads are touching the top of the spindle but I don't think it is pressing very hard. Where the pad touches the spindle I see very little rubbing. I am not able to see much on the other side where the flat bars are for adjustment. Or are the adjustments on the inner side. I can take pictures if needed.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The easiest way out of this is to do what MTD should have done in the first place.
But another pair of adjustable hangers and replace the right side fixed ones with adjustable ones.
Take that plate off and have a look at the lifting mechanism. you will need a torch and perhaps a mirror they are hard to see
Check the stabilizer bar that runs across the deck, usually the mounting hole if flogged out oval allowing even more tilt.
The plate on the mower end is usually a bolt on item so can be replaced but if the bar is wore deeply it will need to be welded or replaced.
And of course the mounting holes on the deck itself.
These are of course welded on so you have to weld some high tensile washers onto the lifting tags to fix them.
Like I said, two extra adjustable arms are the easiest way to go.

The adjuster under the plate is really there to adjust the belt tension in the off position so there is enough play for the belt to slip in the off position while being tight enough to spinn the blades in the on positions.

And of course the owners manual tells you to oil them daily but because it is all under a cover plate thus almost inaccessable no one ever does .

The big downside is then adjusting the deck so that the BLADES not the bottom of the deck is parallel left right with all four adjusters .
Check that the pulleys press hard against the brake pads in the off position. The brake does not lock the blades but puts just enough load on them to slow then down so all of the slack in the belt ends up at the engine pulley so there is enough space for the pulley to spin without touching the belt.
If they do not touch, tighten all 4 adjusters the same number of turns
After that loosen both front adjusters around 2 turns to give the blades the correct attack angle.
Lots of dry lithium spray grease everywhere that 2 parts turn against each other, including under the cover plate.
FWIW I generally get 2 to 3 services out of a big can so be liberal with it.

 

[Quietcowboy]

Wow... Guess I got my work cut out for me.
I looked at the hangers and yeah a couple of them are wore. The holes not so much. I have had to order the hangers. I tried to adjust the ones that were on it but it made the deck level off from right to left.

 

[Quietcowboy]

So update. Found out that whoever put the deck back on put the hangers on wrong. I was able to level the deck but the blades don't stay stopped. The lift bar is really tough to pull all the way up to disengage when at true level. So I adjusted to the best I could. Don't know if I should look at belt to make sure it's the right size. Or if I should look at something else. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.