V-Belt Question

Ok Groundhog. After all this head scratching I think the manual is wrong. I found where someone else had the same issue and his pictures were better than mine. http://www.mytractorforum.com/14-cr...t-drive-belt-routing-issue-917-28947-a-2.html
So I disconnected the steering column looped the belt through and "ding dong" no rub, yard mowed. I can't imagine people aren't screaming from the mountain top about the misinformation. I even talked to the Craftsman tech and he said according to his information the manual is correct.

Now I understand the "tractor forum guy" and I are the only two people who seem to have had this problem (far as I can tell), but....

Anyway, thanks guys. It sure is nice to have you guys to bounce things off of.

--Chip
 
That looks pretty close to my tractors layout. I have a simplicty. But around the middle it looks very similar. I would run it the same as the diagram, running around the steering is wrong. My idler contacts the back of the belt.
 
woochucker said:
That looks pretty close to my tractors layout. I have a simplicty. But around the middle it looks very similar. I would run it the same as the diagram, running around the steering is wrong. My idler contacts the back of the belt.
Click to expand...
When I had it threaded as shown on the (factory) diagram there was a significant rub on the back of the belt against the steering column. Now that I have it routed as the old belt, there is no rub at all. I agree it seems like a bad design to disconnect the steering column to replace a belt, but I'm convinced that's what needed to be done. I appreciate your scepticism, as I am wrong a fair amount.

--Chip
 
If it isn't rubbing that sounds right to me. Someone ought to kick the engineers a*s that designed it so you have to remove the steering column though.
 
Your right , the manual shouldn't be trusted . Plus with many machines they use odd ball sizes so you need there exact fit belt. Now you know why the cost to repair lawn equipment isn't cheap. I've spent over forty years repairing them and I now no longer am willing to do riding mowers. They take to much time and people don't or won't pay without feeling there being robbed. Hard to tell someone it takes three hours to install a new belt. And the bills over $200. , take in account the belt may be $60. Of the bill. Another reason I don't do riders they take it apart and I'm supposed to charge less. Nope there headaches .
Your belt shouldn't rub unless it's disengaged and that acts like a brake. Glad you fixed it the right way
 
cathead said:
Chip,

I have an old Wheel horse and it has an idler(flat pulley) that rolls on the back side of the V Belt. You don't want
any belt to rub.
Click to expand...
Some idlers are made for the flat back , if the idler pulley has a vee it's inside if flat it's outside. Most long belt setups will use at least one , on decks it may have many idlers . Clutch setups can have three or four.
 
Thanks Silverbullet. I completely get it. That little project was no fun.

--Chip
 
Any lawn mower or rider that has "Craftsman" badge on it. Run from it!!! And I mean run!!!

Sorry for the rant.
 
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