# V-Belt Question



## Chip Hacket (May 16, 2017)

Ok so this is pretty far off topic.  But you guys really are the best.  So here it goes.

Changing the ground drive belt on my Craftsman garden tractor.  The manual says the belt is routed as shown below.  Problem is the belt I removed was routed as I have colored in green.  The red circle is the steering column and as you can see it goes through the middle of the belt.  So in order to remove the belt I had to cut it.  I have the new belt installed as per the instructions and it does in fact work, however the back of the belt rubs on the steering column.  I believe the original rubbed slightly but not as bad.  The pulley is really more to the left as I indicated hence not as bad a rub.

Really what need to know is it ok for the back side of a belt to rub?  I wouldn't design it that way, but is that an allowable shortcut?  I really do appreciate you guys input.



--Chip


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## Chip Hacket (May 16, 2017)

This is a picture taken under the garden tractor.



Kinda hard to get a good picture.  Not much room under there.  Wife says I should lose weight.  She may have a point.

--Chip


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## Groundhog (May 16, 2017)

Is there a way to use a longer belt (if needed) and adjust pulley "C" more to the right and avoid any rubbing? The belt probably shouldn't rub on either side.
In lieu of that I would just leave it the way you have it and see what happens. Probably not much difference between wrong option 1 and wrong option 2!!


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## Chip Hacket (May 16, 2017)

Thanks Groundhog.  Pulley C does not adjust.  I considered making a larger pulley to replace it.  But I can't help but think hundreds of people must have faced this situation before.  I was actually able to speak with a live Craftsman tech and he said well that's the way it goes on.  Just doesn't seem right to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cathead (May 16, 2017)

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.


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## kvt (May 16, 2017)

how old is this mower.   I have a craftsman sitting in the yard,   Would have to jack it up in few days to get to it to take a look.  
my other one is a Hus,   it may be different.     I just had epidural cortisone  injections in my spine  so have to take it easy for a few days.   but will look after that.


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## rgray (May 17, 2017)

The green routing looks like a no no. It will last much better on the other side of the column it looks like from the drawing.  Pulley C and the one below it are the clutch? Do they pivot when the clutch pedal is pushed in? 
Or is it a hydrostatic and those pulleys are fixed?


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## Chip Hacket (May 17, 2017)

kvt said:


> how old is this mower.   I have a craftsman sitting in the yard,   Would have to jack it up in few days to get to it to take a look.
> my other one is a Hus,   it may be different.     I just had epidural cortisone  injections in my spine  so have to take it easy for a few days.   but will look after that.


Thanks Ken.  I really don't want you messing around with an old heavy mower on my behalf after having injections.  I certainly do value your input though.  As of right now I need to put the deck on and mow the yard.  It's looking a bit snaky about now.  I'm hoping I don't end up dragging it back to the shop!??  I'll let you know.

--Chip


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## Chip Hacket (May 17, 2017)

rgray said:


> The green routing looks like a no no. It will last much better on the other side of the column it looks like from the drawing.  Pulley C and the one below it are the clutch? Do they pivot when the clutch pedal is pushed in?
> Or is it a hydrostatic and those pulleys are fixed?


Thanks for the help.  Pulley "C" and the one below do pivot when the clutch pedal is pushed in.  I think the green routing looks worse in the diagram because Pulley "C" is shown more in the middle.  In reality it is more to the left as noted in the diagram.  Guess I'm going to go with the way it is for now.  Hopefully I won't be tearing this thing apart again anytime soon.  It's a quite a pain.  I am worried about the belt rub though.

--Chip


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## Groundhog (May 17, 2017)

I agree with rgray that the green routing is not right. As weird as engineers sometimes get I wouldn't think even one of them would design a system that required pulling the steering shaft to replace. I also agree that the belt rubbing on the back side (or either side) is not right either.

What year and model is this tractor? I have an out of state friend who works (as a book keeper - not a mechanic) for a mower repair company. I can ask him next time I talk to him if his guys have run across this before. I'm interested now and curious to find out what is going on!


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## Chip Hacket (May 17, 2017)

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


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## woodchucker (May 17, 2017)

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.


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## Chip Hacket (May 17, 2017)

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.


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


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## Groundhog (May 18, 2017)

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.


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## Silverbullet (May 18, 2017)

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


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## Silverbullet (May 18, 2017)

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.


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.


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## Chip Hacket (May 18, 2017)

Thanks Silverbullet.  I completely get it.  That little project was no fun.  

--Chip


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## 4GSR (Jun 1, 2017)

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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