I need to replace the drive belt on my tractor. Attached to the
engine's driveshaft is a double pulley. The top pulley is the drive
pulley and it's connected via a metal shaft to the bottom pulley, the
blade belt pulley. I've removed a 9/16 bolt from the pulley, about 4
inches up the shaft. Yet the pulleys are still frozen on the engine
driveshaft. According to the diagram there appears to be a key on this
shaft that provides the torque. I cant see it from looking up the
shaft. Does anyone have experience removing these pulleys? there's
got to be a way without destroying everything. Thanks!

tbyers31 wrote:
I need to replace the drive belt on my tractor. Attached to the
engine's driveshaft is a double pulley. The top pulley is the drive
pulley and it's connected via a metal shaft to the bottom pulley, the
blade belt pulley. I've removed a 9/16 bolt from the pulley, about 4
inches up the shaft. Yet the pulleys are still frozen on the engine
driveshaft. According to the diagram there appears to be a key on this
shaft that provides the torque. I cant see it from looking up the
shaft. Does anyone have experience removing these pulleys? there's
got to be a way without destroying everything. Thanks!

I'm hoping that it can be replaced without removing the pulley. I have
to do the same on my Ryobi (re-badged MTD) but haven't got out the
manual yet. The belts (both) should be slack enouth to work over the
pulley when when the blades aren't engaged and the tranny is in
neutral. Oops. That is for a manual tranny, not sure about a Hydro.

Harry K

The manual for the YardBug says that the pulleys have to be lowered to
replace the upper drive belt (the lower blade belt can be replaced
without moving the pulley). The reason you have to lower the pulley
for the upper belt is that there's a guard covering about a third of
the circumference of that pulley that looks to be too tight to wedge
the new belt in. At least that's what the manual says. This gives me
an idea... maybe I can force the belt or bend the guard enough to get
the new belt on since the pulley is a bear...

"tbyers31" wrote in message
oups.com...
The manual for the YardBug says that the pulleys have to be lowered to
replace the upper drive belt (the lower blade belt can be replaced
without moving the pulley). The reason you have to lower the pulley
for the upper belt is that there's a guard covering about a third of
the circumference of that pulley that looks to be too tight to wedge
the new belt in. At least that's what the manual says. This gives me
an idea... maybe I can force the belt or bend the guard enough to get
the new belt on since the pulley is a bear...

I have a Craftsman and removing the drive belt does not require removing the
pulley. The mower deck has to be dropped (a couple of pin removals) in
order to get the belt off. Obviously not the same as yours but not that far
off.
MLD

You will need a gear puller. If the bugger has been on forever
and is rust and gunk adhered, you may well destroy the pulley
pulling it. Soak everything down with K-release or Kroil type
rust buster. Apply the gear puller carefully, it should ease on
off. Pay lots of attention to where that 1/2 moon key goes,
you'll need it back.

(top posted for your convenience)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"tbyers31" wrote in message
oups.com...
I need to replace the drive belt on my tractor. Attached to the
engine's driveshaft is a double pulley. The top pulley is the
drive
pulley and it's connected via a metal shaft to the bottom
pulley, the
blade belt pulley. I've removed a 9/16 bolt from the pulley,
about 4
inches up the shaft. Yet the pulleys are still frozen on the
engine
driveshaft. According to the diagram there appears to be a key
on this
shaft that provides the torque. I cant see it from looking up
the
shaft. Does anyone have experience removing these pulleys?
there's
got to be a way without destroying everything. Thanks!

MLD wrote:
"tbyers31" wrote in message
oups.com...
The manual for the YardBug says that the pulleys have to be lowered to
replace the upper drive belt (the lower blade belt can be replaced
without moving the pulley). The reason you have to lower the pulley
for the upper belt is that there's a guard covering about a third of
the circumference of that pulley that looks to be too tight to wedge
the new belt in. At least that's what the manual says. This gives me
an idea... maybe I can force the belt or bend the guard enough to get
the new belt on since the pulley is a bear...

I have a Craftsman and removing the drive belt does not require removing the
pulley. The mower deck has to be dropped (a couple of pin removals) in
order to get the belt off. Obviously not the same as yours but not that far
off.
MLD

I was at the small engine shop today on a different problem. Asked him
what the charge would be. $110 to replace both belts or $140 if the
drive belt is actually 2 belts (it is on some apparently, with an
intermediate pulley). Cost of belts $30 each. If I have to remove the
pulley to do it, I think the shop gets it. Being a regular customer
there though, he cut me a special on the labor cost.

Harry K

I solved one problem and caused another...

I was able to get the belt on by loosening the metal plate that
stretches the width of the body frame and forms the belt guard. To do
this I had to remove both back wheels, two screws on each side of the
frame holding the plate, loosen 2 screws from the middle where the
plate attaches to the differential, and remove 2 screws where a control
cable plate gets in the way of the belt guard moving. Whew!

Had I known this from the beginning, I could have had the belt replaced
in an hour.

But here's my worse problem... somewhere in the process (I think
tapping on the pulley) I caused an oil leak, out of the bottom of the
engine. Did I break a seal where the engine sits on the frame? Will I
have to pull the engine completely to reseal it? I'm at a loss how to
fix this.

Thanks for all the tips.

tbyers31 wrote:
I solved one problem and caused another...

I was able to get the belt on by loosening the metal plate that
stretches the width of the body frame and forms the belt guard. To do
this I had to remove both back wheels, two screws on each side of the
frame holding the plate, loosen 2 screws from the middle where the
plate attaches to the differential, and remove 2 screws where a control
cable plate gets in the way of the belt guard moving. Whew!

Had I known this from the beginning, I could have had the belt replaced
in an hour.

But here's my worse problem... somewhere in the process (I think
tapping on the pulley) I caused an oil leak, out of the bottom of the
engine. Did I break a seal where the engine sits on the frame? Will I
have to pull the engine completely to reseal it? I'm at a loss how to
fix this.

Thanks for all the tips.

Thanks for the information. Looks more and more like my pocket book is
going to do the job. At 70 I don't relish crawling around on the floor
and I have no lift.

As to the oil leak. If it is the seal the motor has to come out and
all pulleys removed. You can't 'fix' a leaking seal except by
replacing it.

Harry K

I didn't like flipping the tractor back and forth particularly, but
then my wife made the comment she thought it was a manly thing to try
to conquer machines and she liked that! Wow! Made my day!

Seriously, though, I'm going to let everything sit, cleanup the oil,
and try to see what I've done. Somebody suggested it might be oil
flooding the carb from sitting on it's side for so long. I hope so,
otherwise I'm back to getting that pulley off.

Thanks again.

For belt replacements it is sometimes possible to remove the engine mounting
bolts and slightly shift the engine to get needed clearance.
Don Young

"tbyers31" wrote in message
ups.com...
I didn't like flipping the tractor back and forth particularly, but
then my wife made the comment she thought it was a manly thing to try
to conquer machines and she liked that! Wow! Made my day!

Seriously, though, I'm going to let everything sit, cleanup the oil,
and try to see what I've done. Somebody suggested it might be oil
flooding the carb from sitting on it's side for so long. I hope so,
otherwise I'm back to getting that pulley off.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the tip... you're right, there appears to be room above the
pulley to move it up first. I may have to do that at some point.

In the meantime, I cleaned up the oil and it appears my problem was oil
in the carburator rather than a broken seal. I'll know more with a
longer test.