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It's become rediculous. I can't believe troybilt has no recourse for the cutting deck deficiencies in this mower. I have a 2014 42 inch pony. The belt that matches the serial number is to the T for this mower, yet, no matter what I do to the linkage rod, the belt is 2.5 inches too long. New pulleys, routed correctly..it's all been done. I even took off the entire top to see if the frame had bent from trailoring. There are no bends. Has anyone on the face of this earth faced this problem with the Troy bilt pony?

http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/troy-bilt-riding-mower-13wm77ks011

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...754-05056&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l2.25345j0j8

Recheck part number on belt, should be 754-05056 or 954-04060C, pages 14 & 15 in 2014 & 2015 parts manual above, some part numbers are very close but will not work, belt being too long or short.

This is the part number 954-04060C. 42 inch mtd 106.7 CM v belt. The old deck was torn up. Ran over a rebar stud, and it tore a hole in one of the pulley screw holes in the actual deck. One of he pulley mounting pertrusion broke off. Pot metal part. Of course, that wobble caused the other deck pulley to shake. Replaced the cutting deck, two new deck pulleys, new blades, new extension screen, and new belt. The deck idler pulley on the deck arm (when engaged),actually touches the opposite standard belt pulley. So the PTO cable is overdoing it's job, and it's still loose around the pulleys. It's not the deck or the pulleys, nor is it the belt or how it's routed. It's not the PTO cable, nor is it that the engine block pulley has possibly moved back. It may have bumped at the bumper when trailoring. It's not the linkage arm. Which means it has to be something with the height adjusment lever, not pulling the deck back far enough. The lever works smooth.

I have a couple of questions, but it is going to be very difficult to diagnosis your problem if you don't have an open mind to solutions. First, what is the model and serial number of your unit? Second, what is the part number of the replacement deck? If, and I mean if, you have everything correct as you say, you may not have the correct replacement deck. You must remember that we are not standing there, seeing what you are seeing. We must assume by your posts that you did something wrong and we must find it.

The part number of the replacement deck may prove to be very very important. MTD is known for doing running changes on replacement parts, and the only thing that may resemble the old part is the fact that it fits the mower. You may have a service replacement deck that uses a different parts diagram than your original deck, so your parts diagram won't work.

Tried doing a deck replacement shell on a cub cadet a few years ago, and after getting the new shell discovered that absolutely none, and I mean none of the parts would fit from the old deck.

ILENGINE said:

The part number of the replacement deck may prove to be very very important. MTD is known for doing running changes on replacement parts, and the only thing that may resemble the old part is the fact that it fits the mower. You may have a service replacement deck that uses a different parts diagram than your original deck, so your parts diagram won't work.

Tried doing a deck replacement shell on a cub cadet a few years ago, and after getting the new shell discovered that absolutely none, and I mean none of the parts would fit from the old deck.

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Gees and I thought that only happened to me and put it down to us down here getting all of your old cast off bits.
Can not count how many times I have had to resort to measuring the belt length using an old broken belt then trying a 1/2 dozen till I got the right size.
And down here MTD belts start at around $ 75.

According to Gates 954-04060C is a 1/2 x 96.5" ( 245.11cm ) if that is any help.
According to my Stens catalogue that is the correct belt for your mower if it is fitted with the "G" 42" deck.
About the 5th or 6th digit in the model number will be a letter which is the code for the deck originally fitted but there is more than one 42" deck.

Very old post but for future MTD mower owners be sure you look up the correct year not only the model number.
MTD makes parts changes way too often because they simply dont test their poor designs very long before they're units get released. Also information isnt passed along right either.
Just built them fast!
My friends 2015 Troybilt takes belt# 954-04060C (96") and had a belt change 2yrs before by a cert MTD repair shop. Its belt was falling off everytime he disengage's the blade.
So I just replaced its belt again & I pulled off #954-04060 (104"). Dealer installed wrong belt!
Looking up manuals there are several different manuals using same model number for his unit but each manual has a yr next to it. Like 6 different yrs of manuals man? Geez!
One must click the correct manual & year for his MTD parts and if you click wrong yr some parts are going to be wrong.

Other makers change a units model number enough to avoid confusion. Test longer evidently.
Yrs ago a neighbors newer Cub needed a deck belt change after its belt was ate up from coming off. We messed with it almost 2 days cause it still fell off often. He learned MTD never told him it needed a different pulley installed to keep a belt on it. They updated its pulley & it stayed on longer but occasionally still ate a belt. He sold it 2nd season due to belts! I bet theres thousands of owners still fighting belts on that model because MTD never told them either but even MTD can't entirely fix it.
Guess owners buy them then sell it asap.
I dont know why anyone would ever buy an MTD unit today. They have to read all the problems they have? I know Ive never seen a reliable one yet, MTD owners I know work on something every season they own one. Monthly sometimes!
No product that needs replaced much sooner than its competitor's product is cheaper, never! So its certainly not their cost?
Oh well' just match model=year on manual folks.

That sounds like the 46" cut "H" decks here where they came with 103" belts but after a few years the same decks needs to be switch over to 102" belts. I got 4 of those decks that are now running the 102" belts.

On 104" being put on I had Stens send me supposedly 103" belts but they came in at 104". This why I have 200" v-belt measuring tool now.

StarTech said:

That sounds like the 46" cut "H" decks here where they came with 103" belts but after a few years the same decks needs to be switch over to 102" belts. I got 4 of those decks that are now running the 102" belts.

On 104" being put on I had Stens send me supposedly 103" belts but they came in at 104". This why I have 200" v-belt measuring tool now.

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I used to have a belt tool 20yrs ago but it was in one of my tool boxes that was stolen from my van.
I wish I had it measured, I saw 96", 104" & 103" stated for this MTD belt length when looking it up? That old belt may have just stretched enough to fall off but 2 seasons is awful fast for as big as it was? May been marked wrong at factory & both belts are supposed to be 96" but Im not sure myself?

Ive not measured a new belt in yrs but Im not surprised you found different sized stens belts since quality control has never been they're strong point.

Why I love my old Wheel Horse decks belt design. It has about 5" of belt adjustment with a turn of a hand knob on front so this amount wouldnt even matter on it.

Well Stens are a heck of a lot more accurate then A&I (Sunbelt Outdoors) belts. They got so bad that I completely quit selling them here. A lot of A&I other products quality had gotten so bad that I haven't even brought any of their products in two years. About the only thing that were still good was the pulleys and blades. At one time Sunbelt was an excellent company to buy from.

MowManMow said:

I used to have a belt tool 20yrs ago but it was in one of my tool boxes that was stolen from my van.
I wish I had it measured, I saw 96", 104" & 103" stated for this MTD belt length when looking it up? That old belt may have just stretched enough to fall off but 2 seasons is awful fast for as big as it was? May been marked wrong at factory & both belts are supposed to be 96" but Im not sure myself?

Ive not measured a new belt in yrs but Im not surprised you found different sized stens belts since quality control has never been they're strong point.

Why I love my old Wheel Horse decks belt design. It has about 5" of belt adjustment with a turn of a hand knob on front so this amount wouldnt even matter on it.

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so you do't have a 1 yard / 1 meter steel rule ?
Gave up using the belt measurer a long while ago as they are too sensitive to the amount you stretch
OK for old belts but next to useless for new ones

Considering most Kevlar belts has a maximum stretch of 1% my tool is has been very close the spec of the OEM belts received. But now aftermarket belts are all over the place. The aftermarket belt that works are usually with the same OEM specs. Now storing the tool is somewhat of a problem as it is over 8 feet long now with the three 30 inch extensions that because I am dealing with belt up to 180 inches longs now. The tool originally only went to 110 inches which is useless here.

Since I got every aftermarket belt get measured before installation or storage that way if they are shorter or longer than spec they get returned. Measuring before install saves a lot wasted time when a belt is the wrong length.

Stens claimed the tool was inaccurate even they sell the same tool for the purpose of measuring the belts. That was the very first comment when I though them the 103 inch belts I received were 104 inches.

Well perhaps you have a lot stronger wrists than me or use a mechanical tensioning arm
I find getting enough tension to pull all of the kinks out of a new belt near impossible
And then when you do get the belt strait. you have to read the scale while maintaining the same pressure on the slider to prevent spring back
Absolutely fine with used belts.
Where as a white marking pen and a 4' steel rule overcomes the kinks in the belts.

Do I have a steel measuring stick?

Nope not anymore!
I downsized a few yrs ago & sold/gave away/hauled off the biggest portion of 55+yrs of cra# gathering.
My 3 car garage, 1 pole barn, 2 outdoor buildings (1 car garages) & 1500sq ft basement worth of this, that and the other mostly all vanished.
Some things Ive had to go buy again, a few things I miss owning yet I still have stuff I wish I didnt own today...lol

Well what can I say
My work shop is exactly the same to the point that most work is done outside
Buta long steel rule is very cheap and hangs on a nail so not a big investment and is never wrong even with a broken belt .

bertsmobile1 said:

Well what can I say
My work shop is exactly the same to the point that most work is done outside
Buta long steel rule is very cheap and hangs on a nail so not a big investment and is never wrong even with a broken belt .

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But I bet it is wrong when the belt has a six piece missing as to the correct length of the original belt.

That like the fellow using a measure that has one or two inches broken off. Which what I think is the Indians are using when making belt for A&I as every belt is one inch short on the 1/2 belt and two inches short on the 5/8 belts.

Yes it cost me $200 to put together a 200 inch v-belt/rib belt measurer but it has been very useful in proving incorrect belt lengths were installed.