IS700Z Trans Drive Belt replacement - read the (correct) instructions...

Probity

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  • / IS700Z Trans Drive Belt replacement - read the (correct) instructions...
By posting this I hope I might help just 1 IS700Z owner who has had to change out their trans drive belt and scratched their head when reading the instructions in the Operators Manual (OM) they got with their machine on how to do it.

I originally joined the forum this evening to ask members a question about (a) what the OM says on how to install a new transmission drive belt vs. (b) the real world transaxle drive arrangement. However just as I was registering as a new member, I discovered that the hardcopy OM I was reading that came with the machine has been replaced by a more recent (and more procedurally correct) version.

I have a Ferris IS700Z model 5901224 (52" deck with 23hp Kawasaki engine). My trans drive belt broke unexpectedly this afternoon (only ~170 hrs on the machine). Bummer. Nearest Ferris outlet (35+ miles away) had a replacement belt (p/n 5103653) so I dashed off and got it before they closed. Got home, checked out the OM I had, removed the mower drive belt, proceeded to put on the trans drive belt. But something was wrong; it looked physically impossible to thread the new belt back on the way the OM said to do it, the front stationary idler pulley looked like it had to come off but no mention of that in the OM. Hmmm. Wasted about 30 minutes figuring out what to do, and eventually I took the pulley off and did the job.

It bothered me that I had to do this, and thought maybe I just misunderstood something. So this evening joined the forum to ask if there was a way to do it without removing the pulley.

At the same time I went to the Ferris online site and for grins downloaded the OM for the IS700Z. Low and behold, it was different - my hardcopy OM is Rev.H, the online version is Rev.N!.

Attached is what the Rev.N OM says on how to replace the trans drive belt, the crossed-out parts are what is missing from my hardcopy OM. So I wasted 1/2 an hour for nothing.

Moral of the story - not only read the OM, but read the CORRECT OM.

View attachment 2018_03_15_20_24_05.pdf
 

Lbutler225

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Apr 13, 2017
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  • / IS700Z Trans Drive Belt replacement - read the (correct) instructions...
Thank you for posting this. I wish I had only wasted 30 minutes. I wasted 3 days thinking about every way possible that belt could slide in without taking the pulley off. I just assumed there was a trick to it ...so a person would have to take it to a shop where they could suck some labor cost out of you. I was determined to figure it out myself. I knew taking the pulley off would be quicker but I wanted to figure it out. I should have know better cause the tightening length of the coil was wrong also 5 inches not what the book says......Thanks again ..I'm still pissed at Ferris.:confused2:
 
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