Help on replacing ground drive belt on 20 yr old Craftsman 42"

curmudgeon555 · May 9, 2018

Believe it or not, this is the first ground drive belt replacement since this mower was bought new!
Have replacement 82" belt but cannot get enough slack to get over both engine pulley at front and transaxle fan and pulley at the rear. And that's skipping the two idler pulleys.
Do I have to remove the engine pulley? Manual just says install belt on forward engine pulley and then pull slack to rear placing over fan blades and onto transmission input pulley.
Doesn't work for me.:thumbdown:
Suggestions?

bertsmobile1 · May 9, 2018

1) Check the new belt for length against the old one.
Belts really do not stretch much, they get thinner between the V's and thus go loose.
2)What is he model number from the tag under the seat and also the brand & number of the new belt.

If they have checked out then apply the parking brake to give you as much slack as possible.
Slip the belt over the deck pulley on the engine and leave it between the two pulleys.
Then slip the belt over the fan then over the pulley then off the pulley and on to the spindle
Now go back and work the pulley over the small drive pulley
Go back & run it through the two small clutch pulleys which should be replaced as by now they will be worn out.

On some the belt runs either side of the steering shaft which has to be pulled up out of the way.
On others both side will pass down the same side of the steering stem, just depends who made the mower.

If the belt it tight with the brake applied then either it is routed incorrectly or the belt is too short.

curmudgeon555 · May 9, 2018

bertsmobile1 said:
1) Check the new belt for length against the old one.
Belts really do not stretch much, they get thinner between the V's and thus go loose.
2)What is he model number from the tag under the seat and also the brand & number of the new belt.

If they have checked out then apply the parking brake to give you as much slack as possible.
Slip the belt over the deck pulley on the engine and leave it between the two pulleys.
Then slip the belt over the fan then over the pulley then off the pulley and on to the spindle
Now go back and work the pulley over the small drive pulley
Go back & run it through the two small clutch pulleys which should be replaced as by now they will be worn out.

On some the belt runs either side of the steering shaft which has to be pulled up out of the way.
On others both side will pass down the same side of the steering stem, just depends who made the mower.

If the belt it tight with the brake applied then either it is routed incorrectly or the belt is too short.

Thanks so much. The key to getting it on was leaving the belt on the shaft between the two front pulley's while getting it on the transaxle pulley, then going back and working it onto the top front pulley. It always seems so obvious after you know the answer. Thanks again.

bertsmobile1 · May 9, 2018

Thanks for the job done post.
Very few come back to let us know what worked and that is very important for future readers with a similar problem.

Help on replacing ground drive belt on 20 yr old Craftsman 42"

More options

curmudgeon555

Member

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty

curmudgeon555

Member

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty

Footer Links 1

Footer Links 2