07 FasTrak throwing deck belt

boss351

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Hi guys hope ya'll can help. I have a 2007 Fastrak and has recently been throwing the deck belt when engaging the solenoid/clutch. I re-install the belt and set the spring to the correct length and might be able to disengage and engage 3 times before it does it again. I noticed the deck idler pulley was alittle worn in the groove and slighty loose on the pedestal. I just today got a new idler pulley and new belt and installed them. Engaged and disengaged 3 times and tried another time and the damn thing threw the belt again..Any ideas/suggestions as to why this is happening?? Blades appear to spin evenly under the deck. Can the idler under the engine (Kohler 17) be a problem?? Thanks in advance.
 

MowLife

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Check all your pulleys to make sure they are not bent. Make sure you have no play in them....check spindle wear by grabbing blade and wiggling to see if there’s any play. Check all pulleys the blade belt runs around. If your idler pulley is on a arm of some sort make sure there no play in it either. Engage and disengage blades at about 3/4 throttle. You have a new belt so you can rule that out. Many people don’t realize that V belts wear on the sides and can ride deep in a pulley and throw belts when wedged.
 

boss351

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Thanks MowLife for giving me something to look at..I will check that stuff out at my next opportunity!!!!
 

boss351

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OK bypassed the seat switch and was able to be able to see the belts/pulleys move and engage the clutch. What I noticed was on the tensioner pulley, which is on the sliding pedestal, had a lot of vertical movement. I shut it down and it seems like there is a lot of play between the steel plate and the two plastic/Teflon (?) retainers. Do those ever wear out? What about the sliding plate? The actual pulley on the tensioner feels tight. Also noticed a groove on the upper half of the clutch idler pulley. Is this normal or is it worn? It did come off one time I wasn't able to see it. I put it together again and pushed the button 5 times and it did not come off but did notice the movement in the tensioner pulley assy. Any thoughts??

The parts I'm talking about are the UH Idler Slides and the Deck Idler--this from the parts diagram. Do these parts wear out???
 

MowLife

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Yes they are a wear point. High end models have bearings that last a bit longer than bushing type but always a wear point. You should have zero play in the tensioner arm. I would bet that’s the main culprit for throwing belt. Normally it’s a cheap easy fix as long as it didn’t wear out too much to damage the arm itself.
 

boss351

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So if I'm reading correctly I should probably replace both of the slides and the deck idle? I mean, how can I know if something isn't worn out without knowing how they are new? BTW the deck idler pulley is a steel piece and appears to be fine. I am the second owner of this thing and the manual shows the same plastic pulley that is also on the deck in a stationary position to the right of the deck idler assy. I bet he changed it out with the metal one at some point.
 

John Fitzgerald

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So if I'm reading correctly I should probably replace both of the slides and the deck idle? I mean, how can I know if something isn't worn out without knowing how they are new? BTW the deck idler pulley is a steel piece and appears to be fine. I am the second owner of this thing and the manual shows the same plastic pulley that is also on the deck in a stationary position to the right of the deck idler assy. I bet he changed it out with the metal one at some point.

I have a nearly new Fastrak 54" SN 16046836 with about 10 hours. All the pulleys are steel. Here's a picture of the teflon or UHMW plastic slides. Not seemingly worn at all.
 

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boss351

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Thanks for the pic but yours is very different from mine. The more I think about it I don't see how the actual metal on the deck slide would get worn or bent. I'm guessing I would need the two plastic /teflon slides only..I'll have to drop the deck and disassemble them to get a better look at them.
 

MowLife

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Yes the 2 plastic slides is all should need. I’ve seen some where the slides are just loose and can just be tightened down. We have also bought some time by flipping them around if it’s a spot only that’s worn. Not sure if you are supposed to grease the tracks but we occasionally did....downfall was dirt sticking to it.
 

boss351

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I remember putting grease on them a few years back and nothing more. I'll just order a set and put them on and see what happens!!! Gotta help if anything else!!!
 
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