14SB - New Belt Keeps Slipping

[ducatiguy]

Hello, I was given this awesome mower last year and it had been amazing until last week when the drive belt broke. It broke into many bits and I'm honestly surprised it lasted as long as it did. Anyway, after cussing for two hours straight I managed to get the new belt on, (Part Number: M77167) and also noticed the little spring by the transmission pulley was disconnected so I put that back on.

When I fired her up I noticed the drive bar didn't require much distance to engage (probably because that spring was disconnected before) so I loosened up tension on the cable. I got about 10 minutes of mowing in and the belt came off. I reset the belt, then put more tension back on the adjuster thing. I was able to get the front yard finished up then moved to the rear and just finished up the perimeter before the belt came off again then I dropped kicked the mower and thought about dumping the rest of my gasoline on it and lighting a match.

At this point I don't really know what to do next. Maybe that spring is the issue? I kept seeing conflicting information on whether the belt was 33" or 34" long, but this is the belt my local dealer said was correct.

Serial number is GX14SBCZ85343

The spring is part #11 in this diagram

Thanks!

 

[Rivets]

Belt should have a length of 34”. Most likely cause for you problem is the belt is not routed properly. Do you see any scuff marks on the inside or outside of the belt?

 

[ducatiguy]

Belt should have a length of 34”. Most likely cause for you problem is the belt is not routed properly. Do you see any scuff marks on the inside or outside of the belt?

Thanks for the reply. This should be the 34" belt then.
The routing is pretty simple, kinda hard to mess up so it looks correct to me. There are scuff marks, but I think as the belt starts to slip it rubs and I can smell it.

 

[StarTech]

Please verify SN? JD parts not able to find it. Also does this mower have Briggs engine instead of the Kawasaki?

 

[ducatiguy]

Please verify SN? JD parts not able to find it. Also does this mower have Briggs engine instead of the Kawasaki?

It has the Kawasaki. SN is correct, unless that's a "2" instead of a "Z".

 

[StarTech]

It has the Kawasaki. SN is correct, unless that's a "2" instead of a "Z".

That was it as I changed the Z to a 2 and JD Parts pulled up the mower. It slipped pass me that a miss read was involved.

Serial number is GX14SBC285343.

And the reason I asked about the engine as the other 14SB with a Briggs used a 3/8 x 33 belt.

One thing to look at is the two belt retainers and make they are in place and where they prevents the belt easily passing them when it tries to come off. On that old model JD apparently changed one of the belt retainer to an adjustable one or it least appears to adjustable.

 

[ducatiguy]

Thank you. Looks like I have the older style retainer on mine, 12A in lieu of 12B on that diagram. I'll see if I can bend the tabs inward.