Roger B
Lawn Addict
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2016
- Threads
- 11
- Messages
- 1,656
Recently I repowered a Troy-Bilt tiller with a Predator engine from Harbor Freight. It ran great for about half an hour and then devoured it's front (towards the engine) belt!! I had ordered Kevlar belts for it from "Off Road Belts". The rear belt (towards the tiller end) seems fine. Evidently the forward belt was slipping and the rear belt was not.. I cannot figure out how that could happen unless the two belts weren't the same diameter, (and of course they were!)
However, there are a few more clues:
1.) When I got this tiller, it had no forward belt on it, just the rear one, which was a Troy-Bilt P/N GW-9245.
2.) When I first put it back together, I installed two aftermarket belts that came on another, older tiller I had. The front belt parted in less than five minutes of operation. I assumed that was because it was old.. Maybe I was wrong?!?!
When I installed the new Predator engine, I used the same number of shims behind the engine pulley as were on with the original Kohler engine. Obviously the engine pulleys must line up properly with the pulleys on the tiller drive. I did not use a straight edge to check the alignment, but 'visually' the alignment 'looked' good.
As the engine-mount/belt-housing is held in place by two 1" dia. pins that hold it securely to the front of the tiller, I do not see any way that the vertical alignment could make the forward belt loose and the rear belt tight. The two sets of pulleys might not align directly one above the other, (which I will check) but the distance apart has to remain the same, (I think!)
I have a laser level which came with a lens that will produce a very fine straight line. I think if I level the tiller and the laser and adjust the laser-line vertically, I can use it to determine whether the faces of the two pulleys are in alignment or not. It would be very difficult to get a straight edge inside that housing.
I did notice that the older tiller with the Tecumseh engine had more shims behind the pulley than the Kohler had. Also the older tiller has same size pulleys rather than one larger than the other, like the 1980 tiller has.
I am hoping that some of you Troy-Bilt guys have some insight into this sort of belt problem and can help me out, I still have to finish rebuilding the older (1976) tiller and don't want to have the same problem again! (Also I need to get this one running properly!)
Thanks in advance for your advice, I need it!!
Roger B
However, there are a few more clues:
1.) When I got this tiller, it had no forward belt on it, just the rear one, which was a Troy-Bilt P/N GW-9245.
2.) When I first put it back together, I installed two aftermarket belts that came on another, older tiller I had. The front belt parted in less than five minutes of operation. I assumed that was because it was old.. Maybe I was wrong?!?!
When I installed the new Predator engine, I used the same number of shims behind the engine pulley as were on with the original Kohler engine. Obviously the engine pulleys must line up properly with the pulleys on the tiller drive. I did not use a straight edge to check the alignment, but 'visually' the alignment 'looked' good.
As the engine-mount/belt-housing is held in place by two 1" dia. pins that hold it securely to the front of the tiller, I do not see any way that the vertical alignment could make the forward belt loose and the rear belt tight. The two sets of pulleys might not align directly one above the other, (which I will check) but the distance apart has to remain the same, (I think!)
I have a laser level which came with a lens that will produce a very fine straight line. I think if I level the tiller and the laser and adjust the laser-line vertically, I can use it to determine whether the faces of the two pulleys are in alignment or not. It would be very difficult to get a straight edge inside that housing.
I did notice that the older tiller with the Tecumseh engine had more shims behind the pulley than the Kohler had. Also the older tiller has same size pulleys rather than one larger than the other, like the 1980 tiller has.
I am hoping that some of you Troy-Bilt guys have some insight into this sort of belt problem and can help me out, I still have to finish rebuilding the older (1976) tiller and don't want to have the same problem again! (Also I need to get this one running properly!)
Thanks in advance for your advice, I need it!!
Roger B