Ariens 34 Zero Turn Blade Engage / Belt issue?

jab111111

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Hello. I have an Ariens 34 Zero Turn mower. Recently had some work on it and one repair was replacing the PTO belt. The guy told me he used a "stock" belt and not one specific to Ariens.

It was running alright, but the issue I ran into now is when I try to engage the blade sometimes it will start but most of the time it won't do anything. If I stop the mower and start screwing around with the belt (it's not snug like the old belt) by jiggling / manually turning the spindels for a few rotations on the mower deck and then try again sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't.

What can I do to make a real diagnosis? I don't want to buy a new belt only to have the problem be something else. Any ideas?
 

bertsmobile1

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Start the way every scientfic / engineering problem should.
Observe what is happening.
Look closely at your mower and notice if the the clutch is working is working properly.
Thus you will know if it is the clutch or the belt.
 

reynoldston

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Start the way every scientfic / engineering problem should.
Observe what is happening.
Look closely at your mower and notice if the the clutch is working is working properly.
Thus you will know if it is the clutch or the belt.

I agree good answer. I find when it comes to mower belts always use Original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it will save you problems for the extra cost.
 

jab111111

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Thanks, how do I know if the clutch is indeed working properly? I'm not a lawn mower repair wizard by any stretch.
 

bertsmobile1

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The bottom pulley on the engine is the deck or clutch pulley.
It is controlled by a solenoid inside the pulley and with no power the solenoid is out and the pulley does not turn.
When you engage the blades the solenoid trips and the pulley spins.
So with some one else jockying your mower, you watch what happens when they engage & dissengage the blades.
If the pulley starts to spin each and every time then good chance the clutch is ok.
You should be able to hear it click then the engine will slow down for a second or two then it will get back up to full speed
 

jab111111

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Thanks for the info, I'll try this today.
 

jab111111

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Alright so I just tried this. At the very back of the mower under the engine a pulley is constantly spinning whether the blade is engaged or not. The belt isn't moving when the blade is not engaged, but the pulley is spinning. When I engage the blade, the belt does not begin to move, there is no engine slow down / click (this normally would happen when the blade is working properly) and none of the pulley's on the deck spin at all.

I can take a video / pics if that will help, thanks for all the advice so far.

Based on what I said above does it sound like the clutch is bad and the belt is fine (even though the belt is not snug like it use to be)?
 

reynoldston

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Alright so I just tried this. At the very back of the mower under the engine a pulley is constantly spinning whether the blade is engaged or not. The belt isn't moving when the blade is not engaged, but the pulley is spinning. When I engage the blade, the belt does not begin to move, there is no engine slow down / click (this normally would happen when the blade is working properly) and none of the pulley's on the deck spin at all.

I can take a video / pics if that will help, thanks for all the advice so far.

Based on what I said above does it sound like the clutch is bad and the belt is fine (even though the belt is not snug like it use to be)?

Reread my post about a OEM belt. I think you better talk to the person who installed your belt because it has to be snug like it use to be. Have the same problem with a John Deere model 345 in my shop right now and waiting for the John Deere dealer to open tomorrow so I can buy the right belt.. For some reason a lot of members on this forum think it doesn't matter what they use for a belt so I will say (so be it go for it)
 

shiftsuper175607

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Hello. I have an Ariens 34 Zero Turn mower. Recently had some work on it and one repair was replacing the PTO belt. The guy told me he used a "stock" belt and not one specific to Ariens.

It was running alright, but the issue I ran into now is when I try to engage the blade sometimes it will start but most of the time it won't do anything. If I stop the mower and start screwing around with the belt (it's not snug like the old belt) by jiggling / manually turning the spindels for a few rotations on the mower deck and then try again sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't.

What can I do to make a real diagnosis? I don't want to buy a new belt only to have the problem be something else. Any ideas?


Take away all the other and read this...

guy told me he used a "stock" belt and not one specific to Ariens, (it's not snug like the old belt)by jiggling / manually turning the spindels for a few rotations on the mower deck and then try again sometimes it works,


No doubt it is the belt!!!! Go back to the guy who worked on it...how do you know that the belt is even close to the right size?
 

gainestruk

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I'm with reynoldson on this, most manufacturers use a different angle on their belts so a generic belt most times will be loose.

To see if you are getting power to clutch turn engine off then turn key back to run position then pull the PTO button up (like you are starting blades) if power going thru you will hear a loud thump when clutch energizes.
You will need to be sitting on seat and parking brake off.
 
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