Belt replacement instructions

[azmntman]

I have a 52" , 26 hp Craftsman mower.
Can't find instructions on how to replace drive belt.
Cked out video on web and they all talk about removing battery under seat.
I have a fuel tank there. No battery.
Model #917.28746
Garden tractor
Any ideas where to find written or video on this procedure,??
Thanks much,
Allen

 

[bertsmobile1]

Proper manuals cost a large amount of money to produce .
Ever wondered why JD's are that bit more expensive ?
The 917 prefix identifies Roper as the supplier
Roper use AYP ( Husqvarna ) as their manufacturer so it will be done the same way
Set the parking brake to get slack in the belt
Remove the belt from the clutching pulleys and any other idlers that are under there.
You may need to loosen some of them
Feel around the tranny pulley for a belt keeper (or two ) if there remove them, most will either be a plain bolt or a pin with a hex or an allan key
Now remove the belt from the engine pulley
Again you may need to remove some keepers and of course the Deck belt has to come off the engine pulley as well.
If you have an electric clutch then the power wires to it needs to be undone as well.
The connector is usually on top of the mower floor near the hole that the wire goes through.

I always remove the mower deck completely then stand the mower vertical, on it's rear wheels which gives clear clean & easy access to everything

And of course start by taking photos of everything so you know where it all goes back to.

 

[azmntman]

Thanks for the advice.
Will try it tomorrow and let the forum know how it comes out.
I hope.
Thanks much

 

[azmntman]

Hey bertsmobile1.
Finished drive belt replacement.
Went easier than imagined.
Found this website for belts. Amcpartsstore.com
Their belts are cheaper than most others and free shipping in USA.
At least they are for my Craftsman.
The only downside is that they don't have shipping options.
Thanks much for the help.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Hope it goes well
Which brand of belt did they supply ?
There is a massive difference in mower belts and lots of cheap belts are exactly that , cheap belts made for the purpose of practicing belt replacement .
Some belts are easier than others to replace but none are impossible .
I found standing the mower up makes a world of difference.
Most of the You Tubs mechanics that are trustworthy tip the mower on it's side but being a one man shop that is difficult for me to do as it would be for the average home mechanic.
OTOH most have a tree, upper floor verandah , exposed beam in the garage / carport that they can string a mower up from.

 

[azmntman]

Pix North America belt in Danville, IL.
The guy I bought this mower from Gabe me 2 spare belts for it. They were both drive belts. One new and other well used.
The new one went on perfect and fits pulleys.
The have other type belts, you just have to pick the one u want.
I ordered a belt for my mower deck since the one on is ready to break
It has Kevlar in it and hope it fits as good as the drive belt did.
Nice looking belts.
Thanks again.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Pix are reasonable quality about 1/2 a Gates
Down side is they try to foister std A & B section belts are direct replacements for 4L & 5L which they are not
Stens is also guilty of doing the same for some belts
Rotary are always exactly correct and in a lot of cases they are Gates rebranded .
Being a technician, I get regular emails from Chinese & Indian belt vendors spruking belts for around 1/4 to 1/10 the wholesale price of good belts.
Being trained in the materials sciences I know that is not possible even if all of the materials were stolen & the belts made by slave labour .
Once wrapped you have no idea about the composition of the rubber, the size, shape distribution and even the twist of the supposed kevlar fibres.
All of this makes a big difference
I have even had Alli-baba vendors email me spruking belts "complete with popular yellow ropes "
Maybe Kevlar does not translate into Chinese or maybe the belt has yellow died cotton fibres.

 

[StarTech]

All good points...and my experience with India made belt from a distributor here is that they are usually 1-2 inches short too. The problem has gotten so bad that I flat refuse to buy any after market belt; unless, I know for sure they are the correct length and width.

The particular I deal with has lost nearly 50% of their sales to me due the incorrect belts. It may even over 50% but prices increases are offsetting my figures.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Problem is India is an ex-Commonwealth country so they use the British system of inside measurements as we do in Aust .
Roughly M & A section belts are 2" shorter inside and B's are 3"
So Joe Sells Cheap finds a cheap supplier of belts in India and orders 1000 A 100's but he get 1000 A 98 (USA) or A 100 (Aust )
Took me a long time to get my head around this
Got 2 belt mearurers one measures in USA sizes the other measures in UK sizes .
Did my brain in for a long time particularly when locally made belts come marked in US sizes .

Belts bought in from an aftermarket factory come in bales mostly with no brand name, or length
These are applied locally ( well here a dissabled workshop does this ) along with the sleeves .

So if Joe Sells Cheap Belts orders 1000 A 100's from an Indian factory they will of course be A98's but the packaging plant will label them with the supplied A100 label then pack them in A 100 sleeves with the fitting instruction for all the mowers that they will be 2" too short for.

The wholesaler I no longer deal with supplied both Pix & their own brand belts and their own brand was often 2 to 3 inches short ,
To my shame it never twigged till I slipped one into a GA ( another wholesaler ) sleeve and relabled it then noticed the USA / UK conversion message.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

There are 2 basic standards for belts. One is the A B C type belts. This system is for industrial belts and are measured on the inside. The other system is for FHP fractional horse power belts. These come with the L designation and are measured around the outside. Some distributors don't know the difference and that is how you get 2" wrong belts. Both types of belts and measurements are correct. You just have to know which one is being used. Case in point. My tractor uses FHP (L) belts on the mower deck but heavy duty A belts to drive the PTO clutch. Belts from good distributors should have a letter designation along with the length like A100, AX100, 100-A, or 4L 98, 98L, 98FHP. If you just get a number like 100 who knows what it is and when mower parts lists say "1/2x100" you get to guess what system they used. Most belts used today on OPE use FHP belts but not always. Then you have the equipment manufacturers using different top widths and angles just to make things more fun.