Craftsman 917.289240 hard to engage blades

[the.doc]

This is a yard tractor with a mower deck underneath. Engaging the mower blades on it requires so much force on the lever that I have to stand up, lean forward, and push with both arms. Otherwise, I can't move the lever at all. The deck has a small adjustment for cable tension, but I have it was as far as it can go in the loose direction and it doesn't seem to make any difference. I finally got tired enough of this to try to do something about it. What I tried was to bend hooks on both ends of a nail so that I could use it as an extension between the end of the clutch cable and the idler arm that the movable idler pulley rides on. I was thinking that what I tried was the same as extending the range of the adjustment that was built onto the deck. I first added about 3/4 inch and then 1 and 1/4. Didn't help. I found a YouTube video where I guy was moving the lever back and forth, and it looked really easy to do. His John Deere looks pretty much the same as my Craftsman.
Questions: 1) Is it belt tension that I'm pushing against when I try to move the lever, or is it something else?
2) Is there something else I should try or maybe loosen it even more?

thanks, guys

 

[Scrubcadet10]

when did this start occuring? slowly gets harder and harder each mowing, or did you change the belt and now it's giving you issues?

 

[Cusser]

Occasionally, I have to clean and lube the deck channel and idler mount (where the idler pulley mount slides, the part on the deck that moves when the engagement lever is moved upwards to move the cable).

 

[MParr]

Something is in a bind or not assembled correctly. You need a helper to manipulate the lever while you look at what’s going on. Has a new belt been installed? Has the deck been out from under it lately. Have any of the pivot points been lubricated? Is the idler pulley bracket frozen up. I would check all of those things. You are probably going to have to pull the deck out from under it.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Sounds like excessive wear in the tensioning arm or even a jambed brake mechanism
Slide the deck out and try moving the tension arm by hand to see where it is binding .

 

[the.doc]

when did this start occuring? slowly gets harder and harder each mowing, or did you change the belt and now it's giving you issues?

It was that way right from when I bought it brand new.

 

[the.doc]

Has a new belt been installed?

Yes last month. I was hoping it would help, but the problem remains unchanged.

Has the deck been out from under it lately.

Yes, earlier this week.

Have any of the pivot points been lubricated?

No

Is the idler pulley bracket frozen up.

No, it moves freely.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

It was that way right from when I bought it brand new.

Oh.... warranty should have took care of that.

 

[MParr]

It was that way right from when I bought it brand new.

Now we are getting somewhere.

 

[the.doc]

Sounds like excessive wear in the tensioning arm or even a jambed brake mechanism
Slide the deck out and try moving the tension arm by hand to see where it is binding .

It carries a pulley that tightens the mower belt when it is moved to the left? It moves freely. If I disconnect the clutch cable bracket from the deck, the lever moves freely. I'm not sure that tells us anything. It's connected to the end of the clutch cable by a really strong spring. Could it be that that spring is too strong?