I just replaced both the drive and cutting deck belts on my 1995 MTD garden tractor. I've got the thing put back together and everything looks and works ok, except that when the blade cutting height lever is on the highest cutting position (first notch), it looks like the belt is making contact with the top of the cutting deck. This is in the non running mode, of course. At the second notch it clears it and I could just always just use that one as my highest cutting position, but I'm thinking that it should be clearing the deck on the highest position also. There is a leveling adjustment on one side of the deck (opposite to where it is rubbing) and I've yet to level things out, but it should be good to go after re installing the deck because it is just a matter of reconnecting all the rods. Any ideas? Is it proper for the belt to touch the top of the deck on that position?
Is this a manual deck engagement or and electric PTO? If it is manual, with the unit NOT running engage the blades and check the belt again at the highest position. It may be that when the engagement is off, the looseness of the belt allows it to contact the deck. This would not be a problem.
It is with the engine not running that the belt appears to make contact with the upper part of the deck, but only on the first notch. Going to the next notch, there is a good enough clearance. I have yet to check for level-ness, it is possible that if I lift the adjusting nut on the left side (while sitting, facing forward), that it will tip the deck down on the opposite side and clear at that position. Just need to find a level spot to do this, hard to find around here.
I also noticed when working underneath that blade drive belt does not have pins to keep it from slipping off at the engine end. I have a schematic of another tractor and it shows two pins there to make sure the belt does not come off when the blades are disengaged. I have not had any problems with this yet, just wondering if there should always be something there. The engine drive belt has a metal frame around the pulley that is bolted to either side and must be removed to change the belt, I would think there would be something similar for the blade drive, though there is a small pulley (in addition to the idler pulley) that must be dropped to clear the blade drive belt, perhaps that is how it is done on my unit.
