Grinding noise or metal sound when blade engaged

[JimP2014]

Hello had a similar post maybe last week + I'm adding this post also. I was hoping to get a clarification on something so I'm watching a YouTube video + what I need to know is if the mower deck is not engaged and everything sounds okay and then I engage the mower deck and I hear this grinding or metal sound that it has to be coming from something on the mower deck r the mower deck belt the video I watched seems like he's saying it could be coming from the other belt that has nothing to do with the mower deck just the drive belt I guess you should call it.

Could someone please give me a clarification on this issue?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[JimP2014]

I just made this video you can hear the grinding or whatever that noise is + the mower deck is shaking and something weird with the pulleys.

Jim

 

[ILENGINE]

My guess would be either there is a bad/burnt spot in the belt which is narrower than the rest of the belt, or something stuck in the groove of one of the spindle V pulleys.

 

[JimP2014]

My guess would be either there is a bad/burnt spot in the belt which is narrower than the rest of the belt, or something stuck in the groove of one of the spindle V pulleys.

Thank you so much I really do appreciate this. I was planning on getting a new belt and then I thought I didn't have to because the issue was the head gasket but now I'm definitely getting a new belt for it thanks again.

Jim

 

[Cusser]

That idler pulley is really bouncing around. If mine, I'd remove the mowing belt (or the entire deck) and spin all the pulleys by hand (you will need to manually pull back on some pulley "brakes" to do this) and feel if any are noisy or binding. I'd also clean/lube the track/slot the idler pulley rides in. And of course a spare kevlar belt (or two) is always good to have around. Make sure that no belt guards are bent and making contact with a pulley when they should not.

On my 2005 LT1000, I remove the plastic guard over the left mowing spindle and can then R&R a mowing belt without removing the deck (the mower instructions state to remove the entire deck for this).

 

[JimP2014]

Drive Deck Belt 1/2" x100 1/4"​

This is what I ordered November of 2024

That idler pulley is really bouncing around. If mine, I'd remove the mowing belt (or the entire deck) and spin all the pulleys by hand (you will need to manually pull back on some pulley "brakes" to do this) and feel if any are noisy or binding. I'd also clean/lube the track/slot the idler pulley rides in. And of course a spare kevlar belt (or two) is always good to have around. Make sure that no belt guards are bent and making contact with a pulley when they should not.

On my 2005 LT1000, I remove the plastic guard over the left mowing spindle and can then R&R a mowing belt without removing the deck (the mower instructions state to remove the entire deck for this).

Yes I actually did that. I replaced one spindle with a brand new one. I spun each one individually. They seem fine. I could not figure it out. If the new belt does not fix the problem, I will repeat all the steps again.

" I'd also clean/lube the track/slot the idler pulley rides in" <--- will try this, never did this before.
And thank-you for your info on this.

Jim

 

[JimP2014]

One thing I would like to mention is the belt that works is actually is unknown to me:

197253 429636 Mower Belt Replaces Craftsman poulan 42 Mower Belt 197253 532197253 592855001 AYP 197253 532197253 592855001,Ariens 21546422 21547025 (1/2"x101"). The problem is I do not know if the last belt I ordered in 2024 is the one currently on the machine, which is black. The one I ordered is a red kevlar belt which is​

Drive Deck Belt 1/2" x100 1/4". So I am not sure what is on the mower deck now. I bought so many, the second to the last one might be the correct length and I just reordered the last one I bought.​

 

[JimP2014]

 

[JimP2014]

This is the belt from the machine. Red kevlar. The entire length of the "outside" of the belt has a black stripe. I wonder if somehow the belt was inside out on the mower deck. This is the belt that was on the machine up to yesterday. So it is a "V" belt the widest part has the black stripe. The narrower part has some fraying but no black stripe.