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Hello all,
After changing the belt on my 2013 mower deck I noticed very little tension on the belt. Checking a diagram, the tension pulley spring was missing. I ordered a new spring, but find it very difficult to install due the strength of the spring. I started to flex the blade of a large craftsman screwdriver trying to lever the spring in place..... should it be that tight? Any thoughts appreciated.

Maybe you could post the model number of your mower and a picture or two?

Yes they are, you mentioned craftsman tools, do you have a craftsman brake shoe removal & installation tool? If you do it will be easy to install spring.

mechanic mark said:

Yes they are, you mentioned craftsman tools, do you have a craftsman brake shoe removal & installation tool? If you do it will be easy to install spring.

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Thanks for the tip. I had one of those brake shoe removal tools many years ago, probably not Craftsman, but no longer. I did get the spring on by removing the deck first, that allowed me to position the lever (screwdriver) better and install the spring.

Problem now is the deck belt tension is too loose to engage with the drive pulley (i thought the spring would fix that). I guess the logical thing is to try adjusting the tension pulley adjustment. I hope that works, the grass is getting tall....

Al.C said:

Thanks for the tip. I had one of those brake shoe removal tools many years ago, probably not Craftsman, but no longer. I did get the spring on by removing the deck first, that allowed me to position the lever (screwdriver) better and install the spring.

Problem now is the deck belt tension is too loose to engage with the drive pulley (i thought the spring would fix that). I guess the logical thing is to try adjusting the tension pulley adjustment. I hope that works, the grass is getting tall....

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Always use factory belts and parts, they'll fit and work properly and give your tractor and components a longer lifespan.

mechanic mark said:

Always use factory belts and parts, they'll fit and work properly and give your tractor and components a longer lifespan.

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That's just what I did, the belt I ordered came from a dealer with parts for many brands. The belt received was marked SB-87, BANDO W600 in a sealed bag with the Honda logo. the mower deck ID# is RZCV-6003238A. As far as I can tell, that is the recommended belt for this tractor.
I'll try the tension pulley adjustment today and keep my fingers crossed....

Al.C said:

That's just what I did, the belt I ordered came from a dealer with parts for many brands. The belt received was marked SB-87, BANDO W600 in a sealed bag with the Honda logo. the mower deck ID# is RZCV-6003238A. As far as I can tell, that is the recommended belt for this tractor.
I'll try the tension pulley adjustment today and keep my fingers crossed....

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That is the correct belt; double check the routing and make sure the belt is positioned correctly. It is loose with the PTO off, and should be snug when ON.

Re: Harmony 2013 tractor mower deck problem PROBLEM SOLVED!

Thanks to all who gave ideas about my mower belt tension problem.
By watching what was happening with the tensioner pulley when I engaged and disengaged the PTO lever I saw the problem. Turns out the belt tensioner arm engaged by the PTO lever was hanging up before fully rotating for full tension to be applied, so I lubed it and adjusted the arm so that the PTO rod would move it a bit more when engaged, and that did the trick!
I've learned as much as needed, with help from this forum, to keep my old tractor running. Thanks again to the experts!