Mower band and unidentified plastic part broke! Where does it go?

chrxr

Forum Newbie
Hi folks,

I have a reasonably new s100 (about 20 hours) and the mower band broke twice in one day. The first time it broke a plastic part broke off with it, and I'm having trouble identifying it. Can anyone help me find the name of the part I need to replace, and where it goes on the machine?

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Thanks!
 

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Please give us the brand name of the model and serial numbers so we have something or somewhere to start. Our ESP is no longer working due to COVID. We can’t help you until you help us.
Sure thing! Sorry. John Deere S100 42-inch ride-on mower.

The product ID number is 1GXS100ETNN146712
 
I have not seen one yet but all of the other 100 series mowers with manual PTO just have the wire belt guides
Perhaps with the S series JD have gone to a shallower pulley or changed the shape of the belt guide
Since they went to a single bolt mounting keeping the guide in the right place was a problem so I drill a second hole and fit 2 bolts as per the original design
None of my customers have problems with the belt coming off
I can not see that plastic extension staying there for very long as the two sides of the belt guide will resonate at different frequencies so will break the plastic bridge piece even without running into anything
 
I have not seen one yet but all of the other 100 series mowers with manual PTO just have the wire belt guides
Perhaps with the S series JD have gone to a shallower pulley or changed the shape of the belt guide
Since they went to a single bolt mounting keeping the guide in the right place was a problem so I drill a second hole and fit 2 bolts as per the original design
None of my customers have problems with the belt coming off
I can not see that plastic extension staying there for very long as the two sides of the belt guide will resonate at different frequencies so will break the plastic bridge piece even without running into anything
Check belt tension for tightness. Check belt for wear and or cracks/chunks missing. Check how belt is riding on pulleys, spindles and tensioner. Have someone sit in seat with mower running at different speeds and blades engaged while you kneel on grass and watch the belt in operation.
 
All the older series I have seen use bent metal rod to guide the belt from coming off the pulley. Using plastic, especially plastic that will come in contact with a moving belt(during coast down?) is asking for a consumable part. The natural arc of a relaxed belt will tend to keep the belt from wearing on the spinning pulley when the tension is removed, and the wire guides will accept the friction as the belt slows down, and keep the belt more or less in place as it is kept in an arc by the guides.
JD may have some new cost engineers who figure a plastic part that wears out and needs annual replacement is a better deal for them than a bent rod that lasts the lifetime of the machine but has perhaps one more fastener. If I owned it I would look at the parts used in previous models, and get one or two made of metal, perhaps needing a couple self-tapping bolts as fasteners.
tom
 
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