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I am not sure if I have the model correct, going from memory. A Regent 18h with a 38" mower deck. It shows a 2007 model. My Mother bought it new at the time. I have noticed over the years when I was cutting when you make a hard (left?) turn the mower deck would hit the pulley on the crankshaft. I have even seen sparks before. Well as time goes past and she uses it to cut grass, I forgot about it. The mower lost the deck belt the other day and I noticed where the deck hits the pulley, over time it has cut a pretty good slot in the deck mount. The metal is pretty sharp. When I am under the mower I cannot see how the deck can swing over far enough to hit the pulley. Has anyone had this problem before?? I don't think anything is bent. I can get a picture tomorrow to show you exactly what I am talking about.

I can weld it up to get it back to original, but I am not sure why it is hitting. Or how to prevent it. As far as I know everything is stock.

I got a picture this morning... maybe it will help. The mower is on jack stands so the deck is hanging lower. That is why the the marks on the deck do not line up with the pulley. The pulley is quite a ways from the mower deck. 3/4" or more. BTW the jack stand is on the front cross bar not the mower deck.

I was thinking of bending the metal outward to give it more clearance. The metal bracket is 3/16" or thicker. I can do, but then the mount would not be factory size so another deck would not fit. I hate to be a hammer mechanic anyway.

So what is happening is the deck is moving too far to the right ( sitting on the mower ) causing the left side of the front mount to rub on the pulley.

Very first thing is to check that the pulley is the right size, people fit bigger ones to push the blade speed up in the hope of getting a better cut.

Next is to work out why the deck can move that far.
A front mount like yours is designed to prevent the deck moving left right while mowing.
I will hazard a guess that the holes in the mower mounting plate are flogged out oval or that plate itself is twisted ( from hitting some thing hard ).
Pull the deck off and slip a bar through the holes in the mower mount and check they are square with the mower.
While the front drag plate is off put a rod through both the mower and the deck mounting holes, they should be parallel to each other if not either weld & re cut them or replace the drag plate.
Similar story with the mounting tabs on the deck itself, although working out square for it is a bit harder.
If it is a 3 blade deck then the distances from the holes to the left & right spindles should be the same .
They should also be parallel to the blades so support the deck on a level surface with 2 blocks (bricks ? ) under each blade then measure the height ground to mounting holes, it should be the same.

Check that both the left & right front gauge wheels are there , that they are adjusted properly and that the wheel itself is a nice rolling fit on the axel and the axel is firm in the mounting plate.
These items take a beating on ground engaging decks.
Also check for toe in on the gauge wheels, again they get twisted from hitting things and if the left is toed in that would tend to push the deck to the left while mowing.

So what is happening is the deck is moving too far to the right ( sitting on the mower ) causing the left side of the front mount to rub on the pulley.

>>>> Yes, That is the problem. Only happens when you are moving. When I am sitting still I cannot push the deck that far over.

Very first thing is to check that the pulley is the right size, people fit bigger ones to push the blade speed up in the hope of getting a better cut.

>>>>> My Mother is the one to buy it new, And I don't think there has been any modifications to it, except for the mower shop tune ups. And it does not happen to the right mount, only the left side, And only once in a while. But after 10 years it is looking rough. I think it may have done it from the factory.

Next is to work out why the deck can move that far.
A front mount like yours is designed to prevent the deck moving left right while mowing.
I will hazard a guess that the holes in the mower mounting plate are flogged out oval or that plate itself is twisted ( from hitting some thing hard ).
Pull the deck off and slip a bar through the holes in the mower mount and check they are square with the mower.
While the front drag plate is off put a rod through both the mower and the deck mounting holes, they should be parallel to each other if not either weld & re cut them or replace the drag plate.
Similar story with the mounting tabs on the deck itself, although working out square for it is a bit harder.

>>>>> Good idea I will check to see if everything is true.


If it is a 3 blade deck then the distances from the holes to the left & right spindles should be the same . >>>>> It is a smaller 2 blade deck.

They should also be parallel to the blades so support the deck on a level surface with 2 blocks (bricks ? ) under each blade then measure the height ground to mounting holes, it should be the same.

Check that both the left & right front gauge wheels are there , that they are adjusted properly and that the wheel itself is a nice rolling fit on the axel and the axel is firm in the mounting plate.
These items take a beating on ground engaging decks.
Also check for toe in on the gauge wheels, again they get twisted from hitting things and if the left is toed in that would tend to push the deck to the left while mowing.

>>>>> I am drawing a blank. I don't remember any front deck wheels. Will double check tomorrow. And while mowing the deck tracks fine. It is just in a hard turn it rubs once in a while. and only the one side... Thanks for your help.

According to manual you should have 4 wheels on the deck.
Simplicity use ground engaging decks so the wheels follow the ground while you are mowing.
Thus if there are no wheels at the front there will be too much load on the front mount.

People take them off because the mower seems to cut fine without them and they tend to get stuck on any protrusion in the grass.

You can download the parts book from Simplicity.

bertsmobile1 said:

According to manual you should have 4 wheels on the deck.
Simplicity use ground engaging decks so the wheels follow the ground while you are mowing.
Thus if there are no wheels at the front there will be too much load on the front mount.

People take them off because the mower seems to cut fine without them and they tend to get stuck on any protrusion in the grass.

You can download the parts book from Simplicity.

Click to expand...

Ok, I just don't remember... But will take another look. BTW as far as the pulley being changed. I think the pulley is part of the electric clutch to engage the blades. Only one size unless it separates.
Thanks for the help. If I find out I will post it.

Well it should have an electric clutch on it that should look like this https://www.stens.com/search?keywords=1708536
What I see in your photo is either a manual clutch pulley or a manual pulley grafted onto an electric clutch.

bertsmobile1 said:

Well it should have an electric clutch on it that should look like this https://www.stens.com/search?keywords=1708536
What I see in your photo is either a manual clutch pulley or a manual pulley grafted onto an electric clutch.

Click to expand...

Might just be a stock simplicity. The Sten model you posted has a 5 3/8" pulley. My pulley is just under that size. About 5 5/16"

bertsmobile1 said:

According to manual you should have 4 wheels on the deck.
Simplicity use ground engaging decks so the wheels follow the ground while you are mowing.
Thus if there are no wheels at the front there will be too much load on the front mount.

People take them off because the mower seems to cut fine without them and they tend to get stuck on any protrusion in the grass.

Click to expand...

It looks like only the wheels in the back. A line of them. No marks on the front where they were ever mounted. There are a couple bolts. But they are there to hold metal in place on the inside by the blades.... You can't see the rear wheels in this picture....


It sure did take a bite out of this mount. You can see where the secondary mount was wearing on it..


Fixed up before the paint...

This might not be the whole problem. But it is sure not helping it. I think the pulley may have been rubbing, in tight turns for years.

One bolt loose, one missing.


BTW they put 4 or 5 mower decks on this model. Maybe this small one did not have front wheels.

BrianSki said:

It looks like only the wheels in the back. A line of them. No marks on the front where they were ever mounted. There are a couple bolts. But they are there to hold metal in place on the inside by the blades.... You can't see the rear wheels in this picture....
View attachment 38241

It sure did take a bite out of this mount. You can see where the secondary mount was wearing on it..
View attachment 38242

Fixed up before the paint...
View attachment 38243

Click to expand...

Not meaning to sound preachy, but that is why we are always begging people to post the full mower model numbers from the tag under the seat, although simplicity put it on the side of the frame from memory.
Simplicity used to put tags on their decks as well.

Nice piece of welding but now that you have painted it I am really going to annoy you.
A weld is a casting and castings are weaker than wrought steel so you will need to put a brace over the welded area.
The heat from the weld will also have softened that side so I would run a strip of the same size steel full length on the outside .
I use old blades as I have tons of them and a small forge to flatten the curves & bends.

Now for some worse news, it looks very much like your bottom oil seal is gone on the engine.
So untill you have time to pull the engine & replace it keep an eagle eye on your oil level and the sooner the better, there is not much oil in a mower engine to start with and they all rely on splash to lube the bore piston pin & valves.

I don't have an IPL for that deck but it looks like it hangs from one side so check the lift / height adjuster to see if it could be connected to both the outside & inside of the mechanism on the mower.
If it can then refit it connected to the inside which should push the rear a little to the left.

bertsmobile1 said:

Not meaning to sound preachy, but that is why we are always begging people to post the full mower model numbers from the tag under the seat, although simplicity put it on the side of the frame from memory.
Simplicity used to put tags on their decks as well.

<<<< I will remember that in the future...

Nice piece of welding but now that you have painted it I am really going to annoy you.
A weld is a casting and castings are weaker than wrought steel so you will need to put a brace over the welded area.
The heat from the weld will also have softened that side so I would run a strip of the same size steel full length on the outside .
I use old blades as I have tons of them and a small forge to flatten the curves & bends.

<<<< Sounds like a good idea. Most of the steel was still there... I wanted to grind it smooth and fill it in, so it is not sharp to tear up a new belt.

Now for some worse news, it looks very much like your bottom oil seal is gone on the engine.
So untill you have time to pull the engine & replace it keep an eagle eye on your oil level and the sooner the better, there is not much oil in a mower engine to start with and they all rely on splash to lube the bore piston pin & valves.

<<<< Yea trying to get her to keep an eye on the oil level. From what I could tell. The oil was leaking from the valve cover. I took care of that, but I did see the drip in the picture.

I don't have an IPL for that deck but it looks like it hangs from one side so check the lift / height adjuster to see if it could be connected to both the outside & inside of the mechanism on the mower.
If it can then refit it connected to the inside which should push the rear a little to the left.

<<<<It only has a lift cable on one side. It looks like it is only used to lift the mower for transport. But I will look next time a see if there is an attachment on the other side for a second one.

Click to expand...

And thanks for your help...

I have the identical problem. Same Simplicity Regent with 38"deck. My father also owns a newer version (2014) of the same lawnmower. His has the same problem as well. There clearly is too much play allowed by the Simplicity single point mount. The problem on mine seems to be too much play where the deck is bolted to the hitch. I wrapped some electrical tape around the spacer for the bolts that connect the deck to the hitch. It seemed better but not cured. I've ordered a couple of spacers in case they are just worn. The other possibility is that the holes in the hitch itself are roached out. The spacers are only a few bucks though. The hitch is close to a hundred. I'll see if the spacers help. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Did a bit of research on this with Brians post.
He has not come back so we must assume his fix works.
The deck is a very clever design where they use a parallelogram lift to raise or lower the back of the deck to match the height of the front.
I actually had a 66 Rover ( local brand) that used a similar set up.
So without the bolt in the mounting, the mounting moves instead of raising the rear of the deck,
If the back of the deck is dragging lower than it should be the the front will be higher thus allowing the mounting bracket to foul on the pulley.
As those bolts are in a high shear situation you really should go with a grade 9 bolt.
If the hole has flogged out oval then clamp the plate & deck together then drill it out to the next size up that makes a complete round hole.
IT looks like that rear bracket needed to be thicker and wider.
Don't forget to level the deck when you have finished doing the repair.
It is a deck we did not get down here.

jskiles said:

I have the identical problem. Same Simplicity Regent with 38"deck. My father also owns a newer version (2014) of the same lawnmower. His has the same problem as well. There clearly is too much play allowed by the Simplicity single point mount. The problem on mine seems to be too much play where the deck is bolted to the hitch. I wrapped some electrical tape around the spacer for the bolts that connect the deck to the hitch.

Click to expand...

I think it is a design problem. After the fix I did (tighten loose bolts), I think it is a lot better. Making sure all the bolts are aligned and tight. I do agree with to much play in the front hitch. I do not think it is a wear problem, just designed with too much play. Strange it only seems to do it on one side. I think it has done it since it was new. It is my Mothers mower, so I don't cut her grass often. The last time I used it, it is considerably better, if not almost gone.

I wonder if the larger decks track better.

So out of curosity when you change the cutting height does the rear of the deck raise & lower.
And are the blades actually leveled ( they should be about 1/4 lower at the front.
Part of the problem could be that the deck is sitting lower at the back.
And yes, a good idea on paper, but not the best on the grass.

bertsmobile1 said:

So out of curosity when you change the cutting height does the rear of the deck raise & lower.
And are the blades actually leveled ( they should be about 1/4 lower at the front.
Part of the problem could be that the deck is sitting lower at the back.
And yes, a good idea on paper, but not the best on the grass.

Click to expand...

I will try to grab a tape measure the next time I am out there. BTW it seems to best to do it on a concrete driveway to get the best measurement. The last time I tried it was hard to reach under the deck to get a measurement without lifting the deck. Maybe a short tape measure on a stick to reach under it, through the chute.

bertsmobile1 said:

So out of curosity when you change the cutting height does the rear of the deck raise & lower.

Click to expand...

The rear of the deck does goes up and down when changing the cutting height. The adjustment controls the rear height. There is a rod that goes from the rear to the front to adjust the tilt. (Front to rear blade/deck tilt.) A picture would help...



Ok, I attached the wrong picture... The one with out the adjustment rod... I added the correct one, but can't remove the wrong one.

To check the blade level I use some cubes of hardwood. 2" x 2.5" x 3"
Then set the deck to a height that just touches one side of the cubes.
Most of us can judge the 1/2" to 1/4" difference front to back required if we have something to refference against.
There is a tool made for adjusting decks, but it is plastic and easily broken so i gave up on them.

I've checked the blade level on mine and it appears to be just fine. There is no way that merely leveling the blades will lower the deck height enough to keep from grinding the drive pulley against the deck bracket in tight turns. It grinds on the left side of the bracket because the pulley sits in the bracket slightly offset to the left. ie. closer to the left side of the bracket than the right.

So you have checked the height adjusters shown in post # 11 and all of your bolts are there and in place.
You are not trying to drop the front so it is lower the the pulley you are trying to raise the back which changes the angle of the bracket.
If the mower did not do it when new then it is a wear problem.
Not trying to defend what would appear to be a design shortcoming just stating the obvious.
So something has worn sufficiently to allow the pulley to rub
In Brian's case it was due to the mounting bracket for the height adjustment which he photographed in post # 11.
Being that there has been 3 people with the same problem one can safely say it was not a good design .
OTOH there were thousands of them sold and to date there are just the 3 of you with the problem so it might also be something with the way the mowers are used or maintained.

With heavy decks the condition of the deck wheels / rollers can be critical but as a repairer it is a difficult sell to get some one to replace anti scalp / deck rollers that should have been replaced 10 seasons ago till the deck starts to smash up their trailer floors or they continually smash blades.

I realize this thread is a year old but thought I would post anyway.

I am brand spanking new here, and here mainly because my deck does the same thing. When cutting a hard left around a tree the deck swings wide right and engages the deck bracket against the PTO pulley. This was my dads mower and I think he purchased it around 2009. Not certain about that but I have the receipt for it at home. Anyway, I inherited is after he passed in 2011 and this tractor has always done this. It is a bit scary watching a shower of sparks as the PTO pulley is tearing away at the deck bracket. This tells me it is not a wear problem but as I think Brian said a design flaw. The length of mower deck from the front attachment to the rear rollers is way too long for the 9" wide attachment at the front to prevent it from swinging. The thing that stumps me is that it doesn't do it when making a hard right. Does this mower not turn as hard right as it does left?

I will double check the bolts at the rear height adjustment, and also the rollers for excessive wear but as I said it has done this since brand new. The best thing I have dreamed up is a way to attach a cable from left side frame of the tractor to the right side of the mower deck, to limit just how much it can swing right. I have not attempted this yet as I am recovering from Bi-Lateral knee replacement and not quite ready to crawl around on the garage floor.

I am also fighting mower belt issues at the moment and suspect worn bearings on the spindles and possibly the idler pulley, although the failed belts do show signs of getting into the deck bracket which will chew them up pretty quickly.

I love the concept of this Mower along with the easy removal of the deck, but the grinding pulley, destroyed belts and the Courageous to own a Kohler Courage have me wondering is it is worth the time and effort.

I will let you know what I find.

bertsmobile1 said:

In Brian's case it was due to the mounting bracket for the height adjustment which he photographed in post # 11.
Being that there has been 3 people with the same problem one can safely say it was not a good design .
OTOH there were thousands of them sold and to date there are just the 3 of you with the problem so it might also be something with the way the mowers are used or maintained.

Click to expand...

Just replying back. It is a lot better. I need to stop over and get another look at it. I believe there are a lot more people with the problem. I think most don't care. I am very mechanical so I look out for things that are not right. My Mother never did notice it, sparks, grinding and all. Of all the people with the mower and deck combination, who notice it, and make it to this forum, I think 3 is a pattern.

tmyers, I would take the deck off. Clean the sharp edges of the deck. (file or small grinder) Careful they are really sharp. Make sure all the bolts are in place and tight. Make sure the spindles and idle pulley are free. I think you have to set the deck on a block of wood to spin them or they sit on the ground. It is a pretty decent mower. It is still running now.

Strange it only hits the bracket turning one direction.

BrianSki said:

Just replying back. It is a lot better. I need to stop over and get another look at it. I believe there are a lot more people with the problem. I think most don't care. I am very mechanical so I look out for things that are not right. My Mother never did notice it, sparks, grinding and all. Of all the people with the mower and deck combination, who notice it, and make it to this forum, I think 3 is a pattern.

tmyers, I would take the deck off. Clean the sharp edges of the deck. (file or small grinder) Careful they are really sharp. Make sure all the bolts are in place and tight. Make sure the spindles and idle pulley are free. I think you have to set the deck on a block of wood to spin them or they sit on the ground. It is a pretty decent mower. It is still running now.

Strange it only hits the bracket turning one direction.

Click to expand...

Not strange it is a torque reaction because the engine rotates clockwise when looking down from the drivers seat.
The deck is belt driven so the belt will pull the deck forward on the left side.

At a wild guess it could very well be that the deck was originally designed as a shaft drive belly deck or a deck with hydraulic motors on the spindles for use on a compact or sub compact tractor.
Neither of these would have a torque reaction that rotated the deck towards the front left, the drive shaft would tend to lift one side rather than rotate it.

I pulled the deck last night and did note that the right bolt on the mower hitch piece was loose. I tightened that. I also cleaned the accumulation of grass on the rollers and checked them for wear. They still spin freely and do not appear to have any slop. Next I checked the Spindles and they are solid and spin freely. There is a minute amount of play in the idler pulley but I wouldn't characterize it as sloppy at all.

I put an old slightly worn belt back on it and mowed the back yard with no issues. I may have contributed to the recent thrown belt by raising the mower too high. I have been out of commission with the knees and mowing has suffered. The front yard is normally mowed with the Troy Built Walk Behind but I thought it better to raise the deck and cut it with the Regent.

I will figure out how to get proper clearance between the deck and the PTO pulley and will post what I do. There are two additional sets of holes in the mower hitch, any idea what they are for?

While I had things apart I pulled the engine cover and checked my sump bolts. All were still tight, YAY.

I did not have the same issue as Brian did in post 11.

Press dies are very expensive so it is cheaper to make one of them than 3 of them
So a part that is common to 3 decks but requires a different mounting position will be pressed with redundent holes so it becomes universal.
From a production point of view it is also a cost saver as every deck gets part XYZ123, so only 1 stock bin, only 1 part to make & no chance of assembly with the wrong part.
Get under the mower & you will see holes in the chassis everywhere, because the same chassis is used for a dozen different variations of a dozen different models.

Because the deck is 3 to 5 times wider than the chassis, a very small amount of wear in the mountings can make a very big amount of movement at the end of the deck.
These linkages are supposed to be lubricated very regularly but I am yet to find an owner who actually does this till as mentioned before , the deck suddenly fouls on trailer ramps or fails to clear lawn edging .

The thing I fear most hearing from a customer is "It has worked flawlessly for X years"
This translates out to "it has not caused me any grief so I have never looked at it, let alone lubricated it "
I then find 15 different parts that are worn sufficiently enough to be causing the problem & the customer baulks at replacing them because they do not want to spend the money, calls me a thief because they can see only a tiny amount of wear then storm off to another shop.