Is there a video of anyone changing the belts on a Caroni TM1900

[Bill the Elder]

My luck finally ran out and after years of not needing to change belts, this is the year. I took the pressure off the idler pulley thinking that would be the quick and easy, nope.

I apologize if someone has already addressed this issue (I've spent a couple of hours using every search term I can think of to no avail). Everyone talks about "just" changing the belts so it must be easy but not for me. If I see someone doing something I'm a pretty good monkey, but trying to figure stuff out on my own without a manual or instructions usually ends up with me making a bad situation worse.

A video would be the best but at this point I just need to know the steps involved in getting the old belts off and new belts on, the grass is growing faster than usual this year. Thanks for your patience.

 

[Jack Yuan]

The key points include:
1. make sure the pulleys are in the same line
2. correct belt tension, you can press 1cm down when you use 50N force to press in the middle of each belt.

this photo explain it.

 

[deanocraft]

Hey island mountain, I have a TM1300 and just changed my belts last week or so. My flail is not as wide as yours model, but it has the same 3 belt drive system. I had to completely undo the tensioner and found a way to keep it out of my way while I worked the belts on. You have to get them in the first pulley slot and then move them back until you have all three on. It takes a little force to make them jump the pulley as you move them back. Once they are on, you can reattach the tensioner and tension them as the previous post states. Be sure to clean the pulley grooves up before you install the new belts. Mine were clogged with bits from the old belts.

 

[Bill the Elder]

Thanks deanocraft, other than getting a blood blister when I pinched my palm against one of the pulleys as I removed one of the belts, I've managed to get them off. I will clean out the pulley grooves and a friend of mine who's forgotten more about machinery than I'm likely to ever learn says the belts polish the pulley grooves so I should sweat the little rust in them.

I still am not sure how much grease to put into each fitting. My understanding is that overloading some of them can blow out a seal so I'm being cautious. How have you been approaching the lube issue?