Belt removal on MMM

[nhman]

The manual recommends taking the tension off the belt on the mmm for storage. Anyone got an easier way to get the spring off to relieve the belt tension. I've gotten the spring on and off once or twice, but I must be doing the hard way, it takes me about 30 minutes!! I have the 60" mmm on a b2910.

[art]

Can't you leave the belt and the spring on just pull it over to release it?

[nhman]

Yes, but how do easily pull it over? Takes a lot of torque to pull it and finding a way to pull it is the issue

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> Anyone got an easier way to get the spring off to relieve the belt tension. </font>

What I did on the 60 inch deck of my bx2200, was tie a piece of strong, but thin rope to the spring end that hooks over the pin at the stationary end of the spring.

Then I tied the rope on a picec of 2x2, so that the 2x2 would be about vertical when held against the mower deck side, at the point where the rope was in alignment with the spring.

Pulling the top of the stick, caused the stick to pivot at the point where it rested against the mower deck, and the rope pulled the spring longer, so I could easily shift the end of the spring to the side, away from the pin it was hooked on, and then by releasing pressure on the top of the stick, let the spring relax.

It is much harder to say this than it is to do this... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I then left everything tied together so I can reverse the process in the spring. It was very easy and controlled doing it this way...

Hope this makes sense... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Von]

I just grab the end of the spring with a pair of vicegrips. Gives me something to hang on to when pulling the spring to remove or put it on the tab that hold the spring end. only take a few seconds to do. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[art]

normally to grab the arm and move it to release and then pull the belt over. Some time's it does make it easier to use a crow bar or a pry bar on the linkage to it will make it easier.

[BXMMCC]

Henro-

Was that rope or line?

[Henro]

I am in Japan right now so I can not run out to check...but I think it was 1/8 or 3/16 poly rope that i had used to pull wire throught conduit out to my shed...

Just about anything would work as long as it is strong enough, while small enough to tie to the end of the spring...

I could not get a good enough bite on the spring with vice grips to feel comfortable doing it the easy way... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hope this helps!

[paparammer]

After testing the tension on the spring for my 54" mower, I decided using vice grips might be asking for trouble. The method I used to release the tension was to ease the belt up while manualy turning the pulley. Came right up and off without any muss or fuss. Whether it will be anywhere near that easy to replace with this method next spring remains to be seen. If not, it should be much easier/safer to reattach the spring with a set of vice grips (since I'd be able to get a better grip on the end of the spring) than it looked like it would be to remove it.

[Junkman]

When this post first started, I thought how hard can it be. I have since learned first hand that Vice Grips don't work. What I did was to use a large Snap On flat bladed screwdriver, the type that has a square shank, and slipped it under the spring and used the springs deck tower as a leverage point and pulled it off that way. It was controlled completely by the screwdriver. I reversed the procedure and the spring slid down the shaft of the screwdriver and back onto the post to reinstall. I had also tried some different type of brake spring removal tools to no avail. That is one powerful spring!!!!!!