PTO belt

[mhart]

Hello

I have a 2005 or 06 GT 2521 with 48 inch deck that I obtained used about a year ago. It had only 70hrs on it at the time. At that time a new PTO belt was put on. It has mowed well for the past year. I have done the routine maintenance myself.

Yesterday I was doing routine mowing, after about 30 minutes, the deck belt snapped. I think this was the original belt. No big deal, I went and got a belt and installed in on the deck.

Went to mowing again and everything seemed fine. Then the PTO belt fell off, so I reinstalled it. I then had to do this 2 more times. I went about mowing and things were fine.

After abpout another 20 minutes of mowing, I shut of the blades. I then went to re-engage the blades and heard a pop. I shut of the mower and realized that the PTO belt had snapped. In doing so it somehow I guess propelled up and destroyed the wiring going to the headlights.

Anyway, I now have the deck back off, noticed that the deck belt lost tension too. Where do I go from here, just get a new PTO belt and install. Is there something I did wrong installing the deck/deck belt?

Any help appreciated

Thanks,
Matt

 

[RoyJackson]

It sounds like you're overtensioning or undertensioning the belt. Your mower isn't that old and I expect your dealer can get you a manual.
You might even be able to download a manual...you'll need your mower's serial number:
PDF Manual Web Archive

 

[nazbom2]

I just had the same thing happen on my LTX 1040, the PTO belt would fall off everytime I disengaged the blades. First my wife informed me of the issues then it did it to me. My brother and I looked at it and it appeared "loose" The next day while mowing the wife informed me the belt got "shredded". I replaced the belt and so far so good with no issues. On my model I cannot find a way to adjsut the tension as the cable ends are fixed. I replaced the PTO belt two years ago but still find it strange it performed this way. I'm also having issues with my deck timing belt jumping time.

 

[mhart]

Roy
Thanks for the reply, I thought that too. I could not see a way to change the tension. There is a yellow bar/lever that is spring loaded that pulls the pto pulley backward and locks it in place, thus tightening the belt. I will have to go back and look to see if there is another way to tighten it.

 

[aczlan]

Roy
Thanks for the reply, I thought that too. I could not see a way to change the tension. There is a yellow bar/lever that is spring loaded that pulls the pto pulley backward and locks it in place, thus tightening the belt. I will have to go back and look to see if there is another way to tighten it.

The yellow bar pulls on the pivot for the pulley and that is the only way tighten the belt. Disconnect the belt and make sure that the mechanism can pivot freely. I have seen them get gummed up, not pivot fully and as a result, not tension the belt properly.

Aaron Z

 

[savageactor7]

Another possibility while remote with your low hours tractor.

From our personal experience if the bearing in the deck PTO pulley starts going it will throw the belt too.

Also you may already be doing this but if not, before you turn off the PTO bring down the RPMs as close to idle and see of that helps.