3204 Deck Belt

cyblood · Jul 7, 2006

Spent quite a bit of time reviewing previous posts on the 3204 and I'm actually glad to find I'm not alone with the problems I've had with this mower over the last 2 years - PTO belt replacement (3 times), poor traction on grass (no, it's not wet), front tires going flat (had to put tubes in), no reverse on the slightest of grades (fluid level is fine), broken plastic gapper between firewall & engine (2 times), and to think I traded in an old 154 LoBoy for this!

Anyway, my latest repair obligation is the mower deck belt. I have a 54" deck, that still has the belt on it although there's a 5 inch spot where half of it is missing. I would like to replace it before it breaks completely and was wondering if anyone could provide a step by step instruction or a link for to view that would explain it. - Thanks!

ducati996 · Jul 8, 2006

Im sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time with the 3204 - Im not aware of people having problems as much as you are with the PTO. Just the opposite - I have 200 plus hours on the original PTO belts. My unit is a 2003 with the 20 HP Kohler. I know they came out with a 23 HP for a few years before they called it a 3100. I also have full reverse and power both forward and backwards. By removing the tab underneath the reverse pedal should give you full speed & power with the PTO on....As for the tire I switched them out as soon as I had the machine to 4ply carlisle Turf masters and super lugs.
As for the deck there should be a diagram on the deck to show you the belt path around the pulleys. One of the pulleys is a tension pully that rests on the belt. It has a 1/2" key for a socket extension. By using a socket wrench and extension you can release the tension on the belt and slip it off the nearest pully. You will need the deck off the machine, and possibly the covers off (not always) the Pulleys to slip the belt back on....Its straight forward. You should find the info in the manual as well and if you dont have it pull it from Cubs website using the model number of the deck and serial number.
Getting back to the PTO - that isnt the norm, you should have a good dealer look at that.

cyblood · Jul 9, 2006

Thanks for the advice. Had a friend assist me who used to work in a yard/farm implement place. After a little cipherin', we were able to complete the whole process in less than an hour. The deck releases quite easily (found another post, after the fact, that explains how if others need it) and there were only 4 bolts to remove to replace the belt. Also defeated the reverse pto kill while we were at it and found that the outside pto belt had been chewed up and thrown (again). Replaced it, tested the mower deck, and drove it 25 feet to my garage and the outside pto belt had popped off again!

Going to follow some of the other post suggestions to look for a bent pulley or see if the idler pulley is doing its thing (can this even be adjusted?). Also, someone else mentioned that a dealer said the pto brake had been replaced starting with the 2004 models so I'll definitely be making a call to check that out.

With only 72 hours on this machine, I can't say I'm happy with the repair record. I will post my pto belt findings if anyone is interested?

Mickey_Fx · Jul 9, 2006

Have the same tractor as Duc and same age but with fewer hrs on it. My experience is same as his, no problems other than very minor with either the tractor, mower or belts. You'll find many if not most newer tractors have reverse lockout for the mower.

Here is a pic of the deck belt arrangement.

Do think there is a message in your post. Lot of problems with the equipment and you need help with simple belt replacement. I'd look a little closer to home for the source of the problems. Sorry to be so blunt.

cyblood · Jul 9, 2006

Perhaps you're right, Mickey - all things should be considered. Sometimes it's the simple things (like attaching a picture correctly) that can stump the best of us! : )

I'll let you know how it works out.....

cyblood · Jul 28, 2006

**Update - Spoke w/the dealer who said there was a redesign on the 3200 series a few years ago that induces this problem. Whenever the mower encounters high grass, the engine dies down, loses vacuum, and the belts will stretch. He recommended the following steps to prevent / compensate for this belt behaviour:

* When the grass is high, always run the mower at full throttle to maintain the vacuum.

* Periodically adjust the PTO brake (you'll see a threaded rod with a nut on it on the top side) to keep the brake up and against the top of the outer pulley. When in the proper position this also helps as a guide for the outer belt. You'll see a notch on the section that makes contact with the outside pulley. Make sure this is up on the top lip of the pulley. Do not overtighten it.

* As the belts loosen / stretch, it may be necessary to adjust the clevis on the belt tensioner to maintain proper tension as the belts wear.

Also, a bent pulley could induce this problem as well so don't rule that out if you experience the problem frequently.

To get a fresh start, I put 2 new pto belts (you must replace these in pairs) on last weekend and did have to adjust the pto break as it had dropped down. Everything is working perfectly after several mowings high grass and all.

Hopefully, this technical guidance will help others with this "simple belt replacement" as it did me. Cheers!

bermuda_ken · Jul 28, 2006

ALWAYS run the engine at full throttle when mowing. CCC has put a decal stating to do so on most of the 2006 year models. Running the engine at slower speeds hinders cooling and mower performance.