Caroni Flail Belt Failure

[Bill the Elder]

Guess I get to join the premature Caroni Flail belt failure club.

My machine is 2 years old and probably has between 20 and 40 hours of mowing time. Pretty much grass and weed mowing with some rose hip and bunch grass work, nothing too extreme. Wind was behind me last week and I smelled hot rubber, shut down the mower and took off the cover. Pretty much looked like the pictures Island Tractor shared.

Found this thread, ordered a set of belts from Agri-Supply. When they arrived I noticed that there is no lot number on them. I've been told having match belts is pretty important so that might be a problem. I've ordered some Gates Green belts and will pick up two matched sets of 3 on Monday.

To paraphrase Star Trek, "Da**t Jim, I'm a farmer not a mechanic." I grow things really well but never had anyone with a mechanical bent in my life to hang around with and learn from. Major deficiency for a farmer. That shortcoming acknowledged does anyone have a "Caroni TM1900 Maintainance For Dummies" list? We all know the manual sucks and nobody around my parts has a flail so HELP!!

Additionally, can anyone summarize the great Caroni belt issue? My head hurts trying to read some of what you guys have written about pulley specifications, angles, etc. Are there any sort of conclusions, plan of attacks about this particular problem.

 

[IslandTractor]

Additionally, can anyone summarize the great Caroni belt issue? My head hurts trying to read some of what you guys have written about pulley specifications, angles, etc. Are there any sort of conclusions, plan of attacks about this particular problem.

1) Replacement belt: Gates B43 You will need three. Haven't priced them recently but should be less than $10 each online. Should also be able to get them at NAPA etc.
2) Ignore the posts about the deficient tension spring for the idler wheel. The factory spring is fine. Just keep it at full tension. A few of us (maybe just me) replaced our spring with a solid rod/wire but in the end I could not detect any difference in heat build up. That plus the fact that most people have not changed the spring but have had similar belt life makes me now think the factory spring is just fine. Let it be.
3) Replacement of the belts really is a pretty quick job. Take the cover off. Loosen the idler tension spring by backing it off as much as you can to get a slack idler. Get the three belts on and then retension the idler spring. I haven't done it for a year and a half but I recall it took only 20 minutes. Grease the idler pully zerk while you are in there.

 

[beppington]

A quick internet search found that rockauto.com has Gates part # B43 for $7.47 each.

It says they're 21/32" x 46" ... Are those the correct dimensions?

 

[Bill the Elder]

Hmmmm.....easy huh? Not today.

I went out to try to install the three PIX B43 belts I ordered from Agri Supply.

I completely ran the nut out on the bolt attached to the spring. Even run out all the way, the tensioner isn't far enough back to be out of the way. I managed to get the first belt on the first pulley and now I'm stuck. I can't get it off and I can't get it to go over the sheaves and on to the rear set of pulleys.

Not fun. I think I'll go dig some more potatoes, that will make me feel better.

HELP Mr. Wizards HELP!!

 

[IslandTractor]

I don't recall exactly but perhaps you need to remove the nut on the tensioner completely to get it slack enough.

 

[Bill the Elder]

I don't recall exactly but perhaps you need to remove the nut on the tensioner completely to get it slack enough.

That makes me a little tense. That belt I put on isn't moving anywhere easily so I'm a little concerned that if I take that nut off completely I'm going to have a ^%#*&$* time getting that nut back on again.

Perhaps you or some other kind soul on here would let me know any tricks they use to get those belts on and in position. I don't mind working hard but I'm getting too old to work dumb.

Thanks.

 

[hawkeye08]

I don't have one of these units, but I would imagine that the belt would allow the tensioner nut to be put back on after it was in the pulley grooves but may not have enough slack to move to the next groove.

 

[Eagleview]

Sounds like the belts are too short , can you post a picture ?

I don't agree that the spring is adequate , the belts that are supplied are not made of chewing gum so should work fine , something is causing these problems .

Is there any chance that some of these small tractors have the PTO turning in the opposite direction to normal ? If so the flail would be turning in the wrong direction and the idler will then be on the wrong side (tension side) . This would force the tension idler to deflect away and cause the belts to be loose .

 

[Bill the Elder]

Sounds like the belts are too short , can you post a picture ?

I don't agree that the spring is adequate , the belts that are supplied are not made of chewing gum so should work fine , something is causing these problems .

I'll take a picture but like I said, these are the belts that Agri Supply sells as the replacement belts for this unit so I'm at a loss as to what my next move would be if these don't fit the machine.

 

[Eagleview]

If they are correct , you may need to put a come along or turnbuckle from the idler back to the hole in the rear of the mower and pull the idler back out of the way .