Flail Mower Ford 917 flail mower ate belt

[Hoffajd]

I purchased a used 917 flail mower which needed some work. I replaced the broken/missing flails, replaced the tension pulley and put a new V-Belt (C-52) on it. The belt was VERY tight. About 15 minutes into the first use (just mowing long grass, nothing too thick), it threw the V-belt and upon inspection, it had chewed up the belt pretty substantially. See pictures below.

Can anyone offer insight into fixing this issue before I chew up another belt?
Too tight? Too loose? There is some corrosion on the main drive pulley, would that eat up the belt?

Thanks in advance for any help or insight anyone can offer.

 

[leonz]

Your missing the snubber pulley spring I believe. call Messicks on Monday and order a manual for your mower.

 

[dieselscout80]

Your missing the snubber pulley spring I believe. call Messicks on Monday and order a manual for your mower.

None of the two 917 flail mower
s that I have owned have a spring on the tensioner.

Belt Tensioner

I have a Ford 917 flail mower. Over the years I have had to adjust the belt tension semi regularly. I have been spoiled by the serpentine belts in automotive applications in that they have automatic tensioners. I wonder if an automotive belt tensioner could be adapted to my 917 flail mower?

www.tractorbynet.com

My Alamo flail has a spring tensioner, so some brands do.

Your pulleys look kinda rusty. However, what I find interesting is that it is a single v-belt. All my 917s have had a double v-belt that is banded.

 

[5030]

Regardless, I'd clean the pulley sheaves with a wire wheel and check the sheave alignment with a straight edge (wooden yardstick will do) and align them if required.

 

[joecdeere]

the 917 and the early 917A's were single belt, asking a lot out of it, wear and failures brought out the double

 

[dieselscout80]

the 917 and the early 917A's were single belt, asking a lot out of it, wear and failures brought out the double

View attachment 831595

I didn’t know that.

Thanks

To add to th my 8’ Alamo flail has a single bel, but it is almost as wide as the band double v belt on my 917s.

 

[oosik]

Carefully check pulley alignment. Are the driven shaft and idler pulley rotating smoothly.

BTW - that belt still looks usable. The corroded/rusty pulleys are what is causing the side belt wear.

 

[Peter 315]

Clean the pulleys rust will eat the belt making it loose.

 

[paulsharvey]

Don't knownif the model is different, but my 917L, 54", doesn't have any pulley guards or tensioner pulley, you tension belt with nut/bolt, and pushes the whole gear box back from the body. No idea if thats original, or fabricobbled?

 

[Williy]

The pulleys need to be flat and they can't wobble
If it was me I ;would take the pulleys off and use a
wire brush on the drill to clean them up

willy