Mowing JD272 rear finish mower routine maint

Trev · Jun 20, 2004

I wonder if anyone here can offer hints on routine maint of a JD272 rear finish mower? Mine came on a JD4300, MY 2000.

It's about due for maint, given the estimated hours on it and given the squeak I now hear sometimes where mowing.

Okay, first step.. consult manual. It says to remove the eight nuts holding belt shield. First problem (not a big one) is that there are, in fact, ten nuts holding this thing down. My manual is "OMM75851 F7".

Second problem is that, in various places in the manual, it refers to the belt shield in both the singular and the plural.. hmm.

Third problem.. it gives no indication of how tight the belt should be. Simply tells how to loosen it when replacing it..

Forth problem.. it suggests removing belt shields and cleaning the "sheaves." What the heck is a sheave? Maybe it will be obvious when I take it apart. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'll simply pop off the belt shield(s), clean everything I can, grease every zerk I can find, see if the belt seems at least at a resonable tension.. and if all else fails, and my squeaking noise is still there.. give the JD dealer a call and ask what I'm missing.

TIA for any thoughts....

Bob

RoyJackson · Jun 20, 2004

A "sheave" is another name for a pulley.

As far as tension on the belt...it should deflect 5/16th's to 3/8th's at the middle of the longest stretch when properly tensioned. That's an approximation, but a pretty good rule of thumb. Since you're running three blades, you might have a shield on both sides of the mower. Since your manual mentions to remove to clean the sheaves or pulleys...reckon the shields will be at the outer ends of the mower deck.

I suggest not removing the belt unless it needs replacing. Personally, I don't remove one until it breaks. Also, you should be able to get a reasonably good feel for the tension with the belt installed.

Bob, if you work on this deck off the ground, don't forget those jack stands. That deck probably goes between 450 and 550 pounds.

Trev · Jun 20, 2004

( A "sheave" is another name for a pulley.

As far as tension on the belt...it should deflect 5/16th's to 3/8th's at the middle of the longest stretch when properly tensioned. That's an approximation, but a pretty good rule of thumb. Since you're running three blades, you might have a shield on both sides of the mower. Since your manual mentions to remove to clean the sheaves or pulleys...reckon the shields will be at the outer ends of the mower deck.

I suggest not removing the belt unless it needs replacing. Personally, I don't remove one until it breaks. Also, you should be able to get a reasonably good feel for the tension with the belt installed.

Bob, if you work on this deck off the ground, don't forget those jack stands. That deck probably goes between 450 and 550 pounds. )

Thanks, Roy! I got everything done with it down on the ground.. primarily since I couldn't find the new blades I bought for it a few months ago. sigh.. so couldn't install them. That will be the next project. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Appreciate the help!!

Bob

yellowsocks93 · Jun 20, 2004

Trev to take the belt shield off my 272 I had to remove the PTO shaft and safety cover around it. Did you have to do this also to be able to get at the belt too? I just had to clean mine up good before I painted a rust spot where the paint chipped off.

You may also want to change the gearbox oil and replace it with new John Deere GL-5 gear lube 80/90 weight oil. Just drain the old stuff and refill until oil comes out of the hole on the side of the gearbox. Other than that you should be good to go. I really like my 272. I was not sure how it was going to cut compared to the mid mounts we have but cuts great and easy to clean the bottom to boot.

Trev · Jun 20, 2004

( Trev to take the belt shield off my 272 I had to remove the PTO shaft and safety cover around it. Did you have to do this also to be able to get at the belt too? I just had to clean mine up good before I painted a rust spot where the paint chipped off. )

Nope.. there were 10 nuts and washers I had to remove, and then the one-piece cover could be wrestled off by sliding it to the right. Gave it all a good blast of compressed air, and everything looked fine in there.. so I just stuck it back together. No need to monkey with the PTO other than just to tie the shaft up to the top link to get it out of the way while working.

( You may also want to change the gearbox oil and replace it with new John Deere GL-5 gear lube 80/90 weight oil. Just drain the old stuff and refill until oil comes out of the hole on the side of the gearbox. Other than that you should be good to go. I really like my 272. I was not sure how it was going to cut compared to the mid mounts we have but cuts great and easy to clean the bottom to boot. )

Changing the gear lube is on the schedule for next weekend.. but thanks for the reminder.

I like my 272 a lot also. If I could change one single thing, I guess it would be to make it a rear-discharge.. although I'm not even certain of that as I do a lot of mowing backing up.

Thanks for the reply!

Bob

Trev · Jun 26, 2004

( You may also want to change the gearbox oil and replace it with new John Deere GL-5 gear lube 80/90 weight oil. Just drain the old stuff and refill until oil comes out of the hole on the side of the gearbox. )

Well, I just went and bought the new gear lube, then dug out the mower manual again. They make no reference at all to changing the lube.. merely to checking the level of it every 500 hours.

Seems there is a drain hole, and a fill hole. You just add lube until it begins to come out the drain hole.. and then you have enough in there.

But, how do you replace the lube completely? I'll have to go out and study it a bit and see if there isn't another drain plug at the bottom that they don't mention. Seems like sooner or later one would want to get rid of the old stuff and put in a complete batch of new stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I suppose I could dismount the gearbox completely so I could tip it up and drain it.. or I could use some kind of suction device to get the lube out. But seems odd the manual makes no mention of this at all. Just check the level every 500 hours??

Thanks,
Bob

RoyJackson · Jun 26, 2004

"But, how do you replace the lube completely? I'll have to go out and study it a bit and see if there isn't another drain plug at the bottom that they don't mention. Seems like sooner or later one would want to get rid of the old stuff and put in a complete batch of new stuff. "

Trust me, Bob...it isn't going to hurt if you don't get all the old lube out.
Just get what you can, and fill it to the filler hole. That gear oil lasts a long time!

Trev · Jun 26, 2004

( Trust me, Bob...it isn't going to hurt if you don't get all the old lube out.
Just get what you can, and fill it to the filler hole. That gear oil lasts a long time! )

Thanks, Roy. That's pretty much what I just heard from the two JD dealers I called also.

One call was kind of funny:

JD: Well, we usually just tip the mower over to drain them.

Me: But that mower weights around 600 lbs.!

JD: Yeah. You could also use a tool to suck the lube out.

Me: Do you guys sell that tool?

JD: Well, no.. but we can show you what it looks like if you'd like.

Me: Should I worry about this?

JD: No. Just follow the manual. It'll be fine.

Then I came back and found your note.. sounds like everyone is in agreement and I'm worrying about nothing. Just don't want to have to replace implements unless I need to.

Thanks again!

Bob

Bird · Jun 26, 2004

( JD: Yeah. You could also use a tool to suck the lube out.

Me: Do you guys sell that tool? )

But NAPA (and I'm sure a lot of other auto parts stores) sells that tool. It's called a suction gun. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif