tricky
New member
Just what worked for me but if it helps anyone save time. I have the same problem with my RZT where the bracket prevents a worn/stretched belt from sliding off the engine pulley. I was able to get a pair of vicegrips onto the shaft above the transmission ring and it gets caught by the muffler when it tries to spin. This method kept me from nagging the wife for another cheap impact tool that I rarely need 
On the point of not threading the bolt out all the way so as to keep pulley/clutch from dropping completely, mine did not have enough length to save me that grief and had to be dropped out. Be careful because there is a washer above the clutch that is a pain to keep centered (blindly) when returning the heavy, if awkwardly situated when repairing, clutch. Another point is to keep clutch wires inside new belt loop when reinstalling the clutch. First time I got it back on I realized that the belt then gets caught on the wiring and had to redo. Figured it is quicker than unclipping wires to clutch if you think it through beforehand. Hope this helps and thanks for the ideas to get me started. I swear replacement belt which now has an B after the part number (754-04043B) instead of the A part listed in my manual is at least an inch shorter than the original. Someone in the engineers office must have figured out that they were all stretching and slipping. $27 from cub cadet and it is an MTD part. After installing new belt I now have to readjust stops on drive arms because it changed distribution of power at full speed.
On the point of not threading the bolt out all the way so as to keep pulley/clutch from dropping completely, mine did not have enough length to save me that grief and had to be dropped out. Be careful because there is a washer above the clutch that is a pain to keep centered (blindly) when returning the heavy, if awkwardly situated when repairing, clutch. Another point is to keep clutch wires inside new belt loop when reinstalling the clutch. First time I got it back on I realized that the belt then gets caught on the wiring and had to redo. Figured it is quicker than unclipping wires to clutch if you think it through beforehand. Hope this helps and thanks for the ideas to get me started. I swear replacement belt which now has an B after the part number (754-04043B) instead of the A part listed in my manual is at least an inch shorter than the original. Someone in the engineers office must have figured out that they were all stretching and slipping. $27 from cub cadet and it is an MTD part. After installing new belt I now have to readjust stops on drive arms because it changed distribution of power at full speed.