310-8 clutch pulley arm stop bracket

[RDF 3]

Hi there,

 

I have my 1986 310-8 torn apart to replace the drive belt. The clutch pulley is a bit tired so think I will replace that as well.

 

Looking at the stop bracket under the fender where the clutch pulley arm rests (when pedal is released), I can see a hole and am wondering if there should be a rubber bumper on this bracket. Looking at parts manuals, I can see that newer tractors have a damper cylinder in this location and this bracket is actually called a damper bracket. Reading through this forum I can see that the damper cylinder came in a few flavors and was mainly used in later years. Provided that I don't have a model that would have used a damper, is there instead a rubber bumper that should be in this location? Right now it is metal on metal. See picture below. Note that the pulley has been removed from the clutch arm.

 

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,096]

With the correct length belt installed the arm should not reach back that far.

 

Garry

[RDF 3]

That makes sense. The old belt was pretty loose. Not sure if it was from wear or if the belt was maybe the wrong size to begin with. It was flapping around pretty good. Lots of cracks and the top layer is delaminating. I rolled the dice with it for two winters, but am not feeling lucky anymore. Better to change it out in warm weather than when I have a driveway full of snow.

[peter lena 8,721]

RDF,  keep that mind set of getting after it, before failure , while your in the area, how does that shift boot look ? cracked / split , replace it , and if it is bad you should probably change the trans fluid also , might be milky from moisture / water entry . also lubricate all related linkages , so they work with ease , not effort. pete

[953 nut 55,771]

The Wheel Horse belt # is 7473 which is a 5L-820. The kevlar belts at Tractor Supply have worked well for me.

[RDF 3]

I think I do need a new shift boot. Someone clamped an inverted funnel to the top of the one shifters. This is obviously not that effective. You can probably see the oil leak in the picture. I am not going to tackle that immediately. It has been this way for the 5 years I have had the tractor and seems pretty slow. I should at least get it cleaned up so that I can be sure of where the leak is coming from. My suspicion is either an axle seal or around the drive pulley seal (or both). Where do these typically spring leaks? I imagine there are also bushings that when worn end up leading to leaky oil seals.

 

If I do go after the leaks I would like to have the parts on hand. Any good threads on this maintenance item that you can direct me towards?

[953 nut 55,771]

Axle seals are the most frequent source of leaks, dirt and debris on the axle can cut them over time. These transaxles have bearings rather than bushings so they are very dependable. This thread by @stevasaurus shows how well built they are.  Enjoy!

 

[RDF 3]

I finally got my new OEM (7473) belt in the mail. Everything is back together, but the clutch action is really, really jumpy now. I looks like this is a common complaint. If there isn't an adjustment for it I can probably get used to it..... The thing that I do not like right now is that the tractor does not always stop when I push in the clutch (I can see the belt still moving). This is not a good feeling. 

 

What should I double check? I did adjust the lower belt guide to 5/32 as per the service guide. Should I also make an adjustment to the guide just ahead of the idler pully? Perhaps the belt isn't getting fully pinched here when I push in the clutch pedal. I would rather not remove and replace the guard and footrest multiple times as I dial this in. Is there a good starting measurement or position to shoot for?

 

Feel free to simply direct me to a good thread that covers this.

[RDF 3]

I took things apart again. Wiped down the pulleys with mineral spirits to make sure there was nothing on the pully that would be gripping the belt and cause it to continue to turn. I also removed the guide just in front of the idler pully. I noticed that it was polished up pretty good and had a groove worn into it. For now I just tried filling the groove with some JB Weld. My hope is that this will make the guide tab more 'grippy' so that the belt will catch on this when the clutch is depressed and the idler pully wedges the belt to stop it.