Drive belt slipping on GT-1848 with new belt and idler

[davem1111 2,036]

I'm a bit puzzled about this. I recently blew the bearings on this tractor's drive idler pulley, so I ordered a new one. Got the right one, and bought a new belt because the old one was shot.  Now it starts to slip under load - I can tell because if I look down, the hydro cooling fan is turning very slowly. Have to let up on it till it spins up, go a little bit, then repeat the process.  Anyone ever have to buy an undersized belt for one of these?  I can't think of why else it would be doing this.

[squonk 41,310]

What size belt? How bout some pics? Also Make sure the belt matches the package it came in.

Edited June 16, 2022 by squonk

[Jeff-C175 7,203]

1 minute ago, squonk said:

belt matches the package it came in

 

Especially if you get them at TSC where the pubic is able to mess around with them.

 

 

[squonk 41,310]

Should be a 5/8" wide belt. If you got a 1/2" wide belt it's going to slip

[davem1111 2,036]

 

31 minutes ago, squonk said:

Should be a 5/8" wide belt. If you got a 1/2" wide belt it's going to slip

 

Yep, 5/8". It's a Jason Industrial MXV5-830, 5/8" x 83".  Bought it last week so I'm not 100% sure the trail I followed, but I think they had a book at Rural King and I looked it up, to match the WH part number.

 

37 minutes ago, squonk said:

What size belt? How bout some pics? Also Make sure the belt matches the package it came in.

 

I'll probably end up taking the side guards off again this weekend and will take some pictures then. After getting the flat parts of the yard mowed... 

 

35 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Especially if you get them at TSC where the pubic is able to mess around with them.

 

People were probably messing with them at Rural King too, but I had taken the old one with me and compared the length -seemed the same.

 

There doesn't seem to be a proper amount of tension on the idler, so I'm thinking maybe an 82" would work better. I don't think 1" difference in length should make it too tight.

 

[davem1111 2,036]

Duh.... this website says it should be 82":

 

https://www.vbeltguys.com/products/toro-wheel-horse-d1-184801-gt-1848-riding-lawn-mower-replacement-belt

 

Edit to add:

 

But the WH part number is 108502.  Here it says it's 83":

https://www.amazon.com/PowerDrive-108502-Kevlar-Replacement-Number/dp/B00NX4OHFO

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by davem1111

[Jeff-C175 7,203]

10 minutes ago, davem1111 said:

1" difference

 

I wonder if the spring on the idler arm has gone soft?

 

 

[davem1111 2,036]

8 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I wonder if the spring on the idler arm has gone soft?

 

 

Maybe, but the disengage handle is pretty hard to pull up.  I'm going to buy an 82" and see what that does, I think.

[squonk 41,310]

Napa  Gates cross is 5L830W so 5/8 x 83" is correct

[Snoopy11 5,714]

33 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

I wonder if the spring on the idler arm has gone soft?

Precisely my thought...

 

Don

[953 nut 55,744]

  Did you get the belt on the correct side of all the belt guides?            5/8  X 83 is correct.

[davem1111 2,036]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

  Did you get the belt on the correct side of all the belt guides?            5/8  X 83 is correct.

 

it goes around the pto pulley and around the hydro pulley with the fan, and the top goes under the idler.

 

3 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I wonder if the spring on the idler arm has gone soft?

 

I suppose that could at least be part of the problem, but if so, wouldn't the disengage handle come up when the spring released too much tension?  It's going all the way down flush against the shifter cover plate when sitting still.  I'll have to try it again tomorrow or this weekend, and make sure I look at that when it's happening. 

 

I did stop by Rural King and buy an 82" belt, but they didn't have the better quality one in that size so I got the cheap one.  So no big loss if I don't need to switch to that, and I can return it if I don't actually use it.

 

[953 nut 55,744]

9 hours ago, davem1111 said:

it goes around the pto pulley and around the hydro pulley with the fan, and the top goes under the idler.

I was thinking more about the guide tabs that keep the slack belt from coming off your pulleys and the long belt guide rail that catches the bottom slack. This rail may be a part of your belt guard and you need to pay attention as it is installed. I find it helpfull to have tension on the belt when placing the belt guard. This photo from @daveoman1966 shows the rail.

[davem1111 2,036]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

I was thinking more about the guide tabs that keep the slack belt from coming off your pulleys and the long belt guide rail that catches the bottom slack. This rail may be a part of your belt guard and you need to pay attention as it is installed. I find it helpfull to have tension on the belt when placing the belt guard. This photo from @daveoman1966 shows the rail.

 

 

If I remember correctly, the bottom run of the belt does rest on that guide when slack and comes up off it just a bit when tensioned. There is another much shorter guide for the top run of the belt, and I think it goes under it but will have to take the side cover off again to look and get some pictures.  Are those guides movable?  Should the belt be in contact with the guide when running and taut?  It seem like that would induce excessive wear to both the guide and the belt.

 

It also occurred to me that one could fabricate some similar tabs to go outside the belt if it hops off frequently, but that would make extra work when trying to change the belt unless they were designed to just flip out of the way.

 

I'm wondering if the pulleys could have enough wear in the groove to cause the 83" belt to just be too long.

 

So this weekend I will check all that out, including the spring and the guides, and maybe see what happens with the 82" belt.   Thanks, everyone. 

 

BTW, I ran this briefly with the recently repaired 48" deck, and it mowed beautifully, other issues aside.

[Pullstart 63,081]

Is this the Honda swap tractor Dave?  It could be the centerline of the crank isn’t perfectly in the right spot, requiring some tweaks to the belt specs?

[Lee1977 6,774]

3 hours ago, Pullstart said:

Is this the Honda swap tractor Dave?  It could be the centerline of the crank isn’t perfectly in the right spot, requiring some tweaks to the belt specs?

Most newer engines need to be raised 3/4 to 7/8" even if the PTO shaft is in the right location from front to back. That tractor had a Briggs engine and it was different from the Kohler's  I don't know what was different but it used a different belt.

[davem1111 2,036]

3 hours ago, Pullstart said:

Is this the Honda swap tractor Dave?  It could be the centerline of the crank isn’t perfectly in the right spot, requiring some tweaks to the belt specs?

 

12 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

Most newer engines need to be raised 3/4 to 7/8" even if the PTO shaft is in the right location from front to back. That tractor had a Briggs engine and it was different from the Kohler's  I don't know what was different but it used a different belt.

 

I suspect now that this is the problem. It's got a Honda GX630 (I think) on it. I put an 82" belt on it. When I messed with the idler spring the bent part at the top broke off so I ended up shortening it a bit, so the tension is a bit better. She seems to be doing a lot better now. Will be mowing with it a lot tomorrow after it cools off a bit. 

Edited June 17, 2022 by davem1111

[Pullstart 63,081]

If that 82” belt does the trick, under the hood or the belt guard are perfect places to make a note of that 

[davem1111 2,036]

On 6/17/2022 at 6:12 PM, Pullstart said:

If that 82” belt does the trick, under the hood or the belt guard are perfect places to make a note of that 

 

Excellent idea!    I suspect you've encountered situations like this before... 

[Pullstart 63,081]

2 minutes ago, davem1111 said:

 

Excellent idea!    I suspect you've encountered situations like this before... 

 

Based on my findings on a few survivors I’ve come across, plenty of good ‘ole boys have done it   

[squonk 41,310]

Since this isn't the original engine, all bets are off on what the right belt will be.