The pulleys in your lawn tractor are driven by the drive belt, and turn the spindles. If a pulley doesn’t spin freely, it can cause the engine to die when the blades are engaged. To check the pulleys for sticking and damage, first remove the drive belt from the engine pulley and lift the lever to engage the blades. When you engage the deck lever, it releases the blade brakes, allowing the spindles to be spun by hand. With the blade brakes released, spin the idler pulleys on the mower deck. If they do not turn or make a growling noise, they will need to be replaced. To replace these pulleys, first remove the blade deck (follow the steps under “Belt” to learn how to remove the deck.) Next, using the proper-size wrench, grip the nut under the pulley while removing the bolt on top of the pulley. Now, remove...
The pulleys in your lawn tractor are driven by the drive belt, and turn the spindles. If a pulley doesn’t spin freely, it can cause the engine to die when the blades are engaged. To check the pulleys for sticking and damage, first remove the drive belt from the engine pulley and lift the lever to engage the blades. When you engage the deck lever, it releases the blade brakes, allowing the spindles to be spun by hand. With the blade brakes released, spin the idler pulleys on the mower deck. If they do not turn or make a growling noise, they will need to be replaced. To replace these pulleys, first remove the blade deck (follow the steps under “Belt” to learn how to remove the deck.) Next, using the proper-size wrench, grip the nut under the pulley while removing the bolt on top of the pulley. Now, remove the nut, cup washer, pulley, and belt guard. Now you can re-install belt guard, washer, and the new pulley, making sure the belt goes behind the pulley. Next, re-install the cup washer and nut, and tighten down. Slide the mower deck underneath the lawn tractor and re-attach.
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