How to Replace the Drive Belt on a Troy-Bilt TB280ES Lawn Mower
One of the more common parts that can break on your Troy-Bilt lawn mower is the drive belt. The good news is that this part is easy to replace and only takes about 30 minutes. If you're looking for instructions on replacing the drive belt on your Troy-Bilt TB280ES lawn mower, we've got you covered with this guide.
Purchase the replacement drive belt for your Troy-Bilt TB280ES here.
Removing the Belt Cover
1. Remove the two screws from the top of the mower
Use a screwdriver or socket wrench to remove the two top screws, located near the front tires.
2. Raise the front wheel adjuster
This is located next to the front-right wheel of the mower.
3. Tip the mower on its side
Make sure to have the carburetor on the topside when doing this to prevent fuel spillage.
4. Remove the screws on the bottom-front of the mower
On the underside of the plastic front-piece of your mower there will be a series of screws -- remove these with a screwdriver.
5. Remove the two mower deck screws
These are located on the underside of your deck. Remove them with a screwdriver.
6. Pull the cover away from the mower
If you're having trouble sliding it away from the mower, try pushing down and to the side on the height adjustment lever by the wheel.
Removing the Drive Belt
1. Remove the belt guard
Simply pull this guard up and away from the mower.
2. Pull away the drive belt
You can now pull the drive belt off of the pulley.
3. Remove the mower blade
Jam a piece of wood into the mower deck to prevent the blade from spinning, then use a socket wrench to remove bot securing the blade.
4. Remove the engine baffle
Use a socket wrench to remove the two bolts that secure the baffle to the mower deck.
5. Pull the belt off of the mower
Simply pull the belt away from the mower.
Installing the New Drive Belt
1. Thread the new belt into position
Start by threading it around the pulley in the deck and through the opening.
2. Replace the engine baffle
Secure the engine baffle with the two bolts that were removed.
3. Replace the mower blade
Secure this with the center bolt that was removed earlier.
4. Replace the belt guard
Snap this back into its original position.
Replacing the Belt Cover
1. Replace the front mower cover
Just set the cover back into its original location.
2. Fasten the two deck screws
Resecure the screws on the underside of the mower deck with a socket wrench.
3. Fasten the screws on the bottom-front of the mower
Replace and secure all of the screws that you removed on the bottom-front of your mower.
4. Tip the mower back down
You'll need access to the top of your mower to finalize this repair.
5. Fasten the two top screws
Lastly, replace and secure the two screws next to the front wheels.
Conclusion
And that's how easy it is to replace a drive belt in your Troy-Bilt lawn mower. Other lawn mower brands and models may be slightly different, but this repair should be similar no matter the lawn mower type. Now that you have the confidence of repairing a broken drive belt, you can move on to bigger repairs! With out repair guides, you should have no problem tackling anything your lawn equipment throws at you.
Need more parts? We've got all of the Troy-Bilt TB280ES parts you could need!