Best drive belt replacement video I’ve seen to date. Clear,lighted view of the mower. No goofy music. And I could also understand what the man was saying!
Finally, a set of instructions that actually work!!! I had gotten desperate enough to remove the mower pulley in order to be able to stretch the belt over the smaller upper drive pulley. Before engaging in this activity, I did an internet search for the solution and I FOUND THIS WONDERFUL VIDEO. I'm an experienced mechanic and could see the mistake in Sears' instructions, but I just didn't have the guts to take this radical step. Shame on Sears for putting out bogus instructions! Thank you again for the help!!
Outstanding video in every way! No stupid long-duration introductions, no unnecessary music, just pure meat to show how to accomplish this task. Thank you for sharing this excellent tutorial as it helped me greatly. I will be using a floor crane to change my belt though.
thanks! I only turned my mower on its side for the video it made it easier to see, its not recommended because you can flood oil into your pistons, not tom mention oil gas leaks. AS for no stories, YES I agree. I dont know why people tell you where they got it from or what the weathers like, etc.
Thanks for the video, it helped with explaining the process. I threw the front on jack stands and was lucky to replace the belt without removing the pully that you mentioned. Mine was an old LT1000.
Thank you for the tips. I wasn't able to get the drive off. But with seeing you tip the mower over I was able to work on it all and get the belt over the shaft, then slightly bend the fins on the back to get it all in place and follow the bekt path you showed. $$$
Excellent video, I turned it on its side like you did made it easier to change belt and remove clutch. Also cleaned all the grass that was jammed and now my reverse works.
I turned mine on the side for the video, some people reported problems doing this. I didnt. It was for video purposes only and should be replaced on a ramp of jack. Im glad it worked out for you.
⭐️Hi Tom, thanks to you and UA-cam for the posted video; it helped me solve my drive belt install! At my age, I am too old to be groping around on the ground. So, I love The World as Seen by Tom; it is smart, efficient and fast!⭐️
Looks like putting the tractor on it's side works very well. Better than ramps. You can see what your doing. Tom, thanks so much for this video. You make it look easy!!! Since I need to change oil anyway, think I'll drain it, pull the filter and drain the gas tank. Then, turning it on it's side should be fine?
That is what I have to do on my LT-1000 lawn tractor after putting the original belt back on after it didn't look bad to me. Well I found out that it did matter even though I didn't see cracks or wear on it. I had a new belt, but thought I could get more work out of the used one, but it came off after mowing for about 30 minutes. I am now going to put the new one on there and hope I don't have to do this for a long time.
Comment, if your carb is on same side as mine, laying on this side caused oil to run into carb/air filter housing. MESSY Question, do you have to remove clutch? Nice job, thanks for the video. Thanks to all the fellas that take the time to make these vids.
flipping on its side was for the video only, this should be done on a ramp. On this machine the clutch had to be removed because the wire harness goes over the belt, poor design, check you wire harness, if its completely inside hte belt loop you dont have to, if it loops over the belt you will, but see if there is a wire diconnect jack first.
Can't get that thing unscrewed to save my life. I was trying to turn the wrench while my son was holding the lip of the pulley and no matter how much torque we put on that screw it wouldn't loosen even with penetrating PB Blaster sprayed on it for days. Any ideas.
Whoever said to put background music in UA-cam videos Autumn be taken out and whipped. I love being able to watch a video without this overwhelming background music
can you copy that link, there are people copying others videos and adding music to cover over the voices. Its a copyright violation and I need to report it. Thx. My original video has me giving instructions with NO music.
Regarding BELT SIZE for this mower: I happen to have Craftsman model # 917.252711 (which is one digit removed from the mower the gentleman in this video has who said his model is 917256711) That said, by all appearances, my mower seems identical to his. My mower (model # 917252711) calls for a 1/2" X 82" HOWEVER...I always experienced problems with the 82" size, such as if you mow or even drive during ANY moisture/rain or wet grass the ground/drive belt starts slipping and can't get up hills or it even stops moving entirely. The belt is simply too loose....A royal pain! I started using a 1/2" X 81" and the performance is MUCH better. It is a little harder to get on but OMG...much better. Also, I tipped it over as shown in the video and have had no problems whatsoever resulting from it. But, obviously, there sure may be problems (resulting from tipping it on its side) depending on the make and model of mower you have. Hope this helps those with the same mower with above issues.
+Nathan Howe I only did it for the video. I have heard mix reviews on flipping mowers. It depends where your oil and gas spouts are so it doesnt make a mess. I would let it sit a while after flipping so any excess oil can settle back to the bottom.
well, flipping the tractor really did give a good visual. I like the idea as it gives so much room to work in, better angles, etc. I find when I can really get to things easy I slow down and do things better... so I'm thinking of doing it too. I'm thinking might be a good excuse to stop postponing changing the oil and filter in my GT5000, sharpen my gator mulching blades, etc. I was thinking of removing the deck, running my tractor up on ramps that go on my pickup, again to get plenty of room. I guess I have to make a decision soon. Two reasons for writing: to give thanks for the idea. what would you do ... work under a ramped rider, or flip it again? one last observation, I'm planning on using an impact wrench to remove that pulley.
Ive had some people say it can. I state it was done for the sake of the video and it should be done on ramps.. I didnt have any motor problems afterwards. Also my gas and oil stems are the right side so they were up when it was on its side.
+Pamela Vega yes this is the belt that runs the transmission, so if it is no good or slips you will not get good movement, especially up hills or towing heavy loads.
the clutch has to be removed, there is a wire harness that goes to it. I could not find a connector for the wire harness, ans the wire harness loops over the belt.
Thanks! That makes sense. My belt has somehow slipped off but doesn't seem broken so maybe I can just get it back on the pulleys without actually taking off the clutch. Or at least lets hope. I don't think I can actually get the tractor on it's side by myself.
the mower on its side is to make it easier for people to see, if your belt only popped off, you should be able to reach in there and put it back onto its pullies, if it popped off it may be getting old and stretched, since its loose, inspect it for damage to see if you need to replace it
I'm not sure if I like having mower tipped like that...with engine oil and gas going to wrong places. Even with push mowers you can't just flip and tip them any which way. You can have oil go into the carb and the air filter.
Hey Tom! Thanks for the video. I have a Troy-Bilt MTD tractor with a similar Hydrostatic transmission as this, and my belt keeps jumping out of the two smaller pulleys, which creates a ton of slack and my mower will hardly move. The belt isn't nicked and doesn't seem too worn, but does that sound like a belt issue or something else?
also make sure your pulleys move easily underneath. if one adds friction it make cause the belt to jump. As for a slipping belt, I just replaced mine again and it started to slip. I sprayed auto belt stop squeak (CRC belt conditioner) and made those belts grab real good! I also sprayed my main deck belt with it and stopped that from slipping!
Thanks very much Tom! I've gotten it to stay on the pulleys, but the tractor still won't pull up a hill like it used to, so I suspect there's still some slipping going on...maybe on the transmission pulley...I'll try that belt conditioner and see if it helps!
Not on mine. I found that some aftermarket belts are slightly off which can make them loose. Also make sure the brake completely disengages. On mine, when the break pedal is pressed it looses the belt first, then applies breaks to the trans.
My 2 cents: Yeah, you have remove the deck. Like Tom says, it's just a few cotter pins. It's the easiest part of the job. Just make sure it's lowered all the way to make taking the pins out easier. Then when the pins are off, set the lever back to the top position so that the deck can be removed without hitting anything. I did not want to mess with taking the blade belt drive clutch or tip the mower, so instead, I took off the nut that holds the plastic cooling fan on top of the transmission off. First I had do remove the rear access plate that covers the transmission. It's held on with 4 bolts, 2 on each side. It's kind of a tight spot between the tires and the transmission housing, but doable. Make sure you depress the brake/clutch pedal all the way, and lock it in position so that you have plenty of slack in the drive cable. BTW, to keep the transmission pulley still, I used an old drive belt with a vise grip, then I could loosen the nut and take the plastic fan off. Disconnect the Blade clutch power connector, and with the fan off the top of the transmission, it's easy to take the belt off. You also need to remove the two belt guides on either side of the engine drive pulley, if you have them, because there is no clearance that I could find between the pulley and the belt guide. Put the new belt in before you put the transmission fan back on, then put the belt guides back in. Put the transmission access panel back on, as well as the deck, and you're done. I did it this way because my lower back is flaky, and I just didn't want to do anything that might trigger an episode.
After turning it on the side to change the driving bell, my Craftsman lawn tractor engine did not start. The spark plug was full with oil as well as the cyclinder. How can I fix it? Anyone's help would be appreciated! REPLY
let it sit, if your rings are worn it will trickle back down. You can also remove your spark plug and crank the engine to pump it through. once you start it, it will be burning all that oil so expect a lot of white smoke till it burns off. Your engine may have a bad head gasket too. If it normally burns oil then you do.
Replaced main drive Beltane when I tried to start it it tried for about 15seconds then I tried again the brake peddle had no tension on it at all can anyone tell ME if it's the brake or what
the break pedal has two functions, it releases the main drive belt tension and then stops (applies brakes to) the transmission. If you have no pedal tension it may not be on that pulley correctly or the belt is too large. thats all I can tell you without physically looking at your tractor.
I happen to have Craftsman model # 917.252711 (which I believe is the exact same mower as the gentleman in this video) and this model calls for a 1/2" X 82" HOWEVER...I always experienced problems with the 82" size, such as if you mow or even drive over ANY moisture/rain the mower belt starts slipping and can't get up hills or even stops moving entirely. It is simply too loose....A royal pain! I started using a 1/2" X 81" and the performance is MUCH better. It is a little harder to get on but OMG...much better. Also, I tipped it over as shown in the video and have had no problems whatsoever resulting from it. But, obviously, there sure may be problems (resulting from tipping it on its side) depending on the make and model of mower you have.
no its not, there is main drive belt for the transmission, then a belt to drive the mover deck and another belt on the deck. This is for the main drive belt to the transmission only.
@@TheWorldAsSeenByTom Thanks for the caution but if you drain oil and petrol and remove battery, can something still go wrong? I'm thinking of electric pumping the oil out then removing the drain plug to release and remaining oil that might be ther e.
Best drive belt replacement video I’ve seen to date. Clear,lighted view of the mower. No goofy music. And I could also understand what the man was saying!
Could not have said it better. Agreed. Just a down to business repair video.
I wish I would have saw this a week ago. I replace my two deck belts but was intimidated by that transmission belt.
Finally, a set of instructions that actually work!!! I had gotten desperate enough to remove the mower pulley in order to be able to stretch the belt over the smaller upper drive pulley. Before engaging in this activity, I did an internet search for the solution and I FOUND THIS WONDERFUL VIDEO. I'm an experienced mechanic and could see the mistake in Sears' instructions, but I just didn't have the guts to take this radical step. Shame on Sears for putting out bogus instructions!
Thank you again for the help!!
Thank You Sir for not adding crappy music to Your video the birds are way better.
Outstanding video in every way! No stupid long-duration introductions, no unnecessary music, just pure meat to show how to accomplish this task. Thank you for sharing this excellent tutorial as it helped me greatly. I will be using a floor crane to change my belt though.
thanks! I only turned my mower on its side for the video it made it easier to see, its not recommended because you can flood oil into your pistons, not tom mention oil gas leaks. AS for no stories, YES I agree. I dont know why people tell you where they got it from or what the weathers like, etc.
Thanks for the video, it helped with explaining the process. I threw the front on jack stands and was lucky to replace the belt without removing the pully that you mentioned. Mine was an old LT1000.
I also definitely like the non-music videos much better. Thanks.
If you plan on tipping the mower on it's side, make sure you drain the Oil first or you'll be sorry ya didn't. Drain the gas too.
good tip
Thank you for doing this video in 1080p HD
Thank you for the tips. I wasn't able to get the drive off. But with seeing you tip the mower over I was able to work on it all and get the belt over the shaft, then slightly bend the fins on the back to get it all in place and follow the bekt path you showed. $$$
Excellent video, I turned it on its side like you did made it easier to change belt and remove clutch. Also cleaned all the grass that was jammed and now my reverse works.
I turned mine on the side for the video, some people reported problems doing this. I didnt. It was for video purposes only and should be replaced on a ramp of jack. Im glad it worked out for you.
⭐️Hi Tom, thanks to you and UA-cam for the posted video; it helped me solve my drive belt install! At my age, I am too old to be groping around on the ground. So, I love The World as Seen by Tom; it is smart, efficient and fast!⭐️
Scotty Simmons
I'm an old man too! Easier is better for me too!
Thanks. I will be putting my belt on tomorrow.
Thank you for the video. I like your strait forward approach. Well done.
Straight forward, no bs, good job, thank you, very helpful
Thanks and watching your video was as easy as it gets right to the point
Thank you so very much. Nice job. I probably won't make you either famous or rich, but I subbed.
Thanks for the sub!
Thanks much. You made it look easy.
Very helpful to see at this angle.
Very helpful video, thanks man!
Looks like putting the tractor on it's side works very well. Better than ramps. You can see what your doing. Tom, thanks so much for this video. You make it look easy!!! Since I need to change oil anyway, think I'll drain it, pull the filter and drain the gas tank. Then, turning it on it's side should be fine?
I would still put it on ramps, once youre under there you can see everything
Remove the battery.
Just the vid I need. Thank you
awesome very helpful
thank you
Thanks, Man! The neighbor lady needs hers changed n I wanted to help. U make it look SO easy...it's inspiring.
sweet ,mine just came off but now I see how easy thanks
OUTSTANDING subbed paw paw oooorah
I've got a chain hoist. I think I'm just going to lift up the front end until it's almost vertical.
Great video thanks . Do some clutch units fall apart when you remove them and its difficult to reassemble again ?
the electric clutch is an assembly, it shouldnt fall apart, but may have an indexing pin.
@@TheWorldAsSeenByTom Thanks Tom
Best vid on YT re changing the Tranny Belt! This man knows what he's talking about! Many Thanks!
Thanks!
Great video... Thank you!
That is what I have to do on my LT-1000 lawn tractor after putting the original belt back on after it didn't look bad to me. Well I found out that it did matter even though I didn't see cracks or wear on it. I had a new belt, but thought I could get more work out of the used one, but it came off after mowing for about 30 minutes. I am now going to put the new one on there and hope I don't have to do this for a long time.
thanks for the video......really helps
Nice job ty
Comment, if your carb is on same side as mine, laying on this side caused oil to run into carb/air filter housing. MESSY
Question, do you have to remove clutch?
Nice job, thanks for the video.
Thanks to all the fellas that take the time to make these vids.
flipping on its side was for the video only, this should be done on a ramp. On this machine the clutch had to be removed because the wire harness goes over the belt, poor design, check you wire harness, if its completely inside hte belt loop you dont have to, if it loops over the belt you will, but see if there is a wire diconnect jack first.
Good Job.
Can't get that thing unscrewed to save my life. I was trying to turn the wrench while my son was holding the lip of the pulley and no matter how much torque we put on that screw it wouldn't loosen even with penetrating PB Blaster sprayed on it for days. Any ideas.
try an impact wrench if its stuck that bad
Whoever said to put background music in UA-cam videos Autumn be taken out and whipped. I love being able to watch a video without this overwhelming background music
can you copy that link, there are people copying others videos and adding music to cover over the voices. Its a copyright violation and I need to report it. Thx. My original video has me giving instructions with NO music.
ua-cam.com/video/vfkYnsY1rqI/v-deo.html this is my original video with no music
can you just remove the oil them tip it safely to work on it?
yes, also make sure to remove the battery. i only flipped it to make the video, its not recommended to flip your mower on its side.
Great video, hope mine goes in that easy. Thanks.
Regarding BELT SIZE for this mower:
I happen to have Craftsman model # 917.252711 (which is one digit removed from the mower the gentleman in this video has
who said his model is 917256711) That said, by all appearances, my mower seems identical to his.
My mower (model # 917252711) calls for a 1/2" X 82" HOWEVER...I always experienced problems with the 82" size, such as if you mow or even drive during ANY moisture/rain or wet grass the ground/drive belt starts slipping and can't get up hills or it even stops moving entirely. The belt is simply too loose....A royal pain! I started using a 1/2" X 81" and the performance is MUCH better. It is a little harder to get on but OMG...much better. Also, I tipped it over as shown in the video and have had no problems whatsoever resulting from it. But, obviously, there sure may be problems (resulting from tipping it on its side) depending on the make and model of mower you have. Hope this helps those with the same mower with above issues.
Great instructional video. It's not bad to tip the riding mower on the side though?
+Nathan Howe I only did it for the video. I have heard mix reviews on flipping mowers. It depends where your oil and gas spouts are so it doesnt make a mess. I would let it sit a while after flipping so any excess oil can settle back to the bottom.
well, flipping the tractor really did give a good visual. I like the idea as it gives so much room to work in, better angles, etc. I find when I can really get to things easy I slow down and do things better... so I'm thinking of doing it too. I'm thinking might be a good excuse to stop postponing changing the oil and filter in my GT5000, sharpen my gator mulching blades, etc.
I was thinking of removing the deck, running my tractor up on ramps that go on my pickup, again to get plenty of room. I guess I have to make a decision soon.
Two reasons for writing:
to give thanks for the idea.
what would you do ... work under a ramped rider, or flip it again?
one last observation, I'm planning on using an impact wrench to remove that pulley.
You should remove the deck and use ramps. The mower is flipped for video purposes only. It was easier to make the video.
Not being critical at all, but just wondering if putting the mower on it's side like that can also create problems with oil in the valves?
Ive had some people say it can. I state it was done for the sake of the video and it should be done on ramps.. I didnt have any motor problems afterwards. Also my gas and oil stems are the right side so they were up when it was on its side.
Awesome
Hi tom great video have a question though would this belt cause my tractor / mower by craftsman not to drive? thanks
+Pamela Vega yes this is the belt that runs the transmission, so if it is no good or slips you will not get good movement, especially up hills or towing heavy loads.
Thanku so much
Wow... do you really need to pull the clutch off? Seems like you could remove the belt without doing that. Thanks for the video.
the clutch has to be removed, there is a wire harness that goes to it. I could not find a connector for the wire harness, ans the wire harness loops over the belt.
Thanks! That makes sense. My belt has somehow slipped off but doesn't seem broken so maybe I can just get it back on the pulleys without actually taking off the clutch. Or at least lets hope. I don't think I can actually get the tractor on it's side by myself.
the mower on its side is to make it easier for people to see, if your belt only popped off, you should be able to reach in there and put it back onto its pullies, if it popped off it may be getting old and stretched, since its loose, inspect it for damage to see if you need to replace it
I'm not sure if I like having mower tipped like that...with engine oil and gas going to wrong places.
Even with push mowers you can't just flip and tip them any which way. You can have oil go into the carb and the air filter.
Sears has an on-line parts store. Thats where I ordered it from. Not sure what the size is.
I have same questions
Would this fix when you put the mower into gear and cause it to jump violently?
you probably have a ripped belt, stuck pulley, or the belt fell off a track, check your belt
The World as Seen by Tom thank you for your reply, i will check it out 92 1/2 belt right?
you have to check the belt for your model, there are many different sizes and 1/2" can make a big difference.
Hey Tom! Thanks for the video. I have a Troy-Bilt MTD tractor with a similar Hydrostatic transmission as this, and my belt keeps jumping out of the two smaller pulleys, which creates a ton of slack and my mower will hardly move. The belt isn't nicked and doesn't seem too worn, but does that sound like a belt issue or something else?
look for some guides on the bottom that keep the belt from jumping, mine has 2 on the longest stretch
also make sure your pulleys move easily underneath. if one adds friction it make cause the belt to jump. As for a slipping belt, I just replaced mine again and it started to slip. I sprayed auto belt stop squeak (CRC belt conditioner) and made those belts grab real good! I also sprayed my main deck belt with it and stopped that from slipping!
Thanks very much Tom! I've gotten it to stay on the pulleys, but the tractor still won't pull up a hill like it used to, so I suspect there's still some slipping going on...maybe on the transmission pulley...I'll try that belt conditioner and see if it helps!
What size belt is it?
you need to lookup your make and model number to see what belt size you need
Tom is there a way of tightening/adjusting the belt as mine seems to be a bit loose?
Not on mine. I found that some aftermarket belts are slightly off which can make them loose. Also make sure the brake completely disengages. On mine, when the break pedal is pressed it looses the belt first, then applies breaks to the trans.
do you have to remove the deck or can you do it without removing it?
you have to remove the deck or you may not be able to reach access the top of the transmission
My 2 cents: Yeah, you have remove the deck. Like Tom says, it's just a few cotter pins. It's the easiest part of the job. Just make sure it's lowered all the way to make taking the pins out easier. Then when the pins are off, set the lever back to the top position so that the deck can be removed without hitting anything.
I did not want to mess with taking the blade belt drive clutch or tip the mower, so instead, I took off the nut that holds the plastic cooling fan on top of the transmission off. First I had do remove the rear access plate that covers the transmission. It's held on with 4 bolts, 2 on each side. It's kind of a tight spot between the tires and the transmission housing, but doable. Make sure you depress the brake/clutch pedal all the way, and lock it in position so that you have plenty of slack in the drive cable.
BTW, to keep the transmission pulley still, I used an old drive belt with a vise grip, then I could loosen the nut and take the plastic fan off. Disconnect the Blade clutch power connector, and with the fan off the top of the transmission, it's easy to take the belt off.
You also need to remove the two belt guides on either side of the engine drive pulley, if you have them, because there is no clearance that I could find between the pulley and the belt guide.
Put the new belt in before you put the transmission fan back on, then put the belt guides back in. Put the transmission access panel back on, as well as the deck, and you're done.
I did it this way because my lower back is flaky, and I just didn't want to do anything that might trigger an episode.
How did you know it was time to change belt ?? What problem did it cause
you should inspect it every year, but the belt may slip, or it has a flat spot that causes vibrations, look for splits and frayed edges
After turning it on the side to change the driving bell, my Craftsman lawn tractor engine did not start. The spark plug was full with oil as well as the cyclinder. How can I fix it? Anyone's help would be appreciated!
REPLY
let it sit, if your rings are worn it will trickle back down. You can also remove your spark plug and crank the engine to pump it through. once you start it, it will be burning all that oil so expect a lot of white smoke till it burns off. Your engine may have a bad head gasket too. If it normally burns oil then you do.
@@TheWorldAsSeenByTom Thank you for your reply!
hi i got craftman dys 4500 is it the same belt system thanks
Sorry, I dont know
Needs help on a GT3000 have three belt the short one I don't know where to get ?
try eBay
I thought that model had a cast iron front Axle? Doesn't look like it
no, its two part welded pressed steel
Replaced main drive Beltane when I tried to start it it tried for about 15seconds then I tried again the brake peddle had no tension on it at all can anyone tell ME if it's the brake or what
the break pedal has two functions, it releases the main drive belt tension and then stops (applies brakes to) the transmission. If you have no pedal tension it may not be on that pulley correctly or the belt is too large. thats all I can tell you without physically looking at your tractor.
Anyone have any idea on the size belt these use? I just bought one used and don't have a manual
I happen to have Craftsman model # 917.252711 (which I believe is the exact same mower as the gentleman in this video) and this model
calls for a 1/2" X 82" HOWEVER...I always experienced problems with the 82" size, such as if you mow or even drive over ANY moisture/rain the mower belt starts slipping and can't get up hills or even stops moving entirely. It is simply too loose....A royal pain! I started using a 1/2" X 81" and the performance is MUCH better. It is a little harder to get on but OMG...much better. Also, I tipped it over as shown in the video and have had no problems whatsoever resulting from it. But, obviously, there sure may be problems (resulting from tipping it on its side) depending on the make and model of mower you have.
Is this the same belt as the belt that drives the blades? (I think I know the answer.)
no its not, there is main drive belt for the transmission, then a belt to drive the mover deck and another belt on the deck. This is for the main drive belt to the transmission only.
where would i find it
take the make and model number and do an online search for the main drive belt
what size betl is it
you need to look up the belt size listed for your model number. It is not a universal size.
what size belt?
you need to search your brand and model number on line to find the exact belt size.
wow, dudes not messing around. just throw it on its side . .
lol thats only for the video so you can see. normally you shouldnt do this because oil can get into the cylinder and make a mess of your engine
@@TheWorldAsSeenByTom Thanks for the caution but if you drain oil and petrol and remove battery, can something still go wrong? I'm thinking of electric pumping the oil out then removing the drain plug to release and remaining oil that might be ther e.
What size belt is that?