Your freshly mowed lawn is bound to get disheveled every once in a while. Thus, having the correct tool to get back at it is essential.
To make this dreadful task of mowing your lawn fun, you must first know ? Why John Deere specifically?
Simply because it’s the best! Believe us when we say that with John Deere lawnmowers, revamping your lawn will now be a breeze with a whole new spin!
The Do’s And Don’ts Before Installing Belt
Our guide will unveil any John Deere mower user to route the belt over and around the pulleys in the following steps.
Are you simply planning to change the belts because they’re loose? Or, are you noticing that the engagement between the steering wheel and lever takes longer than usual to rev the machine?
If these are the mere unfortunate discomfort you’re facing with the lawnmower, you can only get away with adjusting the mower belts.
Replacing the belts entirely would not be required.
Besides, it also matters why you’re planning to replace the belt. When the mower’s belt goes through unfixable wear and tear, it must be evident that it needs changing.
Let’s see how to deal with a John Deere 48 inch mower deck belt replacement.
Once you’re done removing the old, worn-out belt, follow these simple tips and tricks before installing a brand new one.
These are a few check-points and must-haves that will make your installation process easier to achieve.
Turn The Belt Inside-Out –
When you receive your newly purchased belt, you must check if the belt is delivered inside out. There are two sides to these belts: a flat side and a V-shaped side.
Thus, when you receive the belt in a loop, make sure to turn it over if needed. While installing the belt, the V-shaped side needs to go on the inside.
In contrast, the flat side must rest on the outside. So, there’s only one correct to put this on; hence, this is a crucial step to notice.
The Pulleys Have Two Sides –
In addition to the belt, there are two sides to the pulley as well. On the lawnmower pulley, there’s a flat pulley and a V-pulley.
So, before administering the belts, you must know which belt goes into which section of the pulley.
Adjust To The Correct Sides –
The flat side of the pulley will accept the flat side of the belt. Similarly, the V-side of the pulley will necessitate the V-side of the belt. Before installing it check to see if you’re placing them correctly.
If the sides are alternately placed, the belt will not sit perfectly atop the pulley and tend to move around.
Another strange stand-out with these two features is that the combination will look odd and displaced.
Let’s Install The Belt!
Before installing a new one, you need to comprehend the whole mechanism of how the mower belt is installed.
And the perfect way to start that is by going online and downloading the John Deere lawn mower belt diagram, which clearly shows the comprehensive configuration.
Better yet, print one out so that the graph can assist you while you’re outside, repairing the belt.
It’s comparatively easier to take the mowing deck off the lawnmower. First up, you must check for a deckle and a sticker on top of the deck.
These accessories help in comprehending the correct routing of the belt through the engine pulleys.
Time needed: 45 minutes
Follow the steps carefully to put on the belt on the mower:
- Take Off The Shields
All you have to do to take off the previous belt is to take off the shield. The shields should be secured with a few bolts. Take them off to unhook the shields.
Make sure you take off the shields on both sides. - Take Out The Old Belt
Afterward, take the old belt out. You can purchase a new belt for around $30-$40. Make sure you get them by the same inch as your lawnmower.
- Unhook The Deck
You will have to take off a part of the deck. To do that, take out the double-pin and drop the brass bar.
Once you slide the brass bar out, you should be able to slip out the deck quickly. - Clean The Deck
Once the deck section and old belts are off, blow compressed air to eliminate the excess debris.
- Wrap The Belt
According to the John Deere lawnmower diagram, if you’re satisfied with the cleaning, feed your new belt around the pulley.
- Take Off The Belts (If Needed)
Some of the pulleys might be a bit stubborn to deal with. You might have to take off those specific pulleys to get the belt around them in such cases.
Take out those pulley bolts and continue wrapping up the belts. - Place Pulley Back
Put the belt around the pulley, lift them and bolt them down again. Make sure to engage the blades to tighten the tension. It shouldn’t be too loose or too tight.
- Tighten And Cover Shields
Go ahead and tighten around any of the remaining loose bolts in the small pulleys before covering up with the shields.
When you’re satisfied with the pulley’s tension and have safely tightened them back in place, bolt in the plastic cover shields. - Test Out The Blades
Side note: This step should only be done if you’re an expert. Newbie DIYers must not take on this step at home.
Fire up the blades without the discharge cover on. This is a highly crucial portion of the whole ordeal and could be dangerous too.
Thus, it’s wise not to have any children or people around while only the operator. This is done to see if the blades spin and if the whole mechanism is engaged.
If you see that the blades are spinning and the engagement was complete, you can put on the grass chute cover back on.
Go around the other side and put on the pulley cover to fully enclose the device.
And voila! You’re done. Your new belt should work smoothly.
To recap every step, watch this video.
Conclusion
Now that you know all the ins and outs don’t hesitate with the splurge. While picking a mower, the most significant feature is compatibility and how often you operate the mower.
Besides, if you commit to riding these bad boys, you must also commit to taking care of them.
And this is where the integral points of how to put a belt on a John Deere lawn mower walk in. Save yourself some cash and time by following our thorough guide. Good luck!
About Author
The article, provides clear information on how to properly route the TWO belts.