yelodoggie Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 Heyas, all you tractor guys. I am a girl with a Simplicity 7014, and I have been having belt issues. I've read a lot on the web that says Simplicities are notorious for belt problems, but it seems unreal to me that these tractors could be so widely respected if they all have the belt problems I've been having. The PTO belt # recommended to me is a 176439.(L472, 48 x 720) The Deck belt # recommended to me is a 1656960 (4L840W) In three years, I've replaced the PTO belt about 8 times, and the deck belt 3X. This doesn't seem right to me. The first two deck belts breaking were because of a faulty idler pulley, which I had replaced by a certified simplicity repair shop. When I bought the tractor, it was without a manual, so I downloaded the one online, but it doesn't show any diagrams about how to put the belt on. I've drawn up some diagrams of how I'm putting the belts on, but I'd love it if someone with a tractor like this would look at them and tell me if I'm doing it correctly. See the diagrams at: The problem I'm having with the side pto drive belt, is the clearance at the tensioner pulley. The lower part of the belt is rubbing against the tensioner. Is there some way to adjust this? Or do I have the belt on wrong to begin with? (if the page doesn't show up the first time you go to view it, please try again a little later.)
qtown7116H Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 Sounds like a belt that's too long to me...if it was shorter, the lower (rear) pulley wouldn't be able to swing as far up....I don't know if the belt number is correct, but that would be the first thing I'd make sure of. What size deck do you have?
qtown7116H Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 Spend $10 and become a member, (the best $10 you'll ever spend, and you have to be a member to post pictures), take a picture of your setup with the belt in place, and post it for review...there is a wealth of knowledge here, and it has saved me a bunch of $$$ and headache in the past. Someone will get to the bottom of the problem quickly. Is the spring on the tensioner still in place and/or intact?
Kent Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 While this may not be the exact model of your mowing deck, here's the manual for a representative one from that era. It should show you the general installation procedure, belt routing, adjustments, etc. Perhaps it will be helpful. http://www.simpletractors.com/operation/simplicity_885%26886.htm I suspect your troubles with the PTO belt are similar to what you found with the mower drive belt -- a bad idler pulley, pulley out of alignment, or a missing belt stop. You should be getting much more life than that out of the belts, if they are OEM Simplicity belts.
goatfarmer Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 Welcome Yelodoggie!:D My 3410 would continually ruin the Simplicity belt. Mow about 6 times, and end up getting a new belt for the PTO, because the old one would be twisted, and wouldn't stay on. Upon further investigation, found the center arbor in the deck had bad bearings. I don't know if it was increased drag, or being loose, but I changed the arbor, and solved the problem. Might be worth looking at.
richp Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 I have ran 30 year old Simplicity belts with no problems. The belts aren't the problem. Check for bent idlers or bad pulleys.
wilm169 Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 Welcome to the little informations site: This page will help you for the belt #s and length. http://www.simpletractors.com/parts/belts/belts_pg5.htm
msiebern Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 If someone has replaced the tensioner spring with the wrong one, it will not place the proper amount of tension on the belt and allow it to slip and overheat and eventually lead to failure. Just another place to look. I don't have the specs on the spring handy but will do some research.
yelodoggie Posted July 2, 2008 Author Posted July 2, 2008 Hey everybody - Thanks for all the input! I think part of the problem is that when the shop I went to cross ref'd the simplicity belt number, they made a mistake. According to the site you guys sent me to, the belt I'm using (and the ones I've *been* using) is too long! All the pulley's seem to be working fine, and the idler turns freely...although they might need some minor adjustments. I'm going to try a shorter belt first and see if that does the trick. Special thanks to Msiebern for uploading the diagram! :)
wilm169 Posted July 3, 2008 Posted July 3, 2008 One other thing that will help you is to use only SIMPLICITY belts. They are made for the backwards turns that the belts make with kevalar in them. The off brand belts I have used in the past will not last, like taking your $ and throwing it at the wind. NAPA belts last me about 2 hrs maybe and a simplicity will last years. Hope this will help. They my be higher to buy, but in the long run they are cheeper.
SteveP Posted July 3, 2008 Posted July 3, 2008 quote:One other thing that will help you is to use only SIMPLICITY belts. I Second that... Use only Simplicity belts. Most learned the lesson the hard way. B)
yelodoggie Posted July 3, 2008 Author Posted July 3, 2008 guys, how can I determine if my pulleys are bad?
wilm169 Posted July 3, 2008 Posted July 3, 2008 grab them and shake them sideways to see if the bearings in them are good. I really think it is your off brand belts.:(
1969nicholas Posted July 3, 2008 Posted July 3, 2008 I had bevel box problems with my 3416h.It would eat up a mower belt in 10mins.I couldn,t tell that the shaft was moving in and out on the bevel box it realy had me stumped.I rebuilt bevel box 4 years ago and same belt is still on mower deck.I don,t no if thats your problem but I sure would check it out.Put a pry bar on shaft and pully see if it comes out more then it should.
goatfarmer Posted July 4, 2008 Posted July 4, 2008 If you take the belt off an idler pulley, and turn it by hand, you can feel a "roughness" when you turn it, if it has a bad bearing. It should turn smoothly. Also look for signs of rust or corrosion around the bearing.
haykarenhardy Posted July 4, 2008 Posted July 4, 2008 One thing that might cause short PTO belt life would be mowing with the deck raised, you should mow with the deck lowered with deck rollers on the ground.sm01 Stan
skunkhome Posted July 4, 2008 Posted July 4, 2008 quote:Originally posted by yelodoggie guys, how can I determine if my pulleys are bad? the pulleys themselves can be worn out especially if they have been run under very dust conditions. If there is wear on the bottom of the belts "V" and the bottom of the "v" on the sheave is shiny then the pulley is worn out. The belt is riding in the bottom of the sheave, overheating and will fail prematurely.
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