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I'm confounded


huffy

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I was plowing snow last night on my LL 2012. After about 20 minutes tranny didn't want to go into gear. Pulled in the garage and looked, and sure enough the pulley wasn't stopping when I pushed in the clutch. All thee pulley guides had about 1/16 to 1/8 clearance, but I took them loose, fiddled with them, put back to same clearance and re-tightened. Worked fine for a few minutes, then same problem. Gave up.

Today after work I double checked guide clearance, then went to plowing. Same thing, worked for 20 minutes or so then started grinding again. Started gradually, but then got worse. Went back to the garage and fiddled with the guides again. Same thing, works for a while, then gets worse and worse.

I bought the belt this summer from NAPA. It's a green one. Tractor has hi lo, and it does this in hi and lo range.

Is it possible that the 15 degee weather is affecting the belt or something? Maybe why it works for a minute, but gets worse as the belt gets warm? Am I just stupid and over looking something? Is Murphy just screwing with me????

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I would check the belt stop on the gear box. I've seen them get bent before, do you have another one to compare it to? You can bend it so its more uniform/closer to the pulley the whole legnth of the belt stop. Also is the belt the exact same legnth as the original simplicity belt? As the belt warms up it will grip better, that's why it works for a bit, has time to cool off when your reajusting it. Hope you figure it out!

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Yeah, the bgb belt stop is there, and is pretty uniform. I think mwells' comments coincide with my theory about it being a belt/temp problem. I guess I'll buy a different belt tomorrow and try that. The belt on there now is 5/8, and is supposed to be the right length. I got the length by looking up the Simplicity part # on Jack's, then telling NAPA that length. Maybe the NAPA guy grabbed the wrong one by mistake, but he's usually real good. My suspicion is that those green NAPA belts are just inferior belts. I'll buy a black belt from the Simplicity dealer.

If that doesn't fix it, I guess the answer will be clear - it's cursed.

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I had the same problem with my B112, and it has a Simplicity belt. Re-adjusted the stop, and it worked again. Haven't had a chance to try it out again, since it hasn't snowed lately.

Oz

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I have had great luck with both Simplicity belts as well as the blue kevlar belts from TSC. I think your heat idea could have soem merit...is the belt guide TOO tight to the belt, causing undue friction? I have had clutch's that are scalding hot to the touch, with belt guide paint changing color and flalling off, and others that I can run for an hour, and hold my hand on them...lukewarm. The difference is that guide clearance.

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I thought about that, Josh. I tried increasing the clearance on the bgb guide a little (even though it wasn't warm) but got the same result.

I guess I'll try a new belt, just to eliminate that possibility. If that doesn't do it, then I'll pretty much know that something's wrong with the belt guides; though I just can't figure out what it is.

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Unless I goofed, from looking the part # (154273) up on Jack's website it's supposed to be a 5/8 x 42" belt. So that should be what's on there. Perhaps I read it wrong, or the guy at NAPA inadvertantly grabbed a 41" belt or something. We'll see.

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quote:Originally posted by huffy

Unless I goofed, from looking the part # (154273) up on Jack's website it's supposed to be a 5/8 x 42" belt. So that should be what's on there. Perhaps I read it wrong, or the guy at NAPA inadvertantly grabbed a 41" belt or something. We'll see.


id="quote">
id="quote"> A 5L420 green or a B39, "B" section x 42". B39 is as close as you are going to get to a Simplicty marketed belt.
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Stopped by the dealer this morning and got a Simplicity belt. Cost me $41. I've bought entire tractors, with belts, for not much more than that. Sure hope it solves the problem. Will find out this evening when I get a chance to put it on.

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The "green belts" do not have nearly the "cloth" cord in them that the Simplicity belts do. Consequently, they stretch when they get hot...

I've seen some of the 1/2 belts that had like two or three layers of cloth on the back, a single layer on the "V" and no cords at all internally...

In my experience, they're OK for some applications like a mower deck running under constant tension and not clutched often. Otherwise, they're a band-aid that may work until they can be replaced with a better belt. On the FDT snowblowers, I've shredded them in hours, not days nor months... where they're required to turn 90 degrees then twist, running on backside idlers. They'd stretch, get turned over onto their side or back, and self-destruct....

YMMV, but I'm very selective where I use them...

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quote:On the FDT snowblowers, I've shredded them in hours, not days nor months...


id="quote">
id="quote">

The green belt I used on the snowblower on my LL lasted less than an hour. It was a deep, wet, slushy snow, but even still I'd never worn one out that fast before.

Needless to say, I'm skeptical of the green belts now. I'll stick with Simplicity brand, or the blue ones for some non-twisty apps.

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had a similar issue. turned out my main drive pulley on the trans came loose!

only figured it out once the pulley fell off as i pulled in the garage. haha lessions learned

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so huffy what is the brand name and was the size 5/8 X 42" ive been going to napa they only had a 11/32 X 42" it seemed kinda small i called MAC EQ and asked if they can get 5L420 all they come up with is a 5H420 for about $15.00 any suggestion thanks all

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Scott:

The one I just bought is a Simplicity brand. The part # is listed in my post above. I think the actual dimensions are 21/32" x 42.26", but do not quote me on that.

My other tractor has a 5/8 x 42 that I got at NAPA back when they carried the black belts instead of the green ones, and I've not had any problems with it.

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