Jump to content

Unofficial Home of Old Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractors

7116 main drive belt tension


rich_kildow

Recommended Posts

I've been fighting with my 7116 hesitating when starting to move for a while now.  The belt felt OK, maybe on the loose side, so I suspected fluid levels as I've always had a slow leak in the rear end.  That leak finally gave way earlier this year and I replaced the little spring hose clamps with proper stainless worm drive clamps, which sealed it up nicely.  Now that she is topped off with fresh ATF Type-F, and still hesitating, I went back to the belt.  After playing with the linkages, I realized the belt was extremely loose.  

All of the adjustments I could find were clutch/brake related, and I ended up moving the idler pulley on the spring loaded arm up a hole to take up the slack in the belt.  She pulls like a champ again!  

Is this the proper way to adjust what I can only assume to be a belt that is stretching out?  I've never replaced that belt, and judging by the factory black paint on the bolt and nuts holding that pulley, nobody else has touched that thing since it rolled off the floor.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve done the same thing. In my experience, those hydro drive belts last forever.  I believe it’s because they’re always tensioned (I never touch the clutch pedal when running).  I do try to “exercise” the clutch occasionally to keep the belt tensioning arm pivoting freely.  
 

On numerous “new to me” tractors I’ve found the clutch belt to be barely tensioned, usually because the pivot point is rusted.  Then when you depress the clutch to “exercise it”, there’s even less tension so you have to free up the pivot spacer.  Sometimes the clutch was working, but the belt was stretched; moving the idler up a hole applied tension again. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good deal.  Couldn't find anything in the owners or repair manual on adjusting that belt tension and the only thing that can move on that loop was the idler bolt position.  

I'm the same way: the only time I touch the pedal is starting to make the starter's job a bit easier.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...