Before beginning any work on the mower deck, it is important to disconnect the battery to prevent any accidental starting of the engine. Locate the battery in the mower's engine compartment and disconnect the negative (-) terminal.
Step 2: Remove the mower deck
* Park the mower on a level surface and set the parking brake.
* Raise the mower deck to its highest position using the lift lever.
* Locate the deck lift pins and remove the cotter pins that secure them in place.
* Lower the mower deck to the ground and remove the belt keeper.
* Push the mower deck forward until it disengages from the tractor.
Step 3: Remove the old belt
* Locate the mower deck belt routing diagram on the side of the mower deck.
* The mower deck belt runs across the two mower blades and then passes through the idler pulley and tensioner pulley.
* Loosen the tensioner pulley by pushing the tensioner arm in and then remove the old belt.
Step 4: Install the new belt
* Route the new belt according to the mower deck belt routing diagram.
* Make sure that the new belt is properly seated in all of the pulleys.
* Tighten the tensioner pulley by pushing the tensioner arm in and then tightening the tensioner bolt.
* Ensure the belt is tight but not too tight. Tighten until you can't twist the belt more than a quarter turn.
Step 5: Reinstall the mower deck
* Slide the mower deck back into place until the deck lift pins engage.
* Insert the cotter pins into the deck lift pins.
* Raise the mower deck to its highest position.
* Replace the mower deck belt keeper
* Reconnect battery cable.
Step 6: Test the mower deck
* Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes.
* Engage the mower deck and raise it to its highest position.
* Check to make sure that the mower blades are rotating properly.
* Lower the mower deck and test it on a small area of grass.
Step 7: Adjust the mower deck height
* If necessary, adjust the mower deck height so that it is cutting the grass at the desired height.
* The ideal cutting height for most grasses is between 2.5 and 3 inches.
