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Warranty Question

    Ronald Schmiege
    Drive belt jumping off of pulleys....Answeredescalated
    Warranty Question posted March 27, 2012 by Ronald Schmiege, last edited April 14, 2012 
    4126 Views, 3 Comments
    Question:
    Drive belt jumping off of pulleys.
    Model=RZ4623,ID=966764501
    Serial #: 041211C002523
    Purchased 5/26/11
    I am having trouble with the drive belt jumping off the pulleys, even at slow speeds while turning. I bought the RZ4623 from a local Lowes and they know nothing about the mower. They didn't even have it set up correctly when they delivered it. I had to connect the seat interlock safety switch and go back to them for bolts to connect the seat to the mower deck. I'm an automotive engineer so I can follow instructions pretty well if you can deal with me directly. It seems the spring applying force to the idler pulley is too weak to keep the belt from developing a wave large enough to jump the lip of the pulley when I try to turn. It only jumps every other week or so, but the mower only has 9 hours on it.
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    Best Answer

    Greg P.

     

    We regret to note your drive belt jump problem.

    You should check the deck adjustments per the Owner's Manual to assure the deck is not too low in the front, and examine the pulleys the belt rides on to see if any misalignment can be seen.

    Also be aware that, if you may be mowing in the lower deck settings, and the lawn is uneven, the anti-scalp wheels may be contacting the ground in such a way that the deck is frequently "bouncing"; that condition can also contribute to belt retention problems.

    If you are unable to find the cause of that condition, we can only suggest you have your service dealer evaluate the unit to determine why the belt jump is a problem.

    We trust the above is helpful.

    Answer

     

    • Greg P.

       

      We regret to note your drive belt jump problem.

      You should check the deck adjustments per the Owner's Manual to assure the deck is not too low in the front, and examine the pulleys the belt rides on to see if any misalignment can be seen.

      Also be aware that, if you may be mowing in the lower deck settings, and the lawn is uneven, the anti-scalp wheels may be contacting the ground in such a way that the deck is frequently "bouncing"; that condition can also contribute to belt retention problems.

      If you are unable to find the cause of that condition, we can only suggest you have your service dealer evaluate the unit to determine why the belt jump is a problem.

      We trust the above is helpful.

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    • Ronald Schmiege

      It's not the deck belt that is jumping off it is the drive belt, the one that powers the two hydrostatic pumps to provide power to the drive wheels.

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      • Ronald Schmiege
         Further info: The pulleys are not misaligned (they line up perfectly) the only thing possible is the spring is not powerful enough to keep the idler pulley from bouncing when there is sudden changes in acceleration (as when turning) especially at slow speeds. Also I have no faith in the technicians at Lowes being able to diagnose and repair this condition. I think the spring on the idler pulley is weak. If you could just mail me a replacement spring we could at the very least rule that out as a cause and if that is the problem the fix will cost you less than paying Lowes to muck around and screw something else up.
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