BX2370 60" Mower Belt or Tensioner Issue?

[Goat Herder]

Belt issue or Tension issue?

The original mower deck belt lasted 9 cutting seasons but was beginning to crack at the end of last year. Put a new one on it at the start of this year and it just seperated last week. Put a new one on it today and I could smell a faint rubber burning smell when I engaged the PTO. This also occurred sporadically with the previous replacement belt. With the plastic covers over the belt removed on both sides it appeared that the belt is loose by the left blade pulley but appears to have good tension on the right blade pulley. The pulleys all seemed secure. The first replacement belt was from Amazon but the new one I just installed is from the V-Belt Guys. Is it a belt issue or a tensioner issue (i.e. the tension spring needs replacing)?

 

[hagrid]

Pictures help immensely. If all of your sheaves spin smoothly then it's possible your tensioner spring is weak.

 

[Goat Herder]

Thanks. As far as i can tell they do. Will try to get a pic or video.

 

[85Hokie]

Pictures help immensely. If all of your sheaves spin smoothly then it's possible your tensioner spring is weak.

Or the belt is too long?

OEM belt?

As much as I love amazon - a non OEM belt could very well be the problem!

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

OEM belt?

As much as I love amazon - a non OEM belt could very well be the problem!

Agreed
OP .... are either the replacements belts you tried from a brand name company. There's sure a lot of really cheap garbage out there that just does seem to last.

 

[Bee-Positive]

Also inspect your pulleys for ware, a slightly worn or deformed surface the belt rides in can cause binding or slipping.

 

[Goat Herder]

Thanks guys for the ideas. The first replacement belt earlier this year was from Amazon but the current replacement came from the V-Belt guys which get good reviews for their products and on the belt specifically. Pulleys all look fine so I may replace tension spring and see if that solves the issue, if not I will likely get a belt from Kubota.

 

[Bee-Positive]

One last easy quick check if you haven't done so already is to check the pulley alignment with a straight edge.

 

[Goat Herder]

After removing the deck and taking a much closer look at everything. I have found the problem but dont know the solution.

The pulley under the Mower Deck Gearbox doesnt not spin flat, rather it effectively wobbles as it goes around. How do I fix this? I removed the side bolts to the gearbox and even the blade (which looks to still be spinning flat) but that didnt seem to accomplish anything.

How do I remove the gear box & pulley? Is it all one big assembly?

 

[Bee-Positive]

After removing the deck and taking a much closer look at everything. I have found the problem but dont know the solution.

The pulley under the Mower Deck Gearbox doesnt not spin flat, rather it effectively wobbles as it goes around. How do I fix this? I removed the side bolts to the gearbox and even the blade (which looks to still be spinning flat) but that didnt seem to accomplish anything.

How do I remove the gear box & pulley? Is it all one big assembly?

If the blade is spinning flat you may have (hopefully) only bent the pulley and not have to take the gear box apart to replace the shaft also.

I couldn't find the exact WSM manual for the RCK60B23 but the one for mine and others that are similar - remove the gear box mounting bolts and pull the box, pulley and shaft up and out as one unit. The pulley is keyed to the shaft so you'll need a new key along with a new pulley at the least.

 

[Goat Herder]

Thanks Bee-Positive, that is very helpful info! Will be back working on it in the am.

 

[Orangeglow]

Goat hHerder, any idea how and when that might of got damaged ?

 

[Goat Herder]

No, I think it started as a gradual process as the original belt lasted 10 cutting seasons. I replaced it at the beginning of spring due to it starting to crack. The new belt only lasted 6 mths and I could faintly smell rubber at times but dismissed it to a heavier load due to thick grasss. The plastic belt cover on the left side also shows signs of wear underneath where the belt was touching it. In hindsight I should have investigated these signs in more depth but it was working fine and the grass was growing so I put it off.

Thankfully the blade spins flat so it appears only pulley related.

 

[Bee-Positive]

Goat hHerder, any idea how and when that might of got damaged ?

I think he's asking how the pulley might have gotten damaged.

A stick or small rock maybe jammed in there, or the key fell out or is worn enough to allow the pulley to wobble. Worst case the shaft, seals, bearings, etc. are damaged.

Need to get it out first and see.

 

[Goat Herder]

While I am not sure on how or when it happened I now know why the pulley was wobbling. It looks like the key walked a bit I assume due to wear/stress. Definitely need a new pulley and key, hopefully the keyway in the shaft is still ok to use. You can see in the third pic the rub marks on the pulley. Pics attached.

 

[Bee-Positive]

or the key fell out or is worn enough to allow the pulley to wobble.

Bingo!

Looks like a chunk is missing from the pulley keyway also. The shaft keyway doesn't look too bad, I'd roll the dice and keep it depending on how the new key fits in it. It would always be in the back of my mind though, check it often for the next 10 years.

 

[Goat Herder]

Will do! Now I know what to be watching for. Thanks for all the help especially the manual diagrams. May have to look into getting them

 

[Bee-Positive]

I don't have the WSM - the diagrams were from HERE

Select view diagrams, check the box at the bottom, click OK.
Type in your tractor model hit enter. Select your specific model hit enter.
Expand "Option Model" on the left to see all the attachments for your model tractor.
Scroll down to your MMM model. Will open in a new tab.
I usually click HQ for a better picture, and you can click the little printer icon to view/save as a PDF.

 

[hagrid]

Not enthused over those snaps...