You're welcome. It's honestly kind of amazing how many views & likes this little video has pulled, when I made it in response to a single question on another video, and recorded it in one take with zero planning and zero editing. I'm just glad people are both finding it, and finding it useful! 😁
After you get it back together, if it keeps throwing the belt off the rear pulley - especially when backing up - watch this one too. I smashed my head against that problem for way too long before figuring out what was wrong. czcams.com/video/o6FBxSDwd-M/video.html
@@DaddyBeanDaddyBean Yours was good for me being you getting right to the point for where the spring actually attached too. You made my day! It's nice to have people like you out there to give info. when needed! Happy Fathers Day! Thanks again!
Thx for the video. I have a 10 year old Yard Machine 700 series, 38" deck tractor and I've got way to much slack in my deck belt to the point where the blades will free-spin. I replaced the deck belt and my pto cable seems fine (unless these can stretch?) but still not getting the proper tension. Both outer springs apparently fell of at some point so I will be replacing them but they have to do with the brakes which keep the blades from spinning when not engaged rather than belt tension, correct? So which part is most crucial to proper belt tension? Thx
Long story short, while your model sounds different from mine, I think you're mistaken about those springs. On mine, those springs pull the entire deck backwards, pulling the deck belt tight around the PTO pulley on the bottom of the engine and engaging the blades. Pulling the deck all the way up, the top notch on the lift lever moves the deck forward a bit, introducing slack in the deck belt to disconnect it from the engine again. Then there are two small brake pads on the underside of the body - bolted to the bottom of the floorboards - that press against the top of the two pulleys on the deck, but only when it is lifted all the way up, to stop the blades when they're disengaged. All that being said, you mentioned a "PTO cable" - mine doesn't have a PTO cable at all, just various rods & levers. Engaging the deck belt is managed entirely by shifting the entire deck forward (disengaged) or allowing the springs to pull it back (engaged). I should add that I sold mine a year ago, after the transaxle & axle-shaft broke right half in two, so I'm operating from memory here and don't have the actual machine to reference anymore
I'm sorry, I don't know. My transaxle cracked and the drive axle snapped off, and it wasn't worth the hundreds of dollars in parts to repair a 15yo mower, so I sold the whole unit to a guy who was going to repurpose the engine & deck into a tow-behind mower for his 4-wheeler. You might try mtdparts dot com with your model & maybe serial # to find the right part #, and then Google that part number to see where the best deal is. Any local small-engine shop should be able to look it up for you as well, and might even have one in stock.
I'm not an expert, just a stubborn old do-it-myselfer, and I sold that machine last year - and hadn't taken the deck off in several years before that - but I think the spring you're asking about is visible in this video at about 0:35. If memory serves, I looped a piece of wire through the hook in the backend of the spring, wrapped the wire several times around a chunk of 2x2 or something, and then used that to pull the spring back & hook it on that bar just inside the right rear wheel. I recall it was extremely difficult to do, so either I was doing it wrong, or it's a horrendous design. Or maybe both.
I am not a pro at this, but to an extent, yes, I think so - if it isn't putting enough tension in the belt, the belt could be slipping. Easy enough to to see, at least on mine, by removing the panel around the shifter and just watching the belts & pulleys. I have to wonder if your belt is still in decent condition, though - if it's worn out, that could cause it to slip too.
No, this is the idler for the drive belt. If I recall correctly, I don't think the deck had an idler pulley - I think raising the deck all the way up also shifted the whole deck in such a way that the deck belt went slack and the belts disengaged; lower the deck to even the first notch and it pulled tight on the belt to engage the blades. I sold that machine a couple years ago so I don't know for sure.
Thanks for your help it’s a 2006 and may have the original
Thanks
Thank you
DADDY BEAN THANK YOU! Mine fell off when I was changing the belt!
You're welcome. It's honestly kind of amazing how many views & likes this little video has pulled, when I made it in response to a single question on another video, and recorded it in one take with zero planning and zero editing. I'm just glad people are both finding it, and finding it useful! 😁
After you get it back together, if it keeps throwing the belt off the rear pulley - especially when backing up - watch this one too. I smashed my head against that problem for way too long before figuring out what was wrong.
czcams.com/video/o6FBxSDwd-M/video.html
@@DaddyBeanDaddyBean Yours was good for me being you getting right to the point for where the spring actually attached too. You made my day! It's nice to have people like you out there to give info. when needed! Happy Fathers Day! Thanks again!
Thx for the video. I have a 10 year old Yard Machine 700 series, 38" deck tractor and I've got way to much slack in my deck belt to the point where the blades will free-spin. I replaced the deck belt and my pto cable seems fine (unless these can stretch?) but still not getting the proper tension. Both outer springs apparently fell of at some point so I will be replacing them but they have to do with the brakes which keep the blades from spinning when not engaged rather than belt tension, correct? So which part is most crucial to proper belt tension? Thx
Long story short, while your model sounds different from mine, I think you're mistaken about those springs. On mine, those springs pull the entire deck backwards, pulling the deck belt tight around the PTO pulley on the bottom of the engine and engaging the blades. Pulling the deck all the way up, the top notch on the lift lever moves the deck forward a bit, introducing slack in the deck belt to disconnect it from the engine again. Then there are two small brake pads on the underside of the body - bolted to the bottom of the floorboards - that press against the top of the two pulleys on the deck, but only when it is lifted all the way up, to stop the blades when they're disengaged. All that being said, you mentioned a "PTO cable" - mine doesn't have a PTO cable at all, just various rods & levers. Engaging the deck belt is managed entirely by shifting the entire deck forward (disengaged) or allowing the springs to pull it back (engaged).
I should add that I sold mine a year ago, after the transaxle & axle-shaft broke right half in two, so I'm operating from memory here and don't have the actual machine to reference anymore
@@DaddyBeanDaddyBean thank you!
I think thats what i need on mine to get it driving again! How long is that spring so i can find the right one?
I'm sorry, I don't know. My transaxle cracked and the drive axle snapped off, and it wasn't worth the hundreds of dollars in parts to repair a 15yo mower, so I sold the whole unit to a guy who was going to repurpose the engine & deck into a tow-behind mower for his 4-wheeler. You might try mtdparts dot com with your model & maybe serial # to find the right part #, and then Google that part number to see where the best deal is. Any local small-engine shop should be able to look it up for you as well, and might even have one in stock.
MTD FNR Idler Pulley Spring is 6.5” long (outside end to outside end) x 5/8” diameter
Were do i put the back end deck spring that sits off bck of transmission at?
I'm not an expert, just a stubborn old do-it-myselfer, and I sold that machine last year - and hadn't taken the deck off in several years before that - but I think the spring you're asking about is visible in this video at about 0:35. If memory serves, I looped a piece of wire through the hook in the backend of the spring, wrapped the wire several times around a chunk of 2x2 or something, and then used that to pull the spring back & hook it on that bar just inside the right rear wheel. I recall it was extremely difficult to do, so either I was doing it wrong, or it's a horrendous design. Or maybe both.
Can a bad idler arm spring cause a tractor to go slow?
I am not a pro at this, but to an extent, yes, I think so - if it isn't putting enough tension in the belt, the belt could be slipping. Easy enough to to see, at least on mine, by removing the panel around the shifter and just watching the belts & pulleys. I have to wonder if your belt is still in decent condition, though - if it's worn out, that could cause it to slip too.
Idler pulley on the deck?
No, this is the idler for the drive belt. If I recall correctly, I don't think the deck had an idler pulley - I think raising the deck all the way up also shifted the whole deck in such a way that the deck belt went slack and the belts disengaged; lower the deck to even the first notch and it pulled tight on the belt to engage the blades. I sold that machine a couple years ago so I don't know for sure.