V Belt preferences???

[Arkie]

I've been testing UPE Group belts from ebay on MTD lawn tractors (mowers) and so far they have been real good.

Fast shipper also.

[Arkie]

It's enjoyable to read your opinions on aftermarket belts. There's a Craftsman riding mower (917.275810) in my shop that gave me a headache today. The deck belt (OEM #144959) was the issue. The customer's original complaint was that it kept throwing the belt off. He threw it away before I got the mower, so I wasn't able to see the condition of the original belt. I got a Rotary aftermarket belt to replace it, and I've been having trouble when I disengage the PTO. Sometimes, it wants to flip the belt over so that the "V" was faces out on the engine pulley. Sometimes the belt comes off the pulley altogether. No belt guards or guides are missing. One thing I've noticed is that it would only do this when the mower deck was in its highest position. When I lowered it one notch, I had no problem at all. I was able to watch the malfunction, and it really looks like the engine pulley (which, when the deck is in the highest position, is quite a bit lower than the flat idler that the belt comes off of previously) wants to grab the belt, because the belt jumps around quite a bit when it gets twisted. The only thing I've been able to do is to move the deck height adjustments so it can't be raised up that high, and it seems to be doing fine now. I really think that an OEM belt would do better. I've just about sworn off aftermarket belts altogether. They're convenient, I get a good deal on most of them, and most of the time they work well, but when there's an issue I'd love to have an OEM belt just to make sure the belt isn't the issue. That's peace of mind, which is worth a lot to me and my customers.

I had a similar problem with a deck belt awhile back on a old used mower that I had bought non-running with carb issues, New deck belt replacement started jumping off and flipping over when deck height was raised and old belt was doing same. I adjusted deck height lower and it kept the belt stayed on but I suspected something else was amiss and suspected the new belt would jump when it got worn in because the pulleys and the deck when raised were not in direct alignment. Later I pulled up a parts list for the frame and deck area on computer and when looking at zoomed expaned view of the deck belt arrangement pulley sysrtem noticed that a small belt keeper roller was MAYBE missing from the back side of the idler pulley on the mower's frame. I went out and looked at the mower and sure enough it was gone and I could feel a 1/4 inch hole in the swivel bracket for the belt keeper on the back side of the idler pulley. As a test I dug thru my roller bearing catch all box and found couple small roller bearing of correct OD and ID, installed them on a stud bolt and all was ok. I ordered the correct belt keeper afterwards and when I seen it was a friction type keeper I left the stacked bearings installed for less friction to the rear of the belt. Went back later and reset the deck height adjustments I had made and all ok.

[bgsengine]

noticed that a small belt keeper roller was MAYBE missing from the back side of the idler pulley on the mower's frame.

Yup - just goes to show even the littlest thing can have a huge impact on something working right, or not... Makes the difference between a new belt every 3 months, or every 3 years.