The major sign of a bad pulley is it causes a bad vibration from the cutting deck in your lawn tractor. You can start checking your pulleys by removing the mower deck first, then removing the mandrel covers and belt.
Check all the pulleys for play and roughness when you spin it. You may sometimes ask, “How do I know if my lawn mower pulley is bad.” Read on to find the answer to all your questions in this article.
Understanding The Lawn Mower Pulley
Pulleys are situated in the mower’s deck, which helps transfer power from the engine to the cutting blades. The main function of the pulley in the engine is to provide tension and guide the engine drive belt. These belts wrap around the engine’s various parts, like the steering pump, alternator, water, etc.
Idlers are the reciprocal pulleys that make the system run smoothly and help simplify your work. If you do not have a pulley in your lawn mower, you can install it.
Before starting the lawn mower without an alternator, follow the below mentioned steps:
- Before working with the machine, ensure the engine is cooled down. Then, remove the wire from the spark plug.
- Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.
- Next, remove the screws to release the engine cover. Freed the starter handle from the cover and keep it aside.
Then remove the screws that are secured in the gas tank. Keep the gas tank detached. Be aware that some gasoline may spill out. - Next up, remove the mounting screws securing the dipstick tube and the tube from the engine. Take note that some engine oil may spill.
- Remove the bolts that secures the blower housing.
- After that, pull the starter rope out and insert a small screwdriver to secure the rewind spring. While you remove the nut in the rope’s end and set the rewind spring aside, and release the screwdriver to release any tension that may be left on the spring.
- Loosen the center bolt to release the friction plate. Move the rewind spring and install the pulley
Common Symptoms of a Bad Lawn Mower Pulley
The common symptoms of a bad lawn mower pulley include a damaged bearing or pulley, screeching from the engine area, and visibly worn pulleys. Read on to get more information on the common symptoms.
There are times when a pulley freezes or moves slowly. The symptoms of this problem are as mentioned below:
- Defective bearing
- Bent shaft
You may also notice that your pulley is making excessive noise. If that’s the case, the problems could be any one of these symptoms:
- Slipping off the belt on the pulley face
- Loose mounting
- The bearing is not greased sufficiently
- Bent shaft from the pulley Loose bearing mount
A lawn mower pulley not working normally could be due to wear and tear. Some of the symptoms are as follows:
- Oil or grease on lagging,
- Splice fasteners protruding,
- The gritty material ground between the belt and pulley, and the belt tightness is too low.
- The belt tightness is too low.
- The belt slips on the pulley, causing wear.
Repair And Replacement Options
Like any machine lawn mowers also need repairing and maintenance. If your lawn mower shows early warning signs, you should always seek professional help.
Here’s how to fix a pulley on a riding lawn mower:
- Before you fix the drive pulley on your riding lawn mower, ensure the ignition switch is off and the key has been removed.
- Confirm that the mower deck is at its lower position and the clutch activator lever is at the off position.
- Now engage the break and remove the deck belt from the drive pulley and gites. Use a 5’8 inch socket in the plate to loosen and unthread the drive pulley mounting bolt.
- Remove the previous pulley from the engine chap and detach the drive belt.
- Now you are ready to install the new drive pulley. Lube the drive belt onto the pulley as you position the pulley in the engine shaft.
- Keep the belt on the inside of the gites. Replace the mounting bolt to secure the pulley.
- Lube the deck belt onto the new pulley and align it in the gites. And now your riding lawn mower is fixed with a pulley.
How do you tighten a lawn mower pulley?
Before doing any activity in the machine, ensure the engine is cooled down. Then, you can remove the wire from the spark plug.
- The first step is to remove the starter rope from the rope guide. Next, remove the screws to release the engine cover. Freed the starter handle from the cover and keep it aside.
- Then remove the screws that are secured in the gas tank. Keep the gas tank separate. Be aware that some gasoline may spill out.
- Next, remove the mounting screws securing the dipstick tube and the tube from the engine. Take note that some engine oil may spill.
- Remove the bolts securing the blower housing. Pull the housing off.
- Then, pull the starter rope out and insert a small screwdriver to secure the rewind spring.
When to Seek Professional Help?
You can seek professional help when your lawn mower uses more fuel than usual. If this happens, then you can start by checking common service items. Examine your air fitter to ensure it is blocked and replace it when needed. It takes time for the engine to start. Lawnmowers have several reasons why the engine does not start, a common one being the spark plug.
FAQ’s
Ans: A screeching noise often means that the bearings or the surface of the pulley are worn. The engine warning light may brighten your dashboard. Your power steering may not work. Your engine may often overheat.
Ans: As drive pulleys are connected directly to motors, they turn at whatever RPM (revolutions per minute) the motor turns. Idler pulleys are spun by a belt connected to the drive pulley.
Ans: If the belt tension is too strong and the auxiliary equipment fails, the pulley will also fail.
Ans: Start by checking the gas tank and then the fuel fitter. Test the battery. Check the oil level and then the spark plugs. Clean or replace the air fitter. Raise the height of your mower and clean its underside.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped you resolve your issue. In this article, we have mentioned signs of a bad lawn mower that you can look for and how to repair and replace the equipment.
We would like to hear if your mower pulley has ever stopped working and how you went about resolving it.