How to Tighten a Drive Belt on a Snapper Riding Mower

Snapper mower decks have a spring-loaded tensioner system called an idler pulley. The idler pulley continually supplies pressure to the mower deck's drive belt to eliminate the need for manual adjustment by the end-user of the mower. However, the idler pulley has limited travel -- in other words, it can only tighten the belt so much until it runs out of room to maintain proper tension. When this happens, the belt starts to squeal. Squealing indicates belt slippage on the pulley system. This creates excessive heat in the belt and leads to belt breakage eventually. The only way to tighten a drive belt in this condition is to simply replace it with a new belt.

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off the mower blades by lowering the PTO lever located on the front panel just in front of the driver's seat. This turns off the blades and allows additional slack in the drive belt.
- 2
  Lower the mower deck to the ground via the height adjustment lever located next to the PTO lever. This maximizes space between the deck and the tractor.
- 3
  Push the spring-loaded idler pulley toward the center of the mower deck and then pull the belt off the pulley system on the mower deck.
- 4
  Remove the belt from the drive pulley mounted under the engine of the Snapper mower.
- 5
  Place the new belt over the drive pulley mounted under the engine on the Snapper and then stretch the belt to the mower deck.
- 6
  Place the belt onto each pulley on the mower deck except for the idler pulley. Make sure you route the belt just as the old belt routed around the pulley system.
- 7
  Push in on the idler pulley and place the belt onto the pulley. Let go of the pulley. It will self-adjust and apply the appropriate tension to the belt.

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