Craftsman Mower Belt Replacement Instructions

Craftsman, owned by the Sears Company, manufactures many different lawn tractors equipped with mowing decks. These lawn mowers all have one thing in common. They all use a drive belt to connect the mower deck to the clutch mounted on the bottom of the engine. With the clutch--which Craftsman calls the "PTO"--engaged, the mower blades rotate. As the belt ages, it loses its ability to adequately spin the mower blades. This causes the belt to slip on the pulley system, and it will eventually cause the belt to break. Before the belt breaks, replace it with a new one.

Wrench set

Instructions

- 1
  Drive the Craftsman mower onto level ground, set the parking brake and disengage the PTO lever to turn off the mower blades. Turn the mower's engine off.
- 2
  Lower the mower deck to its lowest position so you can easily reach the belt.
- 3
  Locate the belt guard between the pulley on the engine and the mower deck. Remove both bolts that hold the guard in place and then move the guard out of the way.
- 4
  Pull the belt off the clutch pulley mounted under the engine. With the PTO turned off, the belt has enough slack to simply pull the belt off the pulley.
- 5
  Pull the belt off the pulleys on the Craftsman mower deck. If necessary, take note of the original belt routing to ensure you route the new belt correctly.
- 6
  Install the new belt onto the deck's pulleys in the same manner as the old belt installed.
- 7
  Pull the belt forward and place it onto the clutch pulley.
- 8
  Place the guard over the belt and secure it with bolt bolts and your wrench set.

How to Eliminate Oak Tree Acorns in the Ground

How to Attach Spray Nozzles to a Boom

Lawn Maintenance