How to Put on a Drive Belt for a Craftsman Mower Model Number 917. 273811

Remove the Mower Deck

• 1

  Park the tractor in level ground and turn off the ignition.

• 2

  Slide the attachment clutch lever -- located on the right side of the dash and under the steering wheel -- all the way down to place it in the “Disengaged” position.

• 3

  Depress the plunger on the attachment lift lever on the right side of the tractor and push it all the way forward to lower the mower deck to its lowest position.

• 4

  Press and hold the brake-and-clutch pedal, then slide the parking brake control lever – the small lever below the attachment clutch lever -- up and and hold it. Remove your foot from the pedal and take your hand from the parking brake control lever. The lever locks the pedal in place, which acts as a parking brake.

• 5

  Roll the attachment drive belt down and off the engine pulley located under the front end of the tractor.

• 6

  Locate the clutch pulley on the front right position on the mower deck. Pull the small retainer spring and washer off the clutch pulley bolt and disengage the clutch spring.

• 7

  Remove the large spring retainer from the clutch cable housing guide located on the clutch bracket at the rear-right of the mower deck. Pull the collar forward and off the housing guide and push the guide back and out of the clutch bracket.

• 8

  Locate the anti-sway bar at the rear of the mower deck. Remove the retainer spring from the top of the bar and disconnect the bar from the chassis bracket.

• 9

  Remove the retaining rings and disconnect the suspension arms from the rear deck bracket and suspension arms near the middle of both sides of the mower deck.

• 10

  Remove the retaining springs from the front links located at the front of the mower deck and remove them from the front mower deck brackets.

• 11

  Depress the plunger on the attachment lift lever and pull the lever all the way back to raise the suspension arms. Drag the mower out from under the tractor.

Replace the Mower Drive Belt

• 12

  Observe the belt routing on the mower deck.

• 13

  Remove the belt from the idler pulleys, mandrel pulleys and belt guides. Remove the belt from the mower deck.

• 14

  Install the new belt outside the mandrel pulleys and inside the idler pulleys and belt guides.

Replace the Motion Drive Belt

• 15

  Locate the motion drive belt under the tractor body and observe the belt routing.

• 16

  Remove the belt from the clutching idler and the stationary idler pulleys located just to the rear of the engine drive pulley at the front of the tractor. Pull the belt down off the engine drive pulley.

• 17

  Pull some slack to the rear of the tractor. Move the belt keepers to allow the belt to come up and off the transaxle pulley. Remove the belt from the center span keeper and pull the belt off the tractor.

• 18

  Install the belt between the belt keepers and around the transaxle pulley. Install the belt in the center span keeper.

• 19

  Route the belt forward on the tractor. Install the belt on the top groove of the engine pulley. Install the belt on the stationary and clutching idler pulleys.

Install the Mower

• 20

  Place the mower deck under the tractor with the deflector shield on the right side of the tractor. Move the attachment lift lever all the way forward to lower the suspension arms.

• 21

  Install the front links in the front mower deck brackets and secure them using the retainer springs. Install the suspension arms on the rear deck brackets and secure them using the retainer springs.

• 22

  Install the anti-sway bar on the on the chassis bracket and secure it using the retainer springs.

• 23

  Install the clutch cable housing guide and housing collar on the clutch bracket and secure it using the large retaining spring. Install the flat washer, clutch spring and retainer spring on the clutch idler pulley.

• 24

  Roll the belt onto the bottom groove of the engine pulley.