How to Pull a Mower Drive Pulley

Turn off the lawn mower. Use an open-end wrench to remove the black, negative terminal wire from the side of the mower's battery. This is a safety precaution.

Lower the mower deck by pushing the shift lever forward. Look under the mower deck for the guard that shields the belt. Remove the screws along the belt guard using a Phillips screwdriver.

Loosen the idler pulley nuts located on the center of the mower's deck. Use a socket wrench, but do not remove the nuts altogether. Pull the deck belt away from the mower.

Remove the retaining pins from both sides of the mower deck. They are inserted into pin holes that are located near the deck belt alignment. Use your hands to pull out the pins.

Pull the now loose mower deck out from under the mower. This provides better access to the drive pulley.

Find a block of wood or similar wedge-like tool. Wedge the wood block between the blade and the rest of the deck's housing in order to ensure the blade does not move while you operate on the pulley.

Loosen the drive pulley's top nuts with a socket wrench, then pull the pulley up and out of the deck.