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Owing to the slightly more advanced technologies implemented in the making of John Deere tractors, especially the driveable mowers, new users find it difficult to locate its drive belt for replacement. Please don’t panic; the fact that they are a bit advanced from the usual ones doesn’t mean you’ll always need a mechanic or savvy expert to change it for you. Just follow the following steps to replace yours.
Firstly, remove the tension spring. Then disconnect the tie rods and remove the belt from the electric motor. Remove the idler and then the belt from the tensioner assembly. Put a new belt the same way. Assemble the tensioner back together. Finally, put the tension spring back.
While it doesn’t sound like much of a difficult task to effectively replace the drive belt, there’s still a lot of background knowledge that deserves awareness. Like when is it best to change your tractor drive belt? Is it something that should be periodical or be more of condition-based maintenance? If you’ve confirmed that you need to replace the drive belt, where & how can you find the best replacement? Stick around; let me enlighten you on every necessary detail about it.
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What is a drive belt, and what are its functions in your John Deere tractor?
A drive belt, also known as a serpentine belt, is an essential component of every engine, including a tractor’s. It is a flexible material that rotates multiple peripheral devices in engines. For a ground belt in a mower, the devices include the engine crankshaft and the transaxle pulley.
Functions of a drive belt
While the most significant function of a drive belt is to power an engine’s accessories, below are some other uses.
- It reduces overheating by continuously running to power the engine water pump.
- It increases the overall efficiency of an engine.
- It assists steering by also powering the hydraulic power steering.
To your knowledge, no engine including, that of an electric mower, can run without a drive belt. A drive belt is arguably an engine’s most significant part as there hasn’t been any other component that has adequately replaced it. It has been in existence since the introduction of the first engines to the most advanced ones today.
How to replace the drive belt on a John Deere lawnmower (step by step)
Although some past lawnmower owners may already understand the earlier outlined method, newbies may not find it easy to comprehend. As earlier highlighted, the drive belt connects various other engine components to transfer energy, so disconnecting and reassembling will be your most significant duty.
Let’s go through a step-by-step process to ensure maximum perception.
Step 1: To locate the traction belt, remove the deck and raise the tractor to work underneath safely. It’s best to use a pair of wheel chocks to lift the tractor from its front to ensure maximum stability.
Step 2: The first component you should remove is the spring; the spring hooks around a bushing on the idler and a notch on the tension arm. Removing the spring will relieve the tension on the belt. It will also allow you to pull the belt off the transmission sheave, which you should.
Step 3: Pull the belt’s look off the motor pulley while viewing it from the steering sector. It’s better to do it from this angle as it will be much easier to get a clearer view of the whole process.
Step 4: With an adequate socket wrench, lose the nut on the idler to free the belt between it and the frame. Strive not to loosen its nut nor the bushing the spring hooks to while releasing the belt on the idler. If not, tighten them back immediately to avoid later complications.
Step 5: You have to free the belt from the tensioner assembly. To release it, first, remove the tensioner idler sheave. Then remove the guide from the tensioner pulley. After this, the belt becomes free, and you can easily now thread it out from the top of the brake and lift shafts.
Step 6: The final step is to put the new belt on the same way you threaded off to the old one. Take it over the top of the two shafts and its left side over the pawl on the lift shaft. Put the idler back next to the left side of the frame. Thread it around the tension pulley and reassemble all the other parts of the tensioner assembly.
It is necessary to do it with caution, as any slight misalignment may cause slipping, which will demand attention back while using the mower later. After properly threading the belt around all necessary pulleys and components, put your deck back, lower your mower and get it ready for service.
How do you adjust a John Deere tractor drive belt?
Adjusting your tractor drive is an essential servicing process. It helps restore transmission forward performance on the tractor, which improves its overall operation.
Utilizing a combination wrench, you first have to unscrew the idler arm bolt of the transmission drive belt. Pull the bolt from the top of the idler arm bracket and also loosen the center bolt. Try not to remove the bolt as you free it. Loosen the retaining nut under with a socket wrench while holding the top of the center bolt-head.
To align the adjustment bolt holes, gently push the idler arm forward. Next, through the adjustment bolt hole of the idler arm, slide the earlier removed bolt up-side-down. Finally, to fit into a new position, tighten the nut on the bottom with a socket wrench.
Best replacement drive belt for John Deere lawn tractor
Of course, this should be one of the questions that’ll be running through your mind. If you must replace your drive belt with another, there has to be a replacement. Although there are sellers on Amazon where you can order from, I recommend you to order directly from the manufacturers. There are various perks when you order from them, aside from the assurance of a high-quality replacement, being the manufacturers.
Below is a step-by-step process of how to order a replacement belt online for your John Deere Lawn tractor.
Note that they only offer deliveries to individuals living in the United States.
- Click this link or copy and paste it into a browser URL bar to visit the webpage – https://www.deere.com. It is the manufacturer’s official website.
- Hover your cursor to “Parts & Service” on the top bar or click on the menu icon if you are using a mobile device.
- In the drop-down menu, click on “Parts.”
- In another menu again, click “Lawn & Garden” to proceed.
- On the next page, click “Search and Order Parts Online” in the “Order Parts” section, which is the first on the page. The link will redirect you to a page in another domain.
Because every mower has different parts, the website would require you to select your “Machine Type,” “Model Number,” and “Product Type” in a drop-down menu. You can find your machine’s mobile number on either the deck or hood of your equipment. It is a combination of letters and numbers (an example is LA125).
- After filling out your machine’s details, click the “Search” button to proceed.
- On the next page, there is a list of genuine parts. Select the drive belt suitable for your mower’s engine and click it.
- Choose the quantity of the drive belt you need. If you require more than one, increase the number and “add it to cart.”
- A pop-up will appear with the drive belt description, amount, product, and quantity. Click the “Checkout” option to proceed.
- On the next page, the website would require you to either register or checkout as a guest. If you intend to skip all the signing up processes, input your email on the “Checkout as a guest” tab, confirm it, and proceed.
- Provide all the required details, such as your First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, and Postal Code.
- Proceed to the next tab and choose your Shipment Method. If the drive belt is above a price, you can opt for the UPS Ground delivery. It will be a free delivery since the driver belt is more than an amount. According to the website, it will take 1-5 business days to get to your destination. But if you need it faster, there are paid options you can select. Click on the “Continue” button.
- The second to the last tab on the page is the “Payment & Billing Address” one, where you’ll finally make the payments. At present, they only accept payments with Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Whichever is most convenient for you, fill out the necessary details and proceed.
- After debiting you, the last tab is the “Final Review” tab. It will most likely contain the summarized details of your order. Screenshot where necessary and wait for the delivery.
Once delivered, follow the above steps to replace the old one in your John Deere lawn tractor with the new one.
