Repairing 1998 ride-on mower, pulley help needed

[mudfoot]

Inherited a 1998 TC-102 (Castelgarden) ride-on, which I'm renovating. The main drive belt needs replacing, and the belt guides are welded in place - meaning you have to slacken or remove the pulleys to get the belt on or off. I've got the engine and idler pulley off, but the rear pulley (below gearbox, no access from above) won't budge. As you can see, it has a threaded shaft, and I cannot figure if it's brute force (or a puller), or if it should be unscrewing? Any ideas? I've tried various prying and hammering techniques but no movement at all and it's in fairly good shape as you can see. Definitely no-way of getting the new belt on without getting this pulley below the guides (see photo).

 

[tomlad]

Use the two peg holes to unscrew?? The pulley ?

Think i used to have that model mower, i think anymore pictures

 

[Classichay]

Does the pulley split in two like two halves

 

[Dave W]

Just tweak the belt guides out the way. Shouldn't have to remove the pulley

 

[traineefarmer]

Looks like the pulley is screwed on the the shaft. Use the holes to unscrew. Left hand thread by the looks of it.

 

[Dry Rot]

There is surely some means of tightening the belt. Is the belt the correct length?

 

[mudfoot]

Does the pulley split in two like two halves

Yeah it does, the top and bottom half rotate separately unless you align those holes and put something in to them. Does that help establish how to remove

Just tweak the belt guides out the way. Shouldn't have to remove the pulley

They are pretty thick, solid steel, welded to bottom of the mower. Unfortunately I think I’ll to replace the pulley anyway now. It must come off somehow?

Looks like the pulley is screwed on the the shaft. Use the holes to unscrew. Left hand thread by the looks of it.

Thanks I’ve tried holding the bolt/shaft and insert a jig to rotate the pulley but no joy. Difficult to know to get a puller or work more on unscrewing?!

 

[Dave W]

You definitely shouldn't have to remove the pulley to change belt

 

[mudfoot]

You definitely shouldn't have to remove the pulley to change belt

On mowers were the belt guides are non moveable and welded on, there’s no other way. But at this stage I need to get it removed anyway - just struggling to figure if it pulls off or unscrews?

 

[YELROM]

I put a new belt on our castlegarden mower and as @Dave W says i just force the belt between the pulley and guide while pulling the belt

 

[bravheart]

Are the guides bolted on?

 

[mudfoot]

I put a new belt on our castlegarden mower and as @Dave W says i just force the belt between the pulley and guide while pulling the belt

Yeah I get the idea, but I think I’ve bent up the pulley, so I still need to get it off now, just struggling to find out what method works on this setup.

Are the guides bolted on?

No they are welded, and quite thick steel.

 

[agrimax]

Before you damage the pulley anymore or decide to cut it off,just check you can get a replacement as from what I can see with a brief Google,it's now obsolete. Pt no.82601501/0.(if I've got the right one).
If it's reuseable,I think you'd be better cutting the belt guides off and weld them back on after changing the belt,or better still,modify them to be bolt on if possible. Put a blue or green Kevlar belt on too and not a standard black one.

 

[Classichay]

Where in the country are you?

 

[Dry Rot]

Does this thread help? It seems this is not a new or isolated problem.

Replacing drive belt on Castelgarden twincut

Hi, After many many hours welding my rusty deck (2000 TC102 castelgarden mower) , I'm trying to put everything back together.

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