Does anyone know 656 tractor with 32 inch deck - belt sizes

[656_tractor 14]

Thanks.  I will try that.  They are actually hitting the deck right now :/ 

[Handy Don 10,586]

1 hour ago, 656_tractor said:

Ugh. I Can’t get a piece of paper between the deck and the new ribbed belts that were suggested.      Any ideas appreciated!

Yeah, these decks sure do have their challenges!

 

I just checked my deck's belt-to-deck clearance (between 1/16 & ⅛) and also how "proud" of the pulley the belts run (at least ⅛).

 

1 hour ago, ineedanother said:

I would clean those pulleys. It might not gain much depth for you but maybe enough so the belts clear that guard.

Agreed, your pulley's walls look like they have a lot of build up.

 

The guard's only value I've been able to discern is to help block debris from getting pinched under the belt. There is no way those belts will get thrown!

 

The cross-shaft pulleys I got were all pretty rusted where water had been staying between the toothed belt and the pulley (they'd been stored outside). Since they clearly needed attention, they got a trip through the electrolysis tank and then a thorough wirebrushing with a relatively soft wire wheel in my drill press where I could rotate them slowly and get to the bottom of the grooves.

 

Last steps were to clamp by the shaft in the vise and shoe-shine with a strip of fine emery cloth wrapped around a piece of rope until the grooves gleamed (this took at least an hour by itself) and then mask/prime/paint. I easily spent a few hours all in on the shaft I chose to use (and to be safe, I wrapped the threaded ends and where the shaft sits in the bearings with thick masking tape to protect them once they were out of the tank, in case I banged something while I was doing the rest of the cleanup).

 

Note that pulley is cast iron and will easily chip if dropped. I killed one that way.

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Handy Don

[656_tractor 14]

Well i tried brushing pulleys.  A little better but Still cant get a piece of paper in between deck and belts.  I may try somehow sanding the outside of the belts.  It spins better but maybe any resistance is bad dunno.. or maybe engauge it and let the outside rubber bush some off :o

 

 

[Handy Don 10,586]

The video is too dark on the pulley sheaves to get a good look, but I'll take your word that they are "honed" to smooth metal.

I agree that the belts do look like they are riding too high in the grooves.

 

That said, know that most of a belt's strength is in the outermost layers--that's where the internal cords that define it's length live. Taking stuff off the outside will compromise the belt quickly. Don't try this!

 

I just looked up the belts you have.  They are 25-7365, right?  The spec for these is .44" width. You need .375" (⅜"). These are too wide and, as a result, are sitting too high in the pulley sheave.

The Toro part number for the correct belt is 1578. I used  D&D PowerDrive 3VX370 V Belt, Rubber, 3/8" x 37" OC. 

[656_tractor 14]

Thanks man. I will order those other ones and take the ones on it back to the store. 

[656_tractor 14]

I realize I’m posting angry right now but I am so tired of this I need my lawn freaking mowed and I feel like I’ve done everything right and nothing is working. I finally got the correct belts to spin and but after I greased the ZERK fittings I’m back to the blades slowly moving and hard to turn again

Edited September 24, 2022 by 656_tractor

[Handy Don 10,586]

1 hour ago, 656_tractor said:

I realize I’m posting angry right now but I am so tired of this I need my lawn freaking mowed and I feel like I’ve done everything right and nothing is working. I finally got the correct belts to spin and but after I greased the ZERK fittings I’m back to the blades slowly moving and hard to turn again

We've all had at least one day when we'd like to drop kick a tractor other machine into the next county or, in my case, into the Hudson River!

 

Not sure what zerk's you are referring too--your pictures showed you didn't have any. Have you added them to the deck spindles? How are you getting the belts on and off? Loosening the flange pulleys and the lift frame? Have you removed any gears or the blades?

 

When you get some minutes, post pics or video showing the entire drive for both blades--it might be easier for someone else to hold the camera while you try moving stuff. Something is binding or slipping. Could be as simple as that belt guard that bolts to the deck behind the dual pulley being too tight. Could be the face and spur gears are jamming. Also, new belts are always stiff so it can seem hard when turning by hand. (As an example, it took several tries for me to get a brand new cogged S/G belt tight enough to overcome the compression on my '64 K181--at first, it wouldn't hug the S/G side pulley.)

[656_tractor 14]

The Zirk fittings were on top of the gears and screwed and then that’s how I grease them however a friend told me to pull them off because it was holding pressure or something so the blades are spinning more freely but they are not cutting the lawn and on top of this my predator engine second carburetor keeps cutting out. At this point does anyone have a working mower deck to cut the lawn evenly I’m ready to buy it.  It’s not working it’s not cutting the lawn right and I’m out of time I need my lawn cut and I don’t wanna pay anybody to do it   And I don’t have time to keep fooling with his deck

Edited September 24, 2022 by 656_tractor

[656_tractor 14]

Omgosh….  The last fella put the blades back on in the wrong direction.    Thanks to you all and Bob also for the help.   Now off to buy a predator eng…

[Handy Don 10,586]

1 hour ago, 656_tractor said:

pull them off because it was holding pressure

Hooray, glad the belts worked and the grass is now being cut.

Backwards blades are a hazard with these decks, for sure. I have to check myself every time. Thankfully not too difficult to remove and swap them!

 

The "friend" who gave you the zerk "pressure" advice was mistaken. It is certainly possible, with a strong grease gun, to force more grease into a spindle than it needs. Doing that will see the grease come out under the spur gear (which actually will lubricate the thrust bearings under those gears!) or escape around the bottom seal just above the blade--neither hurts the deck, really, or could "slow it down". Any "pressure" in there equalizes as soon as the grease gun is removed and the blades spin. On the other hand, removing the zerks can allow contaminants to enter those openings and potentially ruin the spindle shaft bearings.

 

Haven't a clue about Predators!

 

[squonk 38,902]

According to my Gates Book 25-7365 should be a 3/8" wide belt. Same as the 3L370W belts. But if I look at my Napa Pro link the 25-7365 shows a .41" width as opposed to .38" . Sorry for the confusion

[656_tractor 14]

Thats ok.  I took the other belts back and got a credit.   Don, yes i will put those fitting back in.  Good idea.  The only mistake i made was didnt put the bolt in the small bracket preventing Debris in the belts and tore up my new belts on the outside slightly but they’re OK it’s always something

[Handy Don 10,586]

Yep it IS always something.

Still, once you get the machine really dialed in and buttoned down and spinning like a top (like all those clichés? ) they do seem to go for a long time without needing much attention.

 

I'm still futzing around with the drive on my deck after finding the bent end of the cross-shaft. I have the good replacement shaft in there but, as before, it is frustrating that there is no adjustment for the face gear-to-spur gear engagement -- you tighten the 15/16" nuts to pull the gear back to the machined stop on the shaft and that's it.

 

After a bunch of trial and error (i.e. assemble, test, measure, disassemble, repeat), I've figured out that the machined stops for the face gears on the cross shaft are about .045" too close together. So I'm looking for a ⅝" shim that's .045" thick to put on the cross shaft behind one of the face gears. Of course, I have two usable shims for a ¾" shaft but none for ⅝". Sigh.