Troy Bilt is one of the big names in the mower industry that has a surging reputation due to its highly durable ride-on lawn mowers. The Troy Bilt brand boasts the best riding lawn mowers in the market, for instance, Bronco, one of their best products. Despite having the most admirable specs, even the best equipment may face glitches here and there.
Besides, if you use a Troy Bilt Bronco riding mower, changing the drive belt is one of the regular care and maintenance practices that you should do. It not only helps increase the efficiency of your lawn mower but also helps avoid serious damage to your machine.
Still, if you are new to lawn care or you are using this Troy Bilt product for the first time, you might be wondering how to change the drive belt on the Troy Bilt Bronco mower.
In this article, you will get all the information you need on how to change the drive belt on a Troy Bilt Bronco riding lawnmower. Read on and have fun mowing.
How to change the drive belt on Troy Bilt Bronco riding mower, step by step:
- Adjust The Mower’s Lever
- Remove The Deck Guard
- Detach the deck Straps from the Pulley
- Locate The mower’s pulley Deck
- Remove The Old Cutter Deck Drive Belt from The Main Shaft and The Pulley
- Thread The Drive Belt around The engine Pulley
- Move the Drive Belt
- Left Spindle Pulley Handling
- Move The Belt Guard
- Ensure Everything Is In Order
Table of Contents
How To Change Drive Belt On Troy Bilt Bronco Riding Mower?
Although the Troy Bilt Bronco riding lawn mower is a high-quality product designed to serve you for a lifetime, you need to change the worn-out belts. It is recommended that you change the drive belt in your Bronco riding mower at least once after every two mowing seasons.
Nevertheless, how often you change the belt depends on many factors. For lawnmowers handling large workloads, in dusty and extremely rough environments, the belt should be replaced more often or at least once in a mowing season.
You can have a professional service technician change the belt or you can DIY. But if you have some free time and you are willing to gain some experience, why not do it yourself?
Better still, replacing the drive belt on your Bronco mower is a straightforward process that you can handle in a few steps:
- Adjust The Mower’s Lever
To start with, adjust your mower to the lowest floor level. However, the mower’s floor should be raised on the rightmost rear mud plate – to do that, move the floor lift lever all the way forward to the right and ensure to lock the ratchet in that position.
- Remove The Deck Guard
Now, you can start working on your lawn mower. The deck guard is held to the mower’s frame using bolts. To remove the deck, you’ll need a socket wrench. After removing the bolts, you can easily lift off the deck guard from the top of the mower deck and set it aside.
- Detach the deck Straps from the Pulley
Using the socket wrench, you can now remove the current belt from the pulley. Also, slide off the bel retainer from the chassis so that the deck belt can easily leave the pulley.
- Locate The mower’s pulley Deck
Take note of the position of the pulley on the mower’s engine deck on the left side. You then need to insert a 3/8 in. ratchet square end into the holder. Ensure that the holder is set to a loose position. You can now initiate the movement of the pulley by pulling the ratchet handle back – this is important as it reduces the strain on the drive belt.
- Remove The Old Cutter Deck Drive Belt from The Main Shaft and The Pulley
You can hold the ratchet wheel with your hand until the strain on the belt reduces to the lowest level. The ratchet will then lift from the pulley support. Proceed to remove the old deck drive belt around the main shaft pulley.
- Thread The Drive Belt around The engine Pulley
The shape of the mower’s pulley grove makes it easy to install the v-shaped belt. Ensure that you install the belt retainer on the chassis of your lawn mower. What’s more, it is vital to tighten the bolts holding the drive belt bar. You can easily do that with a socket wrench. Securing the bely=t with tight bolts prevents it from slipping off the pulley when the mower is running.
- Move the Drive Belt
You will notice that the drive belt is pulled to the back of your Bronco mower. Thus, you’ll need to route the v-shaped face of the belt to the main shaft pulley grove (of the right pulley).
- Left Spindle Pulley Handling
Install the v-shaped side of the belt around the left of the main shaft then put a ratchet on the left pulley holder to reduce the pulley’s tension.
- Move The Belt Guard
The belt conduction guards will help you secure the deck of your mower’s engine to both sides. you should then use your wrench to tighten the bolts which will in turn secure the drive belt.
- Ensure Everything Is In Order
Last but not least, double-check to ensure that everything is properly reinstalled and the deck is back to normal. In this stage, pay extra attention to the cutting blade and the engine deck.
Related Guide: How Much Does A Lawn Mower Tune Up Cost?
Troy Bilt Bronco Drive Belt Diagram
What Size Drive Belt Does A Troy Bilt Bronco Take?
If you need to change the drive belt on your lawn mower, the first thing is to choose the most suitable one for your model. If you own a Troy Bilt Bronco lawn mower, you should check the manufacturer’s manual before making any purchase.
Generally, a suitable belt on a Troy Bilt Bronco will have a length of 41 – 1/2 inches. Besides, 5/8 inches width is perfect for this model.
How Do You Tighten The Belt On A Troy Bilt Bronco?
To tighten the belt on your Troy Bilt Bronco, I suggest an old method. You’ll first need to remove the belt from your lawn mower using the process above then use propane to heat it.
When the belt becomes red hot, use a pair of pliers to bend it and make the belt much shorter. You can later reinstall it on the lawn mower.
Nevertheless, if your mower has a loose belt, it may be because it’s damaged and needs to be replaced. Therefore, it is wiser to replace it to avoid consequences – remember a faulty or worn-out drive belt can cause potential damage not just to the mower but to the people around.
Why Does My Deck Belt Keep Coming Off On Troy-Bilt Riding Mower?
Having to put up with a Troy Bilt riding mower whose belt keeps coming off is annoying. Truth be told, there is nothing as frustrating as having to put the drive belt back on the mower’s pulley several times during a single mowing schedule.
Besides, a Troy Bilt drive belt is a costly asset and as such, having to replace it more often than is needed can be quite costly. As a result, you must find the root cause of your belt problem so you don’t have to keep dealing with it.
Generally, a Troy Bilt lawn mower belt will keep on coming off because it is worn out, damaged bel keepers, has a faulty pulley or spindle housing, or even debris clog. Some of the reasons why your deck belt keeps coming off on Troy Bilt riding lawn mower are:
- Worn-Out or Loose Belt
The belt is one of the moving components that face a lot of wear and tear in your troy Bilt mower. That is to say, with regular use, the bear will loosen up or wear out. In this case, it is easy to notice that the belt is loose, worn, or cracked. You should replace the old belt with a new one otherwise it will keep coming off on your Troy Bilt mower or worse, cause damage to your machine.
- Oily or Rusted Troy Bilt belt
Oil can leak from your lawn mower and drip onto the deck belt causing it to slip around the pulleys and come off. On the other hand, rust buildups especially along the pulleys can cause your belt to dry out. A dry belt can crack easily and in turn break or come off your Troy Bilt. In case of any oil leaks or rust in your lawn mower, you should address the problem to keep your belt deck safe.
- Damaged Belt Keeper
A belt keeper is a small rod-shaped component along the side of the pulleys that help keep the belt in place. If your lawn mower has a bent or damaged keeper, it is obvious that the deck belt will keep coming off. You can try using a hammer to bend the keeper back to its usual place or replace it.
- Debris Build-Up On Your Deck
You must clean off the mower deck every time after mowing but do you do this? Sometimes mowing can be tiresome or we can even forget to clean. With time, debris clogs your deck. To be precise, when debris and mud crump in the gloves of your mower’s pulley, the belt is forced to stretch further to rotate through these additional materials. This can potentially cause the belt to snap or come off your Troy Bilt riding mower.
Other reasons why the deck belt keeps coming off your Troy Bilt riding mower include a Shredded belt, Bearings or spindle Housing Damage, and a Worn Tension Bracket.
Conclusion:
A Troy Bilt Bronco riding lawn mower is a pricey tool that will offer you a lifetime service. However, you have to play your part in ensuring that your lawn care companion lasts longer. For the most part, proper care and maintenance go a long way to prevent premature wearing out of your lawn mower.
For instance, if you own a Troy Bilt Bronco mower, then you should change its drive belt after one or two cutting seasons.
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