If you have a riding lawn mower with a moving belt as a drive mechanism, sooner or later you will have to replace the belt. Your Murray riding lawn mower is the perfect addition to your outdoor space and needs regular maintenance. You may have noticed a small black belt that’s connected to your mower’s engine and it should be replaced every two years or 60,000 hours of use.
It is not recommended to repair it. In such a case, you should change the whole unit and not only some of its parts. That being said, replacing the motion belt on your mower may seem like an impossible task if you are used to working with smaller engines. However, this is not so for Murray riding mowers. The replacement process can be quite simple if you follow our steps below:
Table of Contents
How to Replace the Motion Belt on Murray Riding Lawn Mower?
Step 1:
Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet and remove the battery from your Murray Riding Mower. Remove the mower deck. There are two bolts that secure it to the base of the mower and you can remove them by hand or with a wrench, depending on what type of bolt it is. If you do not have a wrench, use a socket set or socket driver to loosen these bolts.
Step 2:
Remove the old belt from the pulley (if applicable). Use an adjustable wrench or ratchet set with a 3/8″ drive head size in order to remove this part from its mounting bracket above where your blades would be located. And if they were still attached to your mower deck at this point in time.
Otherwise, just grab hold of both sides near where they meet up with each other so that no damage gets done while loosening up those two pieces together.
Step 3:
The next step is to remove the pulley from the mower deck. This can be done by removing its bolts and nuts, or you may need to unscrew it in order for it to come off. The pulley will then be able to hang freely from its mounting bracket.
Step 4:
Place your new belt over one end of your old one and then snap it into place by gently pulling on both ends while working down toward center until they are snug together. If necessary apply pressure with pliers to bend slightly outwards so that they fit snugly together without gaps or gaps between them when snapped together properly.
Step 5:
Now that you’ve replaced the belt, it is time to start the engine and check for signs of wear. Make sure to use a new blade and adjust the cutting height on the saw deck according to your preferences.
Check for signs of damage or wear from previous belts by observing how well they fit onto your blades, if there are any gaps between them or if there are any signs that they might have been installed incorrectly in the first place.
If possible, bring along an assistant with you who can help with this step because he/she may need access points when removing old parts from under their seat paths so as not to damage anything else while working on their own tasks at home.
Video Guide:
Why Does my Drive Belt Keep Coming off My Riding Mower?
There are many reasons why a drive belt might come off from riding a mower. The most common cause is an issue with the idler pulley on the rear axle. This pulley, located at the back of the mower, is responsible for moving the drive belt up and down as you push it forward.
If this pulley becomes damaged or worn out, it can no longer properly grip the belt, allowing it to slip off. Other causes include loose, damaged, or misaligned pulleys on the front axle; excessive vibrations from rough terrain; and broken or worn-out drive belts.
If your drive belt comes off from riding the mower:
- Immediately stop using your mower and contact a service provider to assess the problem and make repairs.
- If your mower is still under warranty, contact Grasshopper to receive expert advice on how to proceed with a repair or replacement of the affected parts.
- If your mower is not covered by warranty, consider replacing the entire unit if it’s under warranty or significantly overpriced compared to nearby competitors.
Conclusion:
The common problem with lawnmowers is that they tend to become outdated after some time. A Murray riding lawn mower can significantly hamper the level of the lawn care service you provide. If you want to replace your lawn mower belt but you are not sure how to go about it, then this guide will help you learn about how to replace a lawn mower belt on a Murray riding lawn mower.
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