A Huskee Riding Lawn Mower has a two-belt system. This means that the drive system consists of an upper and a lower belt system. The upper belt system powers the PTO and the lower belt assembly while the lower belt system powers the rear axle.
To ensure that your lawn mower is efficient, it is important to inspect the drive belt and replace it annually.
It will only cost a few dollars for an authorized service dealer to replace your mowers belt but why not DIY? Besides, when replacing the belt by yourself, you’ll get experience with how your machine operates and probably keep your boredom at the bar on long weekends.
How to replace Huskee riding mower drive belt, step by step
- Find a Work Area
- Park Your lawn Mower
- Ensure Your Mower Is Cool
- Prep the Spark plug Wire
- Remove the Cutting Deck and Disengage the Battery
- Remove the Upper Drive Belt from the Mower
- Remove the Lower Belt Drive from the Mower
- Install the New Lower Drive Belt
- Install the New Upper Drive Belt
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How to Replace Huskee Riding Mower Drive Belt?
Appropriate servicing will keep your lawn mower in optimal condition and ensure it serves you for years. One of the essential ways to care for your machine is by replacing its drive belt. Huskee mower manufacturers recommend replacing the machine’s drive belt annually to prevent breakage while mowing your fields.
Before starting the replacement process, always ensure that you have the correct lawn parts and tools to use. Besides, it is recommended that you take a picture of how the existing belts are routed before removal.
The picture will act as a reference during installation – the last thing you want is to get stranded halfway through the process.
For the DIY (Do It Yourself) lawn owner, here is a step-by-step guide on how to replace the Huskee Riding Mower drive belt:
Step 1: Find a Work Area
The first step is to find a perfect work area suitable for the task. Ideally, this should be a flat and spacious surface – it could be a driveway, shed floor, or garage. Note that you will be removing various mower components thus you need a large workbench.
Step 2: Park Your lawn Mower
Next, you have to position the mower ready to start the belt replacement process. By setting the parking brake, you will prevent the mower from moving when you are working.
Step 3: Ensure Your Mower Is Cool
Before you start working on your machine, it is important to check the engine temperature. In most cases, the parts of a Huskee Mower will tend to get hot when in use. So, if you were using your lawn mower just before the belt replacement process, you need to give it a few minutes to cool down.
A 15 minutes range will allow the mower’s exhaust system to cool down – you don’t want to hurt yourself by holding hot components or even worse, damage them.
Step 4: Prep the Spark plug Wire
After opening the hood, start the process by unplugging the mower’s spark plug. Without the spark plug connected, your lawn mower cannot accidentally start during maintenance.
Step 5: Remove the Cutting Deck and Disengage the Battery
Removing the cutting deck is straightforward and if you have found it a bit tedious, you can find the step-by-step cutting deck removal process in the mower’s manual.
The battery is positioned under the mower’s seat, start by disconnecting the black negative cable and then the red positive cable.
Step 6: Remove the Upper Drive Belt from the Mower
After removing the battery, you will see a large transaxle pulley. Use a socket wrench to loosen the nut holding the pulley. Next, you want to relieve the tension on the drive belt by using a spring puller to disconnect the belt spring.
After the spring is off the anchor bolt, it is easy to remove the drive belt. Finally, use a wrench to remove the upper belt keeper around the engine pulley.
Step 7: Remove the Lower Belt Drive from the Mower
You should be able to easily remove the lower drive belt by pulling it towards the engine. If the belt is not sitting on the crankshaft pulley, then it is loose and has probably been knocked off its place – you need to replace it.
Step 8: Install the New Lower Drive Belt
You can finally install the new drive belt after removing the old one. All you have to do is to position the new belt rightfully on your mower and reinstall it.
You can apply an anti-seize compound to the crankshaft to help ease its removal in the future. Then, insert the spacer and install the crankshaft pulley. Finally, re-install the belt keeper and belt guide.
Step 9: Install the New Upper Drive Belt
Repeat the same procedure to install the new upper drive belt and ensure that it is properly positioned in the grooves. Finally, use the reverse of the uninstalling process to install every mower component back in its place.
Once the drive belt replacement process is complete, you can power on your lawn mower and engage the blades. This is a simple test as to whether you installed the drive belt completely. If the blades move efficiently, then you have correctly installed the drive belt.
Otherwise, the blades will have difficulties moving and you’ll need to rectify any faults you made when installing the drive belt.
Further, you can watch this video to understand more.
Huskee Riding Mower Drive Belt – Diagram
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Huskee Lt4200 Upper Drive Belt Diagram
What Size Belt Does A Huskee LT4200 Take?
Before replacing the Huskee riding mower drive belt, always ensure that you purchase the correct lawn parts. Remember that belts are mower specific. This means that a belt specifically designed for your mower will engage and disengage safely.
As a result, it is important to check your mower’s manual for the specific belt for your lawn mower. It is dangerous to use substitution equipment other than the one specified by the manufacturer since your machine may not disengage completely.
Conclusion:
A riding mower is an important lawn care companion for every homeowner. It ensures that your yard is finely cut giving your outdoor space a nice-looking and cozy appearance. As such, it is important to ensure that you serve this yard tool regularly to keep it at its optimal functionality. One of the best ways to do that is to replace the mower’s drive belt.
Therefore, you need to be conversant with the belt replacement process if you plan on cutting the cost of calling a professional to install the belt for you. Hopefully, this article has given you all the information you need to replace your Huskee Riding Mower belt like a pro.
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