How to replace the ZD331 Fan belt

[forceten]

How to replace the ZD331 Fan belt??

So just got home from work, was gonna cut the grass before the rain hit. Started cutting and heard a loud alarm that i never heard before. Looked - overheating. Stopped the mower, saw the broken fan belt. Went to nappa grabbed another belt.

I see not a 1,2,3 easy install. I can get the belt over the fan blades no problem - but looks like I have to remove the shaft with those few bolts to be able to get the belt around the lower pulley?

That's gonna have to get done this weekend. Anything I should know about? or just lift it up, get the shaft off from underneath and get the belt on, or does something else also have to come off? Don't think i can get those bolts off from the top so definitely looks like I have to get the shaft off from underneath......

 

[Digger Dager]

Re: How to replace the ZD331 Fan belt??

Thanks for the post. Made me go check the fan belts on both our ZD326R's. They're still in good shape, for now.

Looking at the WSM for ours, it does not give instructions on how to replace the belt, but it appears that you do need to remove the front shaft. It also warns to check that you do not catch the belt on a cap on the water pump.

Personally, I would pull the deck off to get more elbow room, back the unit up on a couple car ramps, and slide my fat backside under there to work on it.

Good luck.

Digger

 

[forceten]

Figured I would update this so in case another orange user searches for this down the road.

Wasn't too terrible to put a new belt on all in all like 20 mins. Most of the time was spent jacking up the mower and securing it so it wouldn't fall on me and then back down. I did jack up the back of the mower, and put it on two strong car/truck ramps. Also used two jack stands just in case.

From underneath on the 331, you can just remove the back drive shaft nearest the pully. 3 bolts and it came right off. Belt went on, drive shaft put back and the belt gets adjusted (and put on) by using the alternator (two bolts one on top and one bottom) by sliding the top pulley back and forth.

 

[lugbolt]

Yeah just remove the 3 bolts on the shaft, slide the collar back a little, slip the belt in and you're 3/4 of the way done.

Takes longer to lift it up to get to those bolts than it does to change the belt.

8 minutes for me. Did one earlier, but I used the fork lift to get to the bottom.