K348-7 mower deck

[spfldguy]

I have a K348-7 mower deck purchased in 1981 when I had my first tractor a B5100E. The deck has worked well for 42 years and am now using it on my B2920 for mowing paths in my field. The deck is showing its age——mostly rust of the deck from underside. Some judicious welding of steel plate to reinforce the deck has sufficed so far. My question is how does one change the V-belt? I’m still using the original belt for last 42 years, yearly belt-dressing seems to have worked well, but it is starting to get ragged. I have an OEM spare belt but changing it is daunting. Anyone have/know of video or just first-hand knowledge of best way to change the belt?

 

[PaulL]

Apparently more info can be found under B348-7, at least according to this thread: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/k-348-7-rear-deck-mower.194171/

Having said that, the links go to a snowblower parts diagram, so I'm dubious.

There's also this thread: https://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/threads/b438-7-mower-belt-diagram-for-russ.4319/

I was tightening the belts on my brother in laws old finish mower a couple weekends back. Typically you'd have a belt tensioner that you loosen all the way off, then you kind of pry the belt off the pulley a bit while you rotate, then keep rotating till it's off. Reverse procedure to reinstall. Am I totally missing something here?

 

[spfldguy]

I have a K348-7 mower deck purchased in 1981 when I had my first tractor a B5100E. The deck has worked well for 42 years and am now using it on my B2920 for mowing paths in my field. The deck is showing its age——mostly rust of the deck from underside. Some judicious welding of steel plate to reinforce the deck has sufficed so far. My question is how does one change the V-belt? I’m still using the original belt for last 42 years, yearly belt-dressing seems to have worked well, but it is starting to get ragged. I have an OEM spare belt but changing it is daunting. Anyone have/know of video or just first-hand knowledge of best way to change the belt?

I did get the belt change accomplished more easily than I thought. However one odd issue: the belt tightener pulley is on a steel idler-arm held at the end by a bolt through the deck. The end of that arm is held in tension by a spring secured by a threaded-rod attached in turn to a steel plate welded to the deck. Once i released the threaded-rod and the spring I found the idler-arm to the belt tightener pulley was frozen in place. Getting the old belt off requires moving that arm+pulley away from a tension-position. I had to pass a piece of angle-iron along the deck, make contact with the arm and really pound with a 5# hammer to get the arm to move. I then could replace the belt and repeat the process of pounding that arm back into position of providing tension on the belt. Does anyone know why that arm could have become so frozen in place? Even after pounding it back and forth as described above it still has no free movement as was intended and then allowing the spring mechanism to maintain proper tension on the idler-arm, pulley and belt. The nut on that idler-arm bolt is on the underside of the deck and is rusted of course . But on the top side of the deck the bolt, washers, and the steel idler-arm appear in pristine condition. Even after being pounded back and forth in changing the belt, the idler-arm still has no free play to allow the spring-tensioner to function as intended. So I’m baffled as to why the arm has absolutely no free movement and wonder if anyone has any ideas on how to re-establish movement around the bolt holding it to the deck?