MTD 136 Deck Belt question

[baker-paul16@sky.com]

Hi
I have just acquired a MTD J/136 ride on, this has a single blade 30 inch cutting deck.

My question relates to the blade disengagement system as this is not working.

I am just trying to figure out how this works so i can fix it.

There is a single belt driving the blade off the bottom of the engine and there is a blade brake that clamps on the blade pulley. It looks like the blade brake is not pushing on the pulley at all so something is amiss and i will drop the deck to investigate.

My general question is if about how this system works, is it just the blade brake that stops the blade pulley and the belt then just slips around the pulleys or is there some other mechanism in play that adds tension to the belt as the engagement lever is moved down froom the disengaged position.

I have added a pic of the mower so you can see what it looks like

[Mick]

My general question is if about how this system works, is it just the blade brake that stops the blade pulley and the belt then just slips around the pulleys or is there some other mechanism in play that adds tension to the belt as the engagement lever is moved down froom the disengaged position.

Hi and welcome to TGMF. 

I would think on this model when you engage the blade the deck moves backwards tensioning the belt.  The brake will have a fixed anchor point so when the neck moves back to tension the belt it pulls the brake arm away from the pulley.  And when you disengage the blade the deck moves forward loosening the belt, and the blade brake will be applied.
 

[baker-paul16@sky.com]

My general question is if about how this system works, is it just the blade brake that stops the blade pulley and the belt then just slips around the pulleys or is there some other mechanism in play that adds tension to the belt as the engagement lever is moved down froom the disengaged position.

Hi and welcome to TGMF. 

I would think on this model when you engage the blade the deck moves backwards tensioning the belt.  The brake will have a fixed anchor point so when the neck moves back to tension the belt it pulls the brake arm away from the pulley.  And when you disengage the blade the deck moves forward loosening the belt, and the blade brake will be applied.
 

Thanks Mick,
That was my thought as well, it looks like when the blade lever is moved to the disengaged position the deck is not moving as much as it should which is why the belt is still under tension and the brake is not touching the pulley.

I will do some more investivgation

[baker-paul16@sky.com]

Problem Solved
ON investigation found that a split pin had come off the piece that goes on the bracket that pushes the deck forward when the lever is moved to the disengaged position.

That said it was a major battle to get a new split pin in as it was hard to reach, had to drop the deck and also half remove the large bracket that moves the deck forward. Took me a couple of hours.

All working now     

[Mick]

Glad you got that solved.  Some of this stuff is pretty tricky to do sometimes.