Bent Idler Pulleys?


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Old 02-24-10, 09:37 PM
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Bent Idler Pulleys?

I have a Sears 917.255950 tractor. The drive belt wants to pop off a lot. I can't seem to find anything wrong except that there is a lot of slack in the belt when the clutch is disengaged and the pedal is locked down and the idler pulleys are bent to one side.
I'll get a new belt because the one I have looks like it has seen better days.
Here is a shot of the pulleys.

Should they be bent off to the side like that? I looked at the parts diagram but I can't tell from that.
 

Last edited by the_tow_guy; 02-25-10 at 05:06 AM. Reason: Fixed the photo link
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Old 02-25-10, 01:18 AM
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Your picture isn't working. The pulleys should be on the same plane as the belt and run even with it. If the belt is too thin and loose, it will also cause problems.
 
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Old 02-25-10, 05:04 AM
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Fixed the photo for you.
 
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Old 02-25-10, 05:45 AM
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I would say the bracket is bent. Unfortuneatly, it is no longer available.
 
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Old 02-25-10, 03:01 PM
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bent

I would try to straighten the part of the bracket where the pulleys are attached. My guess is that they should be running parallel, plus you have nothing to loose. Maybe the tensionor was adjusted too tight. or the bracket material wasn't sturdy enough to prevent the bending., or when a loose belt popped
off, it could have bent then.
Sid
 
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Old 02-25-10, 03:27 PM
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Thank you for fixing the photo. What did I do wrong on the photo?
Oh, the idler pulleys. What a nightmare. I had everything all ready for the killer snowstorm last night about midnight. I thought to myself "maybe I'll just take a quick look and see why that belt keeps coming off". I saw the idler pulleys and thought, just like y'all did, that it didn't look right. So, I decided to take them off and straighten them.
BIG mistake! First, they must have been designed that way for some reason unknown to me because once straightened out, you cannot reassemble them. Second, they are incredibly difficult to put back on. I was saying cuss words I didn't even know I knew. At 4am the pulleys were back on and I was making promises to NEVER touch them again.
I think I'll try a new belt.
I love that old Craftsman but that pulley arrangement was designed be the Devil.
Word to the wise (obviously I am not in that group)-If it ain't broke...don't fix it.
 
 

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