[fltcrew21]

I'm hearing a squeal while mowing and I need advice targeting it. First off it is intermittent but somewhat frequent. Doesn't seem to matter if I am turning or going straight. My dad inspected the deck and primed/painted it while I was restoring the tractor 8 years ago and has only mowed a few hours since then.

Is there a PTO clutch bearing or anything else it could be except a deck spindle?

How would you go about trouble shooting this?

 

[rustyknuckles]

I suppose you need to localize where the squeal is coming from. For sure from the deck? Sometimes the pulleys in the mule drive get bad bearings, and they can squeal. So you need to have someone with a good ear stand next to the tractor when it is squealing.

Or maybe you've got a little pig stuck under there someplace?

 

[woodpecker41]

Alan most electric clutches have a clearance setting that can be checked. There are several idler pulleys on the mower deck system any of which could be going bad. Did you use JD belts? Is the belt tension setting by the book? Probably others that I am forgetting. Roger

 

[fltcrew21]

It is a JD belt. The squeal seems to be coming from the right side of the tractor so maybe it is a pulley. There isn't anyway to grease them and since it is the middle of mowing season, I guess I will run it until it fails or fall gets here when I can take the deck off and give it a good cleaning, painting and inspection.

 

[fltcrew21]

I pulled the grill off and rotated the clutch pulley back and forth. It was pretty obvious that it was the culprit. It was squeking just moving it an inch or two.

I tightened each bolt 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn and although it obviously became more difficult to turn, it stopped the noise.

I haven't put the grill back on and fired it up yet but I suspect the problem is solved; at least for now.