I have that "stop strap" on every 46 and 50 deck that I have (7), and they all look to be original equipment. I do not see it described in my 46 deck Operator's Manual, but it is described in the 50 deck Operator's Manual. The manual calls for 1/16 space between the strap and the idler arm. Earlier this year, on a 50 deck I started using, I noticed that the belt would snap or jump around a lot when turning the PTO off, to the point where I thought that perhaps the belt would jump off a pulley or the idler. That problem was caused by a huge gap between the stop strap and idler arm. When I changed the gap to 1/16", the belt did not jump any more when turning off the PTO.
How to adjust 46 mower deck idler strap
I have been rebuilding my 46 mower deck so I removed all components off the deck including the idler strap. I don’t totally understand its purpose but it seems to limit the travel of the idler arm so it does not go too loose. However, with the spring pulling the opposite direction to keep the belt taught, it still isn’t clear to me why it is needed. I have not found any mention anywhere about this part when people have worked on their decks. So, what is the proper adjustment for the strap? See the attached photo. Thanks
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