How to adjust 46 mower deck idler strap

2857 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by ianieto, Aug 22, 2020

ianieto

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2020

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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ianieto

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 21, 2020 (Edited)

jdalchemist said:
On the 50 deck the spacing between the strap and idler arm is 1/16".
Harold

Thanks. Where in your info did you find that measurement ? And when is that measurement taken and from what point? With the belt in place or off?

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ianieto

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 21, 2020

dhager4692 said:
I do not have that bar that you have circled on either of the 46 mower decks that I have. I wonder if a previous owner put that there? It doesn't show in JDParts.

It is in my JD parts 46-Inch Mid-Mount Rotary Mower parts catalog PC1935 and matches mine so it is not added

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ianieto

Discussion Starter · #7 · Aug 21, 2020

ianieto said:
Thanks. Where in your info did you find that measurement ? And when is that measurement taken and from what point? With the belt in place or off?

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ianieto

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 22, 2020

NYKen said:
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.

Good info. Here is what I did on mine. I set the gap to close to around 1/16", maybe a bit more. I can tweak it a bit if necessary. Refer to my photos. It is interesting that before I posted here I called my nearest Deere lawn and garden service and talked to a mechanic. He said he had been there six years and had not seen a 317 so he could not help me. He thought the strap might be used to limit the travel on the idler. Before I rebuilt my deck a few months ago, my belt jumped off a couple times. The idler was not aligned well and maybe the strap was not adjusted correctly. Hopefully it will be better now. Thanks for being helpful.

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