Ours kept breaking and also ruined a pulley, and we saw on TH-cam where a man had moved the belt the way you did. Since we moved our belt too, we have not broke a pulley since, and only one belt. It’s been over ten years. Thanks for putting this out to here for everyone to be able to get their lawn mowed without spending a fortune on belts.
This is great information. i bought this model many years ago and encountered the same issue. i replaced 3 belts the 1st summer. i did a lot of research and found out some useful information wile searching the web and i also got to speak with someone who used to work for Cub Cadet. i was told that the belt issue was due to the fact that the original design for this mower called for a 3/4 inch belt but at the last minute they switched it to a 1/2 inch belt but most of the models and or the owners manuals were never adjusted for the change...hence the 2 different holes for the spring. i was told to move the spring bolt to the other notch just like in this video. it has been much better over the years but still on of my most disappointing purchases. i am very happy i found this video as i did not know about the pulley spacer and will definitely remove that next belt or blade change. thank you very much for this video.
My sister bought an ltx-1050 new mowed with it for years and got tired of buying new belts.So she gave me the mower a month or so back it had no belt so i had to fork over 80.00 at tsc. The dealer she bought it from wanted 100.00 he has the balls to tell me only the belt he sells will work. I never cared much for him,anyway i ordered a belt off ebay got it today did the bolt move. I hooked everything up last thing was the spring I put it over the bolt without any tools mowed my yard that is more than an acre no issues yet. My kawasaki 23 horse will engage the pto clutch at idle no problem. My zero turn you try that and the deck wants to jump out from under the mower anyway good info in the video even if the video is a few years old its always there.
Worked like a charm, thank you! Last mow the new belt broke in 10 minutes. 3rd one so far. Just followed your advice and finished up a 3 hour now with no problems.
I'm glad I found you, just bought same 1050 tractor used ,from lawn tractor shop, he said that he had just put a new pan belt on, had to take pan off to get tractor in my f150 bed while off decided to paint it, that's when I saw what you showed, one pulley way too high, started looking up and found you, I'm 62 yrs old never seen nothing like it, drove me crazy, thanks, I'm going to do the same as you did, thanks again
After going through 3 belts this summer I took a video of my mower deck with pto on and the guard off. Standing at a safe distance. I showed the video to the owner at the mower shop and he noticed that the belt going from the left side to the right side was flopping so bat the it was hitting itself on the tension pully . He said go to a 2 inch shorter belt. All I could find was a 3 inch shorter belt but was able to get it on and now there is about 3” distance between where the belts used to hit the tension pully and no more flopping and belt look fine after 2 hours. I had to get a 2 inch longer spring and not as strong as the original but seems to work well!
I have the Cub Cadet LTX1050. Never had a problem until the Right Side Idler Pulley Split In Half. When I went to replace it, I went ahead and replaced Both Idler Pulleys. I also Replaced all the Bearings in the Blade Spindles. It ran smooth and was quiet. Cut 1/2 Acre and the Belt Separated. I changed the belt to a new Cub Cadet Kevlar Belt moved the spring as you suggested but if I removed the spacer the Pulley Rubbed and locked down. I reinstated the spacer. To my amazement I was able to cut a quarter of an Acre before the Belt Jumped Off The Deck! So Looking for Something Better For Me.
also when reinstalling the deck make sure to get the locating notch on the electric clutch lined up on the belt guard on the drive pulley, this is not mentioned in any of the procedures for removing and replacing the deck. if not lined up, the clutch will spin when engaged and give a big jerk to the belt when it can't spin anymore and possibly break the wires off the electric clutch
Thanks for taking the time to share..Blew my belt today. 150 hr. Ltx1050. I took the nut out but my pully rubs the tensioner bracket. Have same problem. Belts snap. Not thrilled about the jam nut.. but I found the other pully with the belt guide was pinching the belt. So I slightly bent the mounting bracket and filed the jam nut pully spacer to reduce tensioner bracket from wiggling up and down.. found the pully drive design is faulty and plagued with small issues. Think im going to look at other brands...
Excellent. Have previously used belt angle to increase life. Limits deck height adjustments but saves money. Just because an engineer says a deck has 4” of travel doesn’t mean belt life is optimal at every setting.
I bought a LTX 1050 for my son and had the same problem with it. The belt kept breaking all the time. I am going to try this on my sons mower. Thank you so much for the instructions.
I checked out my deck while I had it off to fix the drive belt, and the bolt that the spring hooks to was in the same hole that you ended up using. That is how it came brand new.
I've maintained and repaired mowers for 50 years at home and every job I've had. I have to agree that the belt tension seems waaaay to high. Anything beyond what is needed to keep it from slipping just puts more wear on the belt and pulley bearings. I don't think my deck has pre-drilled holes, but it looks like yours moved it back about 1-1/2"? That's what I will try and see if it gives me better belt life. Thx. for posting. 9/12/20 -- I replaced the pulley on my deck today, and going with your suggestion I addressed the over-tension concern. In lieu of moving the spring post, I made-up a spring extension that I could remove if I didn't like it. Made a metal link with two holes 1-1/2" apart from a 1" wide steel flat. The spring hooks are 90 degrees from one another, so I put a 1/2 twist in the flat. The resulting tension is enough to keep the belts from slapping, and I didn't sense any slippage (and my lawn was a bit on the shaggy-high side waiting on my deck repair!) The recent belt I bought is definitely a tad smaller than the previous one, and needed that relief. Thx again for the suggestion.
Thanks for the info! I have this exact mower..LTX1050KW 2012 with 519.6 hrs. bought new in Spring of 2013! I have only replaced my deck belt 4 times in 9 yrs. and I mow about 7'' of grass each week for 3hrs. I have always ran the original Cub-Cadet belt 954-04240 except once I used a Rotary belt and did not like! One thing is the idler arm and pulleys have to be free to move hence the big spring for tension! Also the height of cut, sharpness of blades, correct tire pressure and the accumulation of grass under the deck are all factors concerning belt life! Hope this helps as well!
yep sharpness of blades is a big factor..the blades if dull jerk and pull on the belt as they hit thicker patches of grass and then the sparser areas..the engine always runs at the same speed and this disjointed pace tween the engine and the blades will wear out belts big time. I keep blades sharp and mow before it gets too high...same belt for 250 hrs so far on my Cub.
Cub Cadet manual cautions that you should engage the clutch AT FULL THROTTLE with this deck. Seems counter-intuitive, but it lessens belt slap which can cause the belt to smack against guards, keepers, or close-running parts that can damage the belt. Look under your deck with the belt guards off and notice how much the belts slap with the engine at a low throttle setting compared to full speed--smooth. That's one reason not to mow at slow throttle speeds. Starting at slow speeds also put a lot of torque on the belt during the moment it is trying to overcome inertia to get the blades up to speed. Different makes and models have recommended engagement procedures, but the LTX 1050 is full throttle.
I disagree with Cub. An engine running at 3600 RPM puts more of a shock load on the drive system, and engine, than engaging the PTO at just off idle. It's all about inertia, and a body at rest... And these are the same people who engineered a 50" deck with ONE belt going around 6 pulleys. And to add to the mess the angle of the drive to driven pulley changes dependending on the deck height setting. The 46" deck has little issues. The 50" is a hot mess.
@@steadyeddie7453 at the end of the day these companies are all about farming us for our money... they design things to break over time so you have to keep giving them your money.
I've had similar issues. Look at the distance the belt travels unguided from the left spindle pulley to the right spindle pulley. I believe that's way to far a distance w/o something in the middle to help guide the belt and stop the belt oscillations when running. So I installed an additional idler pulley under the left idler pulley (camera view). I made a simple plate that mounts to the bar that the idlers are bolted to. Then I mounted the new idler to the new plate. It definitely removed the oscillations in the belt and is about 80% effective. Every now and then it will still throw the belt for no reason. But really, the 50" deck shouldn't have ONE belt going around 6 pulleys. It gets more complicated when you raise or lower the deck height.
I moved the tension spring bolt after my first belt broke and the belt lasted 6 years before wearing out and coming off. I hope the next one lasts longer. I'll look at the spacer and lower my idle down before engaging the blades.
I have this exact mower. Use this video to find the routing for the broken belt. I purchase it new and mine doesn't have the spacer under the pulley yours had. Weird! Thanks for the video
Thank you so much for this video. My LTZ-1050 has been the worse purchase I've made since I bought those condoms at the Scratch, Dent, & Puncture Store. (Fathers Day is a joke compared to Mothers Day m, it turns out.) Anyway, thanks for easing some of my hassles w this giant yellow hemorrhoid.
Oh how I wish I watched you yesterday when I replaced my deck belt again. I have the same exact mower and I've spent well over $600 on belts. This one I just got cost me. $75 and didn't last a half hr before it broke. I'm saving this video for the next time I change the belt. One question I have is you said you took the spacer out mine also has washers so should I put it all back together with it being flush with the deck? Also I noticed on the one next to it it didn't have a nut on it. I didn't know if it should or not. I thought maybe that's why the belt broke so I put one on it. Also I noticed when I engaged the clutch it sounded like a rattle. Please let me know I can't keep affording new belts.
Got this mower for free Monday and had to take the deck off and got it back on. Gotta check bearings on the spindles and rebuild them before next season. Setting the large tension spring was a pain in the ass. Idk if I even looked at the 1 you moved your bolt on to a lower setting. Mine was the large spring by your right elbow the way your sitting in this video
Thought it was just my mower , I’ve broken 4 belts thus far , seems to be a really poor design be nice if we could go to a simpler designed deck even if loosing 6” of cut , I spend more time working on my mower than I do cutting anyways
Ok, I need help. Same exact mower. With my belt on, it rubs the underside of that silver bracket the spring is on. But if I put the belt on top it rubs the topside. It's like it needs to be exactly where that bracket is...!
Mine has the (nut) spacer, but when I took it out, the pulley bottomed out. So maybe had something to do with the supply of pulleys fitted to the decks...
I searched youtube because my 1050 keeps throwing the belt when engaging the PTO, not shredding them. The only way it seems to NOT throw the belt is if it is JUST under full power. After warm up, I run it all the way up and pull it back just out of the detent and it will stay on. If not, it vibrates bad and immediately throws the belt. Once running it won't throw. Your comment about this being bad is right in line with my thinking! I figure SOMETHING has to be wrong where I can't engage it anywhere but near full power! Any other thoughts?
Hi Todd, great video. Snapped another one. I moved the nut last year and it seemed to work until yesterday. I'm going to try removing the spacer. The last time I did it, it was very much metal on metal. Is that your experience too? Thanks!
At 10 hours, headline bulb and socket fell out, shorted out against ex manifold. Blew main fuse. Starter replaced at 70 hours. Left head gasket at 100 hours, right head gasket at 110 hours. Has always run a bit rich and will die if you drop the throttle quickly! Only one deck belt so far, cooked it cutting very tall weeds. At 120 hours could barely turn the steering wheel. Spindles never lubed from the factory! Just replaced drive belt at 140 hours. Junk! PS, head gaskets have no flame ring around cylinder opening, not designed to last!
If front steering spindles are what your talking about you should grease them long ago. I grease mine every use or every other use. On head gaskets my engine was changed to a Koehler command and so far so good. Sorry to hear your going through all that
Todd, thanks for this. I have the same issues. Replaced all three spindles and new belt. I did notice when the belt shredded last time the deck are, the anti sway bar pin had fallen out. This happened again when I tested it for about 30 minutes of mowing and the belt shredded. Help!
I've had the same problem with my 1050. I went through three belts last year. I'm going to try it out. Thank you for the tips! Can you share the part number for the belt you used? I have read in a few places that the stock replacement is slightly too long and to get a slightly shorter belt. Was that the case for you or did the stock belt work?
Qst for you sir: the pulley that you lowered, was there some kind of black residue inside the v-shape groove? I mean when compared with the other pulleys. Thank you very much, very well explained.
Great video, thanks for this. Do you still have this mower and was this ultimately the solution? I've had this mower for a few years now and can't stand the endless belt breaking problem I have every year with it.
I have same mower. Got it because it always threw belt for someone. I gave idler bracket a custom bend to help with angle. Hasn't threw belt in two summers. Definitely a poor design angle wise. Designed to sell belts.
i hope it does help...btw...any chance u might be abke to get the part number for the blader spindles for that deck...1 broke on mine and apparently someone put some random ones on befor me..bc i cant seem to find the right one to replace mine...im just going to do all 3 and be done...so i know its right.....ty.. great video
Having the same problem. On my 3rd belt in the last year now. Going to try both of these fixes. I noticed on my mower deck though that the idler pulley screw on the one that is not the pivot hits the metal flange rather than going through the upside down T shape cut into the metal flange. Is that the same way for you too? If yes, do you have the bolt in front of or behind the flange?
I have a slightly different problem with my LTX1050VT. The original belt lasted till last summer. I replaced it and then this summer it broke again. I've mowed maybe 60 feet with two belts. I'm replacing #3. Every belt was shredded. This time I found that the tension bracket and spring are rubbing on the belt below and the belt above it. I think this is causing the shredding problem. I can't get the belts to clear the spring and bracket. I've had the deck off four times, turned pulleys upside down and back, moved the bolt for the spring like you showed, adjusted spacers, straightened the bracket and nothing helps. Any ideas on how to fix this? It has to be something simple, but I can't find it.
The same exact thing is happening with my neighbor’s Cub Cadet LTX1050. We replaced both idler pulleys and belt and now the belt rubs on the bottom of the spring tensioner bracket and the belt seems to ride high on the pulleys. I’ve had the deck off 4 times today and tried several different things to no avail. Also, isn’t there an actual spacer under the other idler pulley(right one if looking from rear of deck)?
@@toddscarbandrepair8304 Really appreciate your help. It’s fixed! I took your advice about the tensioner spring being too tight and moved the bolt. Likely the reason why the pulley broke and flew out on the lawn. Way too tight. And then the replacement pulley was shredding belts. So I went to a local hardware store looking for washers to adjust the pulley height. They had a pulley for something else that was just a tiny bit smaller in diameter but it was taller with larger flanges. Stens 280-402. It’s perfect for the transition from the clutch to the idler and down to the blade pulleys. So the pulley change, your recommendations on height and spring tension are exactly what this mower needed. Thanks again!!
Ours kept breaking and also ruined a pulley, and we saw on TH-cam where a man had moved the belt the way you did. Since we moved our belt too, we have not broke a pulley since, and only one belt. It’s been over ten years. Thanks for putting this out to here for everyone to be able to get their lawn mowed without spending a fortune on belts.
This is great information. i bought this model many years ago and encountered the same issue. i replaced 3 belts the 1st summer. i did a lot of research and found out some useful information wile searching the web and i also got to speak with someone who used to work for Cub Cadet. i was told that the belt issue was due to the fact that the original design for this mower called for a 3/4 inch belt but at the last minute they switched it to a 1/2 inch belt but most of the models and or the owners manuals were never adjusted for the change...hence the 2 different holes for the spring. i was told to move the spring bolt to the other notch just like in this video. it has been much better over the years but still on of my most disappointing purchases. i am very happy i found this video as i did not know about the pulley spacer and will definitely remove that next belt or blade change. thank you very much for this video.
Thank you for the info!
My sister bought an ltx-1050 new mowed with it for years and got tired of buying new belts.So she gave me the mower a month or so back it had no belt so i had to fork over 80.00 at tsc. The dealer she bought it from wanted 100.00 he has the balls to tell me only the belt he sells will work. I never cared much for him,anyway i ordered a belt off ebay got it today did the bolt move. I hooked everything up last thing was the spring I put it over the bolt without any tools mowed my yard that is more than an acre no issues yet. My kawasaki 23 horse will engage the pto clutch at idle no problem. My zero turn you try that and the deck wants to jump out from under the mower anyway good info in the video even if the video is a few years old its always there.
Worked like a charm, thank you! Last mow the new belt broke in 10 minutes. 3rd one so far.
Just followed your advice and finished up a 3 hour now with no problems.
Is this still working for you? Did you remove the spacer as well? Dealing with the same problem myself.
I'm glad I found you, just bought same 1050 tractor used ,from lawn tractor shop, he said that he had just put a new pan belt on, had to take pan off to get tractor in my f150 bed while off decided to paint it, that's when I saw what you showed, one pulley way too high, started looking up and found you, I'm 62 yrs old never seen nothing like it, drove me crazy, thanks, I'm going to do the same as you did, thanks again
Glad I could help! Thanks
After going through 3 belts this summer I took a video of my mower deck with pto on and the guard off. Standing at a safe distance. I showed the video to the owner at the mower shop and he noticed that the belt going from the left side to the right side was flopping so bat the it was hitting itself on the tension pully . He said go to a 2 inch shorter belt. All I could find was a 3 inch shorter belt but was able to get it on and now there is about 3” distance between where the belts used to hit the tension pully and no more flopping and belt look fine after 2 hours. I had to get a 2 inch longer spring and not as strong as the original but seems to work well!
I have the Cub Cadet LTX1050. Never had a problem until the Right Side Idler Pulley Split In Half.
When I went to replace it, I went ahead and replaced Both Idler Pulleys. I also Replaced all the Bearings in the Blade Spindles.
It ran smooth and was quiet.
Cut 1/2 Acre and the Belt Separated.
I changed the belt to a new Cub Cadet Kevlar Belt moved the spring as you suggested but if I removed the spacer the Pulley Rubbed and locked down. I reinstated the spacer.
To my amazement I was able to cut a quarter of an Acre before the Belt Jumped Off The Deck!
So Looking for Something Better For Me.
also when reinstalling the deck make sure to get the locating notch on the electric clutch lined up on the belt guard on the drive pulley, this is not mentioned in any of the procedures for removing and replacing the deck. if not lined up, the clutch will spin when engaged and give a big jerk to the belt when it can't spin anymore and possibly break the wires off the electric clutch
Thanks for taking the time to share..Blew my belt today. 150 hr. Ltx1050. I took the nut out but my pully rubs the tensioner bracket. Have same problem. Belts snap. Not thrilled about the jam nut.. but I found the other pully with the belt guide was pinching the belt. So I slightly bent the mounting bracket and filed the jam nut pully spacer to reduce tensioner bracket from wiggling up and down.. found the pully drive design is faulty and plagued with small issues. Think im going to look at other brands...
Excellent. Have previously used belt angle to increase life. Limits deck height adjustments but saves money. Just because an engineer says a deck has 4” of travel doesn’t mean belt life is optimal at every setting.
I bought a LTX 1050 for my son and had the same problem with it. The belt kept breaking all the time. I am going to try this on my sons mower. Thank you so much for the instructions.
How’d it work man??
I checked out my deck while I had it off to fix the drive belt, and the bolt that the spring hooks to was in the same hole that you ended up using. That is how it came brand new.
I've maintained and repaired mowers for 50 years at home and every job I've had. I have to agree that the belt tension seems waaaay to high. Anything beyond what is needed to keep it from slipping just puts more wear on the belt and pulley bearings. I don't think my deck has pre-drilled holes, but it looks like yours moved it back about 1-1/2"? That's what I will try and see if it gives me better belt life. Thx. for posting.
9/12/20 -- I replaced the pulley on my deck today, and going with your suggestion I addressed the over-tension concern. In lieu of moving the spring post, I made-up a spring extension that I could remove if I didn't like it. Made a metal link with two holes 1-1/2" apart from a 1" wide steel flat. The spring hooks are 90 degrees from one another, so I put a 1/2 twist in the flat. The resulting tension is enough to keep the belts from slapping, and I didn't sense any slippage (and my lawn was a bit on the shaggy-high side waiting on my deck repair!) The recent belt I bought is definitely a tad smaller than the previous one, and needed that relief. Thx again for the suggestion.
Thanks for the info! I have this exact mower..LTX1050KW 2012 with 519.6 hrs. bought new in Spring of 2013! I have only replaced my deck belt 4 times in 9 yrs. and I mow about 7'' of grass each week for 3hrs. I have always ran the original Cub-Cadet belt 954-04240 except once I used a Rotary belt and did not like! One thing is the idler arm and pulleys have to be free to move hence the big spring for tension! Also the height of cut, sharpness of blades, correct tire pressure and the accumulation of grass under the deck are all factors concerning belt life! Hope this helps as well!
Thanks for the info. The more, the better!
yep sharpness of blades is a big factor..the blades if dull jerk and pull on the belt as they hit thicker patches of grass and then the sparser areas..the engine always runs at the same speed and this disjointed pace tween the engine and the blades will wear out belts big time. I keep blades sharp and mow before it gets too high...same belt for 250 hrs so far on my Cub.
Cub Cadet manual cautions that you should engage the clutch AT FULL THROTTLE with this deck. Seems counter-intuitive, but it lessens belt slap which can cause the belt to smack against guards, keepers, or close-running parts that can damage the belt. Look under your deck with the belt guards off and notice how much the belts slap with the engine at a low throttle setting compared to full speed--smooth. That's one reason not to mow at slow throttle speeds.
Starting at slow speeds also put a lot of torque on the belt during the moment it is trying to overcome inertia to get the blades up to speed. Different makes and models have recommended engagement procedures, but the LTX 1050 is full throttle.
I disagree with Cub. An engine running at 3600 RPM puts more of a shock load on the drive system, and engine, than engaging the PTO at just off idle. It's all about inertia, and a body at rest... And these are the same people who engineered a 50" deck with ONE belt going around 6 pulleys. And to add to the mess the angle of the drive to driven pulley changes dependending on the deck height setting. The 46" deck has little issues. The 50" is a hot mess.
@@steadyeddie7453 at the end of the day these companies are all about farming us for our money... they design things to break over time so you have to keep giving them your money.
I've had similar issues. Look at the distance the belt travels unguided from the left spindle pulley to the right spindle pulley. I believe that's way to far a distance w/o something in the middle to help guide the belt and stop the belt oscillations when running. So I installed an additional idler pulley under the left idler pulley (camera view). I made a simple plate that mounts to the bar that the idlers are bolted to. Then I mounted the new idler to the new plate. It definitely removed the oscillations in the belt and is about 80% effective. Every now and then it will still throw the belt for no reason. But really, the 50" deck shouldn't have ONE belt going around 6 pulleys. It gets more complicated when you raise or lower the deck height.
I moved the tension spring bolt after my first belt broke and the belt lasted 6 years before wearing out and coming off. I hope the next one lasts longer. I'll look at the spacer and lower my idle down before engaging the blades.
Thank you thank you great info. I have the same Cub. The spacer under the idler pulls seemed like a cheap jury rig on Cub’s part.
I have this exact mower. Use this video to find the routing for the broken belt. I purchase it new and mine doesn't have the spacer under the pulley yours had. Weird! Thanks for the video
Thank you so much for this video. My LTZ-1050 has been the worse purchase I've made since I bought those condoms at the Scratch, Dent, & Puncture Store. (Fathers Day is a joke compared to Mothers Day m, it turns out.) Anyway, thanks for easing some of my hassles w this giant yellow hemorrhoid.
Fixed my problem! PTO kept throwing the belt off.
Well Done! Great info and a good explanation.
Oh how I wish I watched you yesterday when I replaced my deck belt again. I have the same exact mower and I've spent well over $600 on belts. This one I just got cost me. $75 and didn't last a half hr before it broke. I'm saving this video for the next time I change the belt. One question I have is you said you took the spacer out mine also has washers so should I put it all back together with it being flush with the deck? Also I noticed on the one next to it it didn't have a nut on it. I didn't know if it should or not. I thought maybe that's why the belt broke so I put one on it. Also I noticed when I engaged the clutch it sounded like a rattle. Please let me know I can't keep affording new belts.
I haven't had a belt problem on the deck, yet, on my 2013 1050. I will be taking your observations to heart though and see what's shakin".
Same issue w/ my LT1045 , throwing belt mostly , breaks occasionally, I’ll ck pulleys for spacers , hope I can fix it , thanks for sharing
My original belt laster forever but now I just broke my first aftermarket belt in less than one season
Got this mower for free Monday and had to take the deck off and got it back on. Gotta check bearings on the spindles and rebuild them before next season. Setting the large tension spring was a pain in the ass. Idk if I even looked at the 1 you moved your bolt on to a lower setting. Mine was the large spring by your right elbow the way your sitting in this video
Excellent advice.
Thought it was just my mower , I’ve broken 4 belts thus far , seems to be a really poor design be nice if we could go to a simpler designed deck even if loosing 6” of cut , I spend more time working on my mower than I do cutting anyways
On mine the pulley(bearing) is recessed without the spacer( nut) it will scrub the bracket.
Ok, I need help. Same exact mower. With my belt on, it rubs the underside of that silver bracket the spring is on. But if I put the belt on top it rubs the topside. It's like it needs to be exactly where that bracket is...!
Mine has the (nut) spacer, but when I took it out, the pulley bottomed out. So maybe had something to do with the supply of pulleys fitted to the decks...
That spacer nut also creates another friction point, I would ASSuME would need constant lube
I put a new belt on deck took out the spacer. Now the belt smokes shortly after engaging the PTO. Any suggestions...
Same problem. Thanks!
I searched youtube because my 1050 keeps throwing the belt when engaging the PTO, not shredding them. The only way it seems to NOT throw the belt is if it is JUST under full power. After warm up, I run it all the way up and pull it back just out of the detent and it will stay on. If not, it vibrates bad and immediately throws the belt. Once running it won't throw. Your comment about this being bad is right in line with my thinking! I figure SOMETHING has to be wrong where I can't engage it anywhere but near full power! Any other thoughts?
That said, mine doesn't have more bolt holes for the spring to adjust to ...just the one
Why is my tensioner bolt keep breaking on my Cub cadet zero turn
Helli thanks for the videos, im french and sorry for my bad english. How many milimeters for the pouley we need? Thanks
Hi Todd, great video. Snapped another one. I moved the nut last year and it seemed to work until yesterday. I'm going to try removing the spacer. The last time I did it, it was very much metal on metal. Is that your experience too?
Thanks!
Have this exact mower and same problems and my belt breaks when you disengage the blades!
Are we not gonna mention the fact that when you turn the front wheels plow the yard up?
Mine doesn’t do that. Sorry yours does.Perhaps you could plant a garden?
At 10 hours, headline bulb and socket fell out, shorted out against ex manifold. Blew main fuse. Starter replaced at 70 hours. Left head gasket at 100 hours, right head gasket at 110 hours. Has always run a bit rich and will die if you drop the throttle quickly! Only one deck belt so far, cooked it cutting very tall weeds. At 120 hours could barely turn the steering wheel. Spindles never lubed from the factory! Just replaced drive belt at 140 hours. Junk! PS, head gaskets have no flame ring around cylinder opening, not designed to last!
If front steering spindles are what your talking about you should grease them long ago. I grease mine every use or every other use. On head gaskets my engine was changed to a Koehler command and so far so good. Sorry to hear your going through all that
What size is the belt
Todd, thanks for this. I have the same issues. Replaced all three spindles and new belt. I did notice when the belt shredded last time the deck are, the anti sway bar pin had fallen out. This happened again when I tested it for about 30 minutes of mowing and the belt shredded. Help!
I've had the same problem with my 1050. I went through three belts last year. I'm going to try it out. Thank you for the tips! Can you share the part number for the belt you used? I have read in a few places that the stock replacement is slightly too long and to get a slightly shorter belt. Was that the case for you or did the stock belt work?
I purchased an aftermarket belt from my supplier using the original cub cadet belt number. 954-04240
I have the same mower with the same issue. What length and width did you put replace with? Please and thank you!!
Part#954-04240. 160.9 x 1/2”.
Qst for you sir: the pulley that you lowered, was there some kind of black residue inside the v-shape groove? I mean when compared with the other pulleys. Thank you very much, very well explained.
Not that I remember. Thanks
Great video, thanks for this. Do you still have this mower and was this ultimately the solution? I've had this mower for a few years now and can't stand the endless belt breaking problem I have every year with it.
Still have the mower and use it every week. It did solve the problem. Changed the belt this spring, but only as a part of regular maintenance. Thanks!
@@toddscarbandrepair8304 Why did I not find this videos years ago??? Anyway thankful to have found it now. You're the man, thank you so much for this.
Sorry for the stupid question here but is that "spacer" a little nut looking thing? Not the one on the very bottom but the other one?
Your welcome
Yep
I have same mower. Got it because it always threw belt for someone. I gave idler bracket a custom bend to help with angle. Hasn't threw belt in two summers. Definitely a poor design angle wise. Designed to sell belts.
Good thinking, good job!
Ben, can you explain exactly what you did with the idler bracket.
Could you redo the sound is very hard for me to hear what you're saying I have the exact style mower with the exact same problem
i hope it does help...btw...any chance u might be abke to get the part number for the blader spindles for that deck...1 broke on mine and apparently someone put some random ones on befor me..bc i cant seem to find the right one to replace mine...im just going to do all 3 and be done...so i know its right.....ty.. great video
50” deck spindle part number should be 918-05016. Cub Cadet and MTD numbers are the same.
@@toddscarbandrepair8304 wow thank you for the quick reply appreciate it
Having the same problem. On my 3rd belt in the last year now. Going to try both of these fixes. I noticed on my mower deck though that the idler pulley screw on the one that is not the pivot hits the metal flange rather than going through the upside down T shape cut into the metal flange. Is that the same way for you too? If yes, do you have the bolt in front of or behind the flange?
Todd.... Thanks for sharing these fixes. I have the same model and have the same issue with belt breakage. Did these fixes solve your problem?
Yes! It is now May of 2021 and we are still on the same belt that I installed back in 2019 when I made the video. Thanks!
What about the tension pulleys hanging on the deck
On the flat sterl behind it...
How long is the belt
I have a slightly different problem with my LTX1050VT. The original belt lasted till last summer. I replaced it and then this summer it broke again. I've mowed maybe 60 feet with two belts. I'm replacing #3. Every belt was shredded. This time I found that the tension bracket and spring are rubbing on the belt below and the belt above it. I think this is causing the shredding problem. I can't get the belts to clear the spring and bracket. I've had the deck off four times, turned pulleys upside down and back, moved the bolt for the spring like you showed, adjusted spacers, straightened the bracket and nothing helps. Any ideas on how to fix this? It has to be something simple, but I can't find it.
Lower your deck and snap a couple of good pics from either side of the belt and pulleys. Send them to me at toddscarbandrepair@yahoo.com.
The same exact thing is happening with my neighbor’s Cub Cadet LTX1050. We replaced both idler pulleys and belt and now the belt rubs on the bottom of the spring tensioner bracket and the belt seems to ride high on the pulleys. I’ve had the deck off 4 times today and tried several different things to no avail. Also, isn’t there an actual spacer under the other idler pulley(right one if looking from rear of deck)?
Ghost 300. There should be a spacer under that pulley. About 1/4 inch thick
Hi I can’t tell from the video if the two tensioner pulleys are at even hight or is one taller than the other after removing the jam nut?
I checked it today after reading your question. Both idlers appear to be the same height after removing the spacer.
@@toddscarbandrepair8304 Really appreciate your help. It’s fixed! I took your advice about the tensioner spring being too tight and moved the bolt. Likely the reason why the pulley broke and flew out on the lawn. Way too tight. And then the replacement pulley was shredding belts. So I went to a local hardware store looking for washers to adjust the pulley height. They had a pulley for something else that was just a tiny bit smaller in diameter but it was taller with larger flanges. Stens 280-402. It’s perfect for the transition from the clutch to the idler and down to the blade pulleys. So the pulley change, your recommendations on height and spring tension are exactly what this mower needed. Thanks again!!
I can't seem to find the correct belt, would you know the belt number for LTX 1050
954-04240. Be sure and check on the bottom side of your hood. There should be a sticker with part numbers on it if it’s still in tact. Thanks!
How many inches long is the belt on a 50in Cub Cadet deck . I got a ltx 1050
Cub cadet belt number is 954-04240. Should be right at 163 inches, give or take just a little.
Belt from Amazon with Kevlar is 160.9 inches.
What is the belt size?
Part#954-04240. 160.9x1/2”.
What is the deck belt model number? I keep finding 2 different sizes.
50 inch deck takes 160.900 x 1/2 at Amazon.
954-04240
@@williammurray8060 OEM measures 162.9"
Anybody know the correct belt size?
Too far away from the mike. Can’t hear you.