cub cadet w/341 snow blower..twisting belt..

[02B12S]

OK. I recently obtained a Cub Cadet 2160 with a 42 inch snowthrower model 341, It was purchased from a Estate sale of a neighbor who died suddenly of a heart attack.. This machine has 66 hrs on it, and has eaten PTO belts with the snow blower attached since it was new. What happens is the belt twists on the idler pulley so it rides on its side, and blows the belt after a few storms.

I got 5 belts with the purchase :^) but have now gone through them all, Belts have been installed correctly, (according to the manual and picture showing the belt twists through the idlers and onto tie PTO pulley.. Everything looks like it lines up ok. Just the belt off the idler feeding the PTO, does not untwist under load causing the belt to lay on its side? any ideas??

Thanks

02B12S

[Frank Rosenbaum]

Check the alignment of the pullies. If one is slightly off center with the other, it could cause the rolling.

Take a straight edge yardstick and place it in the groove of one pully and see if it sits in the groove of the others.

[02B12S]

The "v" of the Idler and PTO Pulleys are orientated 90Deg. to each other. belt comes off idler, rotates 90Deg, then goes over the PTO pulley, rotates

90deg to go over the other idler, then onto the driven pulley on the snow blower.. So I don't see how a straight edge would work.

Thanks JJ

[Frank Rosenbaum]

OK, I think I understand. One is verticle and the other is horizontal? Is the belt long enough to make a figure 8 around the pulleys and idler. Some times that is the way to change orientation of a belt.

[Srgnt Billko]

Without seeing the machine - it sounds like a flat idler pulley is supposed to be a V idler or visa versa. Or a tension spring is missing or the tension is not correct.

What do you want for this piece of junk that eats belts ? I might be willing to take it off your hands.

[02B12S]

Thought of that, I checked the IPB, and it calls for two, V idler pulleys.. :^( I think something is out of alignment, or maybe a defective PTO Pulley.. I remember the previous owner complaining about it eating belts. (probably what did him in (dark humor))

The wife likes the hydrostatic drive and the way it cuts the grass in the summer.. :^) I still have my 25year old WheelHorse with a single stage thrower (With the original Belt and Chain) to use while this thing is down.. wife won't use it though, its a manual trans, and it never starts for her anyway..

Thanks for the ideas.. JJ

[Srgnt Billko]

I feel like a brother to you - with my "old" Wheelhorse & Cub Cadet.