Cub Cadet Enforcer 44 eating belts

[Luffydog]

Yep I agree with Bg on your pitch angle is off like he said in a pulley or spindle. Heat and pitch are number 1 causes in belt failures.

[Mek-a-nik]

How'd you make out, Allseasons?
Original owner, 200 hrs. I'd like to know what it is.
I have a customer with a Cub (can't recall the model), with very little use that has torn up 2 drive belts and one hydro cooling fan. I thought it was a belt guard the first time.
I can't help him right now, as I'm dealing with shoulder surgery, but I'd like to when I can.

[bgsengine]

How'd you make out, Allseasons?
Original owner, 200 hrs. I'd like to know what it is.
I have a customer with a Cub (can't recall the model), with very little use that has torn up 2 drive belts and one hydro cooling fan. I thought it was a belt guard the first time.
I can't help him right now, as I'm dealing with shoulder surgery, but I'd like to when I can.

Check for frame cracks just ahead of the transmission. I had one that cracked through and no one noticed until I took it for a test drive and felt the frame flex - the crack was sorta hidden and you would not see it until you actually look for it.

[Mek-a-nik]

How'd you make out, Allseasons?
Original owner, 200 hrs. I'd like to know what it is.
I have a customer with a Cub (can't recall the model), with very little use that has torn up 2 drive belts and one hydro cooling fan. I thought it was a belt guard the first time.
I can't help him right now, as I'm dealing with shoulder surgery, but I'd like to when I can.

Check for frame cracks just ahead of the transmission. I had one that cracked through and no one noticed until I took it for a test drive and felt the frame flex - the crack was sorta hidden and you would not see it until you actually look for it.

Sounds good.
It's 2011 model that he just bought at the end of last season. That raised a flag when he told me that.
I wonder if it has a "history".
It'll be December, at best guess, before I can work.

[allseasons]

Sorry for the delay with the update. I have been busy with my sons car project. I have a new OE belt in hand. I will be dropping the deck this week to inspect everything with fine detail. If I don't find anything, I'll put the belt on and run it for a half hour then pull it and post up some pics.

[Arkie]

IMHO:
The pictures of the damaged belts appears as though they are damaged from their rear side. Belts appears to be rubbing on something on their back side!!!!!!
(rubbing on a idler that runs on the rear of the belt or a belt keeper that is too close to the belt. Sometimes their are multiple holes for the belt keeps and belt keepers easily installed in wrong holes after belt is replaced.

I've stacked small high speed bearings in place of bolt studs to reduce wear on the rear of belts.
The bearings can free spin on a bolt stud.

Look closely at the rear of your new belt after it's run just few minutes

[Bstout]

A couple of years ago or so I had a similar issue with my Cub Cadet GT2518-48. I couldn't keep the deck belt from breaking. I went through a number of after market belts and also a couple of OEM belts as well before I made a phone call to Cub Cadet. I spoke with a mechanic/customer service person and he was very helpful.

The guy told me to look for wear on the surfaces where the belt tracked. I could see where the paint was worn off on the idler pulleys (two of them) as I rotated the deck belt by hand with a new belt on it, I could clearly see the belt was NOT tracking or riding on the part of the idler pulley where the paint was worn off. So I placed an additional flat washer under the idler assembly which forced the deck belt to take its original path. I haven't had a problem since.

I did learn about after market belts not containing enough rubber. They've got too much fiberglass or whatever material taking away their ability to bungee. The belt must have enough 'rubber' in it so it can GIVE, otherwise it is going to BREAK. After market belts do not contain as much rubber as OEM belts which is why they're inexpensive and have poor longevity.

I'd make certain the deck belt is riding on the flat idler pulleys where the metal is bare (no paint) and forget about belts that are not OEM.

[KE4AVB]

There is a lot variables when it comes to v-belts.

Most v-belts used on lawn equipment are Kevlar (Aramid) corded this means that are more heat resistance and they only stretch by only 1 - 2 percent where non Kevlar corded can stretch as as 3-5 percent when loaded and some aftermarket non Kevlar belt can stretch as much as 10 percent. Then there is the pitch (the angle the vee is formed) can be different. Plus the actual construction vary from manufacture to manufacture. All this can cause issues depending the application.

When it come the belts that used on MTD products they are not a standard width most times. Most notable is the 5/8 like ones. They can be more or less 5/8" wide and usually not as high. Most noticeable is the use of .700" and .800" widths when a standard 5/8" is .625". When using a standard 5/8" belt to replace these there can be length issues, bottoming out issues, contact with belt guides, and other problems. When using an aftermarket 5/8" to replacement MTD belts there will most times will be problems. JD also uses a belt pitch that can cause problems when using aftermarket belts.

Then are the mechanical issues that arise from use and repairs that cause belt issues. I had one JD this year that had previous repairs where the OEM drive belt would no longer stay on the pulleys when disengaged. All the belt retainers were in place. JD had two slightly different versions of the drive system and the previous installer had changed the drive belt. It was cause by the use different sized pulleys which resulted in the need of slightly shorter belt. Someone at JD did not enter the correct break point into serial range which had the incorrect belt being installed by the previous installer.

There are rare exceptions where the OEM belt will no longer work due pulley and other mechanical wear. I had a MTD F deck this month that usually uses a 77-1/2" to 77-7/8" v-belt. I ended up using a 77" (A75K) belt to get it working. Normally installing such a belt will not work as the deck will not disengage. The mower should had all the v-pulleys replaced but as everything else on the deck was shot so I just patched it up. The mower overall looked like it been a demolition derby.

[allseasons]

Well, it's now come down to, I have to get this mower back up and running! Here are all the pics I took of the belt and pulleys for you guys to try and help figure out why this thing keeps burning belts.
To recap, I ordered a brand new MTD belt for it. I had been previously been using aftermarket belts of all types.
I have replaced all of the pulleys but one, the very front center double pulley. It spins nice and smooth, but does get very hot. Hot enough that you can't put your fingers on it. (not sure how normal this is)

The following pics are of the new MTD belt after only 10 min of very mild mowing on flat ground with the deck cutting at about 2"
First is of the angle of the deck sitting on the ground.

Next is the rear most V-pulley

And here is the Flat idler just in front of the V


Now, the pics of the belt alignment on the mower and its routing






And finally the condition of the belt after 10 minutes of use

[KE4AVB]

These fabricated decks do load the belts quite a bit but if you have change all the idlers and it is still destroying the only thing left is the spindle bearings or slippage on the PTO pulley. Due this high belt load even a bearing with just one rough spot can cause problems. I had a Husqvarna that ran a deck belt so tight it is nearly impossible to get it on; I am try to figure out how the owner got a 2" shorter belt on when the 90" is so hard to get on. It was breaking belts constantly after 30 minutes of run it. Now the belts do get very warm on these decks so I would expect the pulleys to get very warm too. Now temperature can be relative if just done by feel: one person warm could be another person's hot.

I finally got the Husqvarna fixed after I notice one bearing had a slight catch in only one spot. Once I replaced the bearing the owner had no more troubles; matter of fact, he was by last week and I made a point to ask him about that mower.