dart451 wrote:KE4AVB wrote:As BGS says with the MTD being .656 wide and a standard 5/8 is only .625, the 5/8 is going to sit lower in the transaxle pulley and the variable pulley grooves so the belt will seems too long. This is the quark about MTDs where Standard 5/8 v-belts will not work correctly but many after market vendors still will sale one if you are willing to buy it knowing full well that they will not work right.
KE4AVB, did you notice though that the belt appears to stick out too much beyond the pulley? I think this is why the belt is hitting the deck raising bar. If I get the MTD one, which shows larger, won't it even sit higher on the pulley and make the problem worse?
This is why the width is so important 0 width of the belt makes the variable pulley "larger" in O.D. which means the belt "shortens" between the idler tensioner and the variable pulley, which means the idler tensioner is pulled in further towards VS Pulley and away from the link... plus the MTD OEM Belt will be much "flatter" in profile - like 3/8" thickness, as compared to a 5/8" belt which might have a thickness of 1/2" to 7/16" in its profile
To try and illustrate in text format:
a regular 5/8 belt might have a profile like:
\ /
\_/
Note the "height" if the V seen from a cross section..
whereas an MTD OEM Belt might be more like:
\__/ - That is, much flatter in the "height" cross section - but the wider top width of the MTD makes the belt "shorter" as it runs around the pulleys....
How poor are they who have not patience. What wound did ever heal, but by degrees? - Iago (Othello Act II, Scene 3)