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jordan_pogorzelski73

Idler Pulley Shaking and Bad Belt?

8 years ago

Good Afternoon and thanks in advance,


My father passed away two years ago and I moved back in with my mother to help out/keep her company. I'm 23 years old and have very little experience with small engines/lawnmowers.


I was mowing the lawn the other day and ran out of gas. I was 3/4 of the way done with the 2 acre property, so the engine was quite hot. I refilled and started the mower, and when I engaged the blades a huge plume of smoke came from underneath the deck. I quickly shut the mower off and let the engine cool down before starting it again. When I started the second time and engaged the blades, the belt rattle seen in the video below started. You can see the video below of what I'm talking about.


1. My initial thought was that the idler was knocked loose, so removed the deck and tightened the idler pulley spindle/nut, as there was some upwards/downwards motion to the deck idler arm when I shook it by hand. The pulley itself is bolted and secured, so I know that it is not the issue.How tightly should the deck idler arm be bolted down? Should there be any upwards/downwards movement possible?



2. The belt obviously needs to be replaced. It is slightly shredded and you can see a blue layer which was never previously visible. Could the smoke have been the belt burning? I can't remember if the smell was rubbery or not. Could my issue solely be the belt or is there another issue that caused the belt to shred?




3. I tightened the tension relief linkage to add more tension to the spring that you see shaking. I did not tighten it all the way. should I tighten it more/add more tension to reduce shaking?


Conclusion: I obviously need a new belt, but I don't see how the idler pulley could be shaking THAT aggressively just because of a bad belt. Thoughts?

Featured Answer
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Lack of proper tension along with worn belt can produce the symptoms you are describing however a worn bearing on the idler can contribute to this issue . Purchase a new belt and check idler bearing freeplay without belt on to determine its condition . Also clean and lubricate (oil or grease) all serviceable linkages and spines within the under carriage . Hope this helps Bud !

    Comments (6)

    • 8 years ago
      last modified: 8 years ago

      My questions:

      1. Should I continue to tighten the bolt that attaches the idler arm to the frame (first picture)? How much "play" or "wobble" should the idler arm have?

      2. Should I continue to tighten/tension the tension relief linkage?

      Thank you for the response Ssewalk1, By idler bearing do you mean the idler pulley itself? and in how much does that part "wobble" or "play"? About how much play should something like this have. As of now, it is pretty secure. It is the idler arm that is shaking not the pulley itself.

      By the way, this is a Husqvarna Z4824 Residential Zero Turn.

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    • 8 years ago
      last modified: 8 years ago

      Not familiar with zero turns , the principle of the idler obviously is to apply tension to the belt the linkage supports the idler and aligns the belt . If the idler spins smoothly bearing is fine , the arm should have a little play but not excessive which would allow the belt to drift and travel side to side . deflection on a new belt should be 1/2 " I would think with a few pound of force applied midway between the pulleys . A new belt is required 1st , apply tension by tightening the tension spring rod to desired 1/2 " deflection as advised .

    • 8 years ago

      hi, there are a couple videos on you tube that address idler arm issues on husqvarna mowers. take the belt off and give everything a twist and pull and see if somethings amiss. if you don't have a manual i would take pictures before taking things apart.

      //www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6XCUy-aypo

    • 8 years ago

      You can see by looking at the belt move in /out of the drive pulley that the side of the belt must be burned/ distorted. Likely when the blades were restarted, grass or? held a blade and the drive pulley burned into the belt. An oem belt would be best.

    • 8 years ago
      1. I believe as the op stated the basic cause was the axile movement that the loose anchor bolt caused . Secondarily the blades on startup where frozen due to grass or debris as Tomplum advised , causing the belt to be burnished . Obviously the belt also may be stretched beyond the auto tensioner spring rod adjustment set point , which also would contribute to the loosness that will enable the belt to cause the noticeable vibration . Again new oem belt , clean and inspect all spindles and mandrel pulleys , lubricate as required and reassemble & adjust belt tension as previously advised .
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