Mowing rck54-22bx tension spring

[parkwatydog]

I recently had to repair one of the mower blades on my rck54-22bx deck. I am really struggling to restore the tension pulley and the tension spring as pulling the spring with the belt in place seems to require the strength of a super-hero. Am I missing some trick or some tool or is it just a matter of brute strength? Thanks in advance.

 

[rbarker]

I recently had to repair one of the mower blades on my rck54-22bx deck. I am really struggling to restore the tension pulley and the tension spring as pulling the spring with the belt in place seems to require the strength of a super-hero. Am I missing some trick or some tool or is it just a matter of brute strength? Thanks in advance.

Oh yeah that's no fun! I did this on my 60" a couple of years back and I tried a bunch of different ideas like putting the spring on with the belt off and using a large pry bar to retract the tension pulley enough to slip the belt on. In the end I seem to recall just using a large screw driver to stretch the spring and catch it in the hole. I remember feeling kind of lucky when it caught after only a few tries. Maybe someone else has worked out a more fool proof method.

Good luck!

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Gator6x4]

Hopefully I can articulate this so it is understandable. One of the best tools I have seen for this was a one half inch steel bar approximately three foot long with a T handle on one end. The other end had U approximately two inches long. The short side of the U was bent out to about a thirty degree angle.

The individual could remove or install belts quickly. The U allowed the tool to be positioned in such a way on the retention post to allow the bent side to be twisted forcing the spring from the post, yet retaining control.

 

[CHDinCT]

Oh, yeah. Took my spring off for winter storage a few years ago - never again. About got a hernia trying to put it back on. Had me and the wife working on it at one point. I believe I used a combination of a ratchet strap and a come-along. I think the come-along worked in the end. Trying to remember, but I think I used the ratchet strap to secure the deck to an immovable object, then the come along to get the spring on. It was a real b-i-t-c-h.