Z Force belt smoking-

kdogg · Jun 26, 2009

Hello all
I have a Cub Z Force 50 that has around 40 hours on it. Earlier this morning I was finishing up my mowing task and suddenly I smelled rubber burning looked down and there was smoke rolling off the deck. It definitely smelled like I was smoking a belt. When it cooled, I blew it off with my blower and got down to inspect-the belt appeared to be on all the pullies? I raised the front end and tried to spin the blades and the moved but not with total ease. I also heard a kind of dragging sound-like a brake dragging.

Any thoughts on where to start? I desperately need help!

OldMachinist · Jun 26, 2009

The PTO clutch does have a brake so the sound you heard is normal. You need to release the pto belt tension and then spin the blades. You might want to check to see if there are clippings under the outer belt guards rubbing the belt. Also check that the idler pulleys spin freely.

kdogg · Jun 26, 2009

Thanks. I just blew out all the debris then hooked the hose up and deck washed it. I turned the PTO on and it seems to be fine???? The grass was a little "damp" from the dew this morning so maybe you are right and I just had a build up. I do keep it fairly clean and always blow the deck off before I wash it so hopefully just that.

Thanks again for the help.

OldMachinist · Jun 26, 2009

I had a lot of trouble with grass clippings and small sticks accumulating under the outer deck belt guards when we first got ours. It would pack up under there and rub the belt in just one cutting. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who cuts with children around or lets children use the mower but I removed the guards and left them off. I had to make a bracket to hold the pto belt tension rod but I've never had any problems with accumulation since and it's so much easier to clean the top of the deck.

kdogg · Jun 26, 2009

I did the same thing with my 2000 series Cub I had before this one so that may be what I also do.

savageactor7 · Jun 27, 2009

OldMachinist said:
I had a lot of trouble with grass clippings and small sticks accumulating under the outer deck belt guards when we first got ours. It would pack up under there and rub the belt in just one cutting. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who cuts with children around or lets children use the mower but I removed the guards and left them off. I had to make a bracket to hold the pto belt tension rod but I've never had any problems with accumulation since and it's so much easier to clean the top of the deck.

OldMachinist I would like to see a picture of that bracket ...thanks. Sounds like an excellent idea...no problems or caveats running it that way?

Right now I feel I pull as much maintenance on that deck as I would with an airplane.

Actually a bracket is just a bracket guess I don't need a picture. How many hours have you run it that way?

OldMachinist · Jun 27, 2009

I took the guards off when mower had about 75 hours on it. I now have 368 hours and have had no problems running it this way.

The original guards didn't even have a holes in them to grease the spindles so you had to take them off everytime.

I also had problems with the guide wheel on the left side snagging on things and bending the bolt so I took some of the same metal strap and made a guard for it.

savageactor7 · Jun 27, 2009

Oh that's sweet, thank you for answering all my questions...I'm gonna do exactly what you did.

We require a very close cut so I took all my gauge wheels off, trimmed off some of excess wheel hangers...and cobbled this float device...I love the way it cuts now.

savageactor7 · Jul 1, 2009

Well here's my pulley cover modification.

Got a black Stanley 'D' handle from Lowes bent it some to increase elevation and attached it to the deck in the original pulley cover holes.

Before attaching I painted it with some Rust-Oleum...next time I'm at the dealers I'll pick up some CC yellow to blend it in better.

It sure is way easier to clean now...grass will promote rust so this makes it removing it simpler.

Thanks again OldMachinist for sharing this simple solution.

diesel_nut · Jul 1, 2009

Nice fence handle

I feel the same about the covers. They just promote grass build up and rust. The first thing we do with our dirt bikes is remove the counter shaft sprocket cover because all it does is trap mud in that area. Same idea. Although my deck covers have holes in them for greasing.
Will see what is under my covers and decide then. But I blow it out after mowing with a leaf blower and when I do wash it I spray that area until no grass comes out(then run the mower to dry the area out).