Mower Blade Care; Replacing The Deck Drive Belt; Rolling The Belt Into The Pto Pulley - Cub Cadet RZT54 Operator's Manual

Rolling the Belt into the PTO Pulley.

1. Using the deck lift handle, raise the deck to the position
that provides the most horizontal run of the belt between
the deck idler pulleys and the PTO pulley on the bottom of
the engine.
2. Make certain the belt is in the spindle pulleys of the deck,
and that the backside of the belt is against both the fixed
and movable idler pulleys. Refer to Fig. 7-4.
3. Sitting behind the tractor, facing forward, make certain the
belt is not twisted; then reach beneath the tractor to grasp
the belt and pull it toward the PTO pulley.
WARNING!
fingers when rolling the belt onto the PTO pulley.
4. Pull the right side of the belt rearward and place the
narrow V side of the belt into the PTO pulley. See Fig. 7-5.
5. While holding the belt and pulley together, rotate the
pulley to the left (See Fig. 7-5). Continue holding and
rotating the pulley and belt until the belt is fully rolled into
the PTO pulley.

Replacing the Deck Drive Belt

1. Remove the deck from beneath the tractor, (refer to Deck
Removal on page 29).
2. Remove the hex tapping screws securing the belt covers
to the deck and remove the belt from the spindle pulleys.
Refer to Fig. 7-7.
Belt Cover
Hex Tap
Screw
3. Install the new belt around the spindle pulleys as shown in
Fig. 7-7 and reinstall the belt covers.
4. Route the belt rearward between the two idler pulleys
and reinstall the deck following the instructions in Deck
Installation on page 30.
32 s 7— s
ectiOn ervice
Use caution to avoid pinching your
Belt Cover
Belt
Spindle
Pulleys
Hex Tap
Screw
Figure 7-7

Mower Blade Care

WARNING!
Before performing any maintenance,
place the PTO switch in the "OFF" position, engage
the parking brake lever, turn the ignition key to the
"OFF" position and remove the key from the switch.
Protect your hands by using heavy gloves when
handling the blades. When servicing the mower
deck, be careful not to cut yourself on the
sharpened blades.
The cutting blades must be kept sharp at all times. Sharpen the
cutting edges of the blades evenly so that the blades remain
balanced and the same angle of sharpness is maintained.
If the cutting edge of a blade has already been sharpened many
times, or if any metal separation is present, it is recommended
that new blades be installed. New blades are available at your
authorized dealer.
The blades may be removed as follows.
1. Remove the deck from beneath the tractor, (refer to Deck
Removal on page 29) then gently flip the deck over to
expose its underside.
2. Use a 15⁄16" wrench to hold the hex nut on top of the spindle
assembly when loosening the hex nut securing the blade.
A block of wood may be placed between the deck housing
and the cutting edge of the blade to help in breaking loose
the hex nut securing the blade. See Fig. 7-8.
Hex Flange Nut
Spindle Assembly
Figure 7-8
Wood Block