Mower deck belt routing

[CWH]

Please help - I think I'm having an "old fart" (senior) moment. I recently aquired an Allis Chalmers Mdl. 410S garden tractor. The tractor is in excellent condition except for the mower deck (42", 3 blade), which is all to pieces. The problems are 1) the belt tightner which I had to completely rebuild, and 2) the deck belt routing of which I haven't a clue. I've managed to get hold of a service manual which has absolutely nothing regarding the mower deck, so I'm flying blind. Any advise/help will be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous-0]

If you can find a Simplicity dealer i think they can help you. Simplicity built a lot of allis garden tractor for them.

 

[les_from_syracuse]

I'm not familiar with your model, but I'm thinking it may be similar to my Simplicity 7112. Here are the instructions for installing the mower belt for my tractor.

1. front idler pulley must be in top mounting hole (bottom hole for snowblower)
2. release belt tensioning lever
3. raise tractor seat
4. install belt on mower pulley and and tractor pully (inside grove if more than one)
5. flat side of belt contracts front idler pulley
6. pull the belt tensioning lever to tighten the belt.

 

[CWH]

From what I've been able to determine, the mower deck is mounted onto the front axle of the tractor, and is driven by a seperate belt from the front of the engine which in turn drives the mower deck belt. This is the belt in question. This belt drives the three pully blades and has a spring loaded tightner mounted to the top of the deck, wherein lies my problem. Upon assuming ownership of the tractor, the deck was not mounted to the tractor and the belt tightner was in several pieces. I're reassembled it (the tightner) every way I could think of, but to no avail. The deck mounting and belt routing looks
like the simplest thing in the world, but apparently I'm missing something.

BTW: According to what I've been able to find out, during the years Simplicity was owned by Allis Chalmers this particular model was never made by Simplicity and was made from 1970 until about early 1973 by A/C only.

A copy of a service manual I have is very detailed but has nothing ref. the mower deck.

 

[El Toro]

Here's how my mower belt is routed on my Wards tractor. It is about 96" long and is installed on the driven pulley on the mower and covered with a metal shield. It then passes over the lower idler pulleys at the bottom front of the engine and is then installed on the drive pulley. The mower isn't engaged until the pto lever is engaged. Hal

 

[joe csuti]

Try going to link below,you are correct that that there is no equiv simplicity mod# tractor for the 300/400 series tractors according to note at site,however all may not be lost,goto site,from list at left side of page click on operation,next pg click on rotary mowers from list,next pg scroll down same & click on link to 300/400 series mower decks,look at pg 5 of deck manual,see if pic matches your deck & belt routeing or at least helps/give's you idea of how belt is routed
deck

 

[rustyj14]

I sold a Simp Broadmore tractor, and a few weeks later, the buyer said it had the wrong deck belt on it! It was way too long! I went to his place, found the tractor setting outside, and he was not home. So, i rerouted the belt to the correct routing, and all was well. I guess he had the deck off for cleaning, and got the installation wrong.
I had an old MTD or something lawn tractor here, and gave it to my son, with a new deck belt not installed. He complained it was wrong, so i had to show him the correct belt routing. Fixed the problem.

 

[CWH]

Many thanks to all of you guys for the advise. I wore out three Crapsman riding mowers and never had any trouble figuring out the belt routing, but I guess I'm getting old. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Regards,

Charles H.