OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Rover Ride On Mower MTD Rover Raider 1438 cutter deck belt tension

Hi AVB,

I haven't checked the engagement lever nor the Z bend as it seems virtually impossible to get at without drastic surgery to the body cowling. Do you know of a way to get at it?

Yes the engagement mount is bolted and has a spare hole. I'll try moving that back before drilling a new hole for the spring.

Thanks for the advice over using a black belt to test first and then upgrade to a Kelvar.

I have never seen the Rover Raider and probably won't so I no idea what is involved. Just look at it like a jigsaw puzzle that might help.

One thing I do know thing are a lot harder to work on mowers and other lawn care equipment then it once was and all these aftermarket parts that don't meet specs are not helping things. I have also running into mowers that I got half disassemble just to get wrench to a bolt that was change from a carriage bolt to a regular hex cap just to change out an idler pulley.

Hi AVB,

To me it looks as though the transmission has to be dropped so you can reach up between the battery box and the outside frame paneling. I'm tempted to hand it back to the customer to see how long the belt lasts in its current state. If I adjust the tensioner further back the pulley is going to hit the RH brake mount. So any more adjustments will require a shorter belt.

I find the same problem working on more modern cars and even tractors. So much has to be removed to get to the part you need to replace. For example, some cars require the engine mount and bracket to be removed to change the fan belt! This means a 15 minute job turns out to be a 3 hour job.

Well good luck with it as we are as far as we can go currently.

Here on mine the battery box is removable but I still only have limited access. I am changing out variable to trans drive belt and you got drop the trans just the belt off and on the pulley. I actually on my second drop in two days due to belt supposedly being the right size; being not in spec. It would shift into high gear and I was pull up on the clutch to get it shift. What found was the belt though being label correctly wasn't 35.25" but instead was 34.75"; way too tight to work properly as created too much spring load. I was changing the belt simply because I had wore it out after 5 years and got to slipping in the lowest gear range. Now the same vendor is saying the replacement is 35.8" so I am having to buy the more expensive MTD OEM belt. It going to take few days to even the belts in. At least I found out about this before taking apart a customer's mower. Believe or not a customer that will need the same belt came in yesterday late so I am ordering 3 to 5 of the belts today.

I know exactly what you mean about a 15 minute turning into a half day or longer job. I decide to start working ATVs a couple years ago; just to get to carb it is royal pain. Then there was the one that the front differential was needing rebuilding. Took 4 hours to get it out and it only comes one way with virtually no clearance. It took same 30 minutes to just to put it back in and that was a piece cardboard protecting the seal and using rubber mallet. I when said virtually on clearance I mean barely could get a feeler in between the differential and the frame. Then another 2 hours to bolt it and everything back in place. Things always seem to go back faster but I think that is because I know where everything goes back.

And when it comes to automobiles it is a pain there too. When I growing up I could do about anything with just few tools. Now you got at least partially pull the engine to get access to anything and need a shop full of tools and lifts. Heater cores was once was simple to access and change out; now you got to pull the whole dash assembly just to get to them 1 to 2 day job. I only one vehicle so I am just driving it without heat so I stay home on those cold days.

Hi AVB,

Yes ATV's and UTV's can be really hard to work on. I pulled out a carby on a USA manufactured Honda TRX 500 a few weeks ago. What a job that was! Then it came back later after the muffler broke away from the exhaust. That took 3 hours just to get the pipe through the frame.

A lot of the Kubota UTV's I used to assemble and pre-deliver had rollover frames that wouldn't line up without die grinding the mounting holes just to get the bolts in.

I'm sending this mower out and will report back with news about how it's going. Many thanks for your help over it - much appreciated.