Tinkering with a lawnmower, need help (Troybuilt Pony)

[Glockadopoulos]

Spent all my mower money on guns and women.. need help bad. I hope somebody has a troybuilt Pony they can look at for me. I’ve burned all afternoon watching YouTube and can’t get a good picture of how drive belt idler pulley spring goes on. All the YouTube videos show it as hell to take the spring on and off. This one is holding basically zero tension. The end with the yellow arrow is in the right spot on the frame. I’m thinking that idler pulley bracket is supposed to be longer or in a different position. Can anybody snap a picture of where the spring goes, if they have a similar (2009?ish) vintage troybuilt / MTD lawn tractor?

Reason I want to fix it is the drive belt is slipping when it goes up hill at low speeds. I’m sure I’ll have to replace the belts. It looks like a lot of folks have to replace the bearings in the variable speed pulley assembly too. But figuring out this spring is driving me mad.

The parts diagram doesn’t help much either. I think I’m looking at part 24 which is supposed to be super tight against 43??

 

[jeep78]

If the drive slips going uphill, tighten the belt. It is done by moving the motor, I believe.

 

[Glockadopoulos]

If the drive slips going uphill, tighten the belt. It is done by moving the motor, I believe.

That’s how my old snapper was. I think it’s by adjusting the variable speed rod, part 30 on this one. Maybe if I do that the idler pulley will get pulled tighter? I know something is buggered when it’s supposed to be horrendously tight.. and I can make it pop off with one finger.

 

[torinodan]

Motor dosnt move to get rid of slack. Get new belts, make sure the drive sleeve you have pictured with two stacked pulleys will move up and down smoothly. It controls speed and slip. Spring looks right.
Brake rod sticking not letting the pulley return to tight?

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Mine is attached there. BUT it slips uphill because your variable speed double pulley is wore out. I had the same problem till I replaced the double pulley.

 

[Glockadopoulos]

Mine is attached there. BUT it slips uphill because your variable speed double pulley is wore out. I had the same problem till I replaced the double pulley.

View attachment 3361740

Thank you sir! Unfortunately I think your bracket/mower is different from mine. I’ll go look again.

Double pulley seems like that’s the most common problem, based on tons of videos. I’m planning on pounding some of these bearings into the double pulley, whenever she finally dies.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B57KLMD/?coliid=I1YVTYK8HGTS18&colid=4BDZLBM8QPTX&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Still feel like I got to be missing something basic. Maybe I have the wrong spring? When I look up the part it looks just like what I’ve got on my mower:

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Ok that was on my Troy Bilt Bronco. I think on my MTD it goes straight forward to the frame. I will check in the morning.

 

[torinodan]

Little better picture. Spring 25 C to C and D to D

 

[MRM]

I'd start with a new belt.
If the spring has travel and would not interfere with a slightly smaller belt, then I'd compare the existing belt with the replacement before modifying anything to fit a stretched or wrong belt.

If the belt is too tight, you will wear out your bearings.

I'd think a new belt wouldn't slip as easily as an old belt has has been slipping as well.

 

[Glockadopoulos]

Little better picture. Spring 25 C to C and D to D View attachment 3361800

Definitely better pic! i sure appreciate it! I think my C is sitting a lot closer to my D than your picture, for whatever reason. Something about the workings of this system I don’t fully understand..