according to my manuals i downloaded the 18070-01 (1714 742) is different than the 18070-2, -3, 18071-1, -02. the last four all taking the same pulley (1724 488). i'm not sure which deck i have but i'm sick of these coming apart.

 

If I am looking at the correct parts break down the belt guide bolt and the bolt the spring is hooked to appear to be reversed in the parts break down to the way yours is mounted and there is no hook on the spring. I would also question that the U shaped piece attached to the bolt (belt guide?) should be in contact with the belt the way yours appears to be as that would create constant friction that would make the belt heat up and the heat would be transferred to other pulleys causing them to get hot. Another possibility may be that the belt is slipping which again would generate heat and transfer it to the pulleys that it comes in contact with and the idler pulley bearing may be the weak spot that is getting heated up too much - just a couple of thoughts.

 

here is a picture from 2011. this is the way i got it when i bought it.

 

in the second picture you can see it also making contact with the solid mount for the idler. and it looks like the one pulley is smaller

 

i didn't start having any issues until 2 years ago

 

I think something is wrong with the tensioning, idlers should not fail that fast especially with a ball bearing, both those idlers should be the same those look to be two different size and the spring looks like its hooked up goofy as well, I dont have a deck to take a pic but I'm sure one of the other guys will help you out with a pic

 

I also do not have a deck to take a pic of but I have rebuilt this deck in the past and it is not right your idler bracket looks to be making contact with the belt this will cause extreme heat and will warp the pulley and bearing in it. Just because the issue just started recently does not mean that it was correct before, it may just have now been in the right circumstances to fail for you. Someone should be able to take a pic of their functional deck to give you a better idea of its correct assembly. Good luck.

 

thanks guys. anybody have an original set of idler pulleys? and hopefully someone will get a picture soon so i can get back to mowing.

 

Your setup appears correct, but belt guide is not to make contact with belt. Is only there to keep it from whipping around. Move it toward housing. Is your spring tight enough? Doesn't appear very tight. Paul

 

On mine the belt guide is turned in away from belt and doing nothing. Was that way when I got it. Deck was on tractor then. Off now and have never used it. Everything else looks same as yours except spring has obvious tension on it.

 

Your setup appears correct, but belt guide is not to make contact with belt. Is only there to keep it from whipping around. Move it toward housing. Is your spring tight enough? Doesn't appear very tight. Paul

i've tried not using that bungie clip but cannot get that spring to hook onto the bolt. if i get the correct pulley and move that guide it should not make contact. but finding the right pulley is the hard part.

 

i've tried not using that bungie clip but cannot get that spring to hook onto the bolt. if i get the correct pulley and move that guide it should not make contact. but finding the right pulley is the hard part.

The spring broke at one point and on the one end you can see where they bent another hook so your spring is shorter than its supposed to be

The idlers should either be the smaller 1724488 or the big 1724925 ball bearing type

 

Your 54" deck is a model 18110. This can easily be determined by the raised "bump out" for the newer style spindle assemblies. The older 54" decks were flat across the top for the old style spindle assemblies.

The 18110 uses the later 1752354 (old # 1724925) idler pulleys. Many of the aftermarket replacements for the 1752354 idler pulley are not correct, as the center bushing height is wrong. Some others are just cheaply made. The OEM Bolens idlers are readily available, but they are expensive. Check to see that your idlers have adequate clearance and spin freely in the idler assembly. Check the idler brackets to see if the idler pulleys have been rubbing against them. Download the 18110 parts manual and compare it to ensure your idler assembly is assembled exactly as it is shown in the diagram. If there is any wobble or slop, the bushings in the idler arms may also need replaced. As others mentioned, the belt guide should not touch the belt. This causes excessive heat and may very well be the burning rubber that you smell.

 

so wondering what the correct height is supposed to be so i know what to look for. i'll try and get this apart today and snap some pictures.

will one of the older decks fit on the HT with no mods? i have two of the older decks i could make into one. but now i think of it i may not have the correct belt for those.

looking at the CORRECT manual for my deck i do see where the guide is in the wrong place and will correct that and try to find the spring.

 

well just ordered 2 pulleys and a idler tension spring from bolensparts on epay. hope to have everything back and operational this weekend when the parts get here. i might just have to rig up one of the other decks i have and mow the really long grass.

 

well...got the pulleys today and got everything installed. one question though. does the raised part of the hub on the pulley go down or up? i put it down as it made more sense to raise the pulley from the mounting surface. was i correct on that?

 

thanks to one of our sponsors for getting those parts out!!! top notch people with all our sponsors here.

 

well...got the pulleys today and got everything installed. one question though. does the raised part of the hub on the pulley go down or up? i put it down as it made more sense to raise the pulley from the mounting surface. was i correct on that?

 

Cant remember off the top of my head but want to say the flange side goes down???

 

well...got the pulleys today and got everything installed. one question though. does the raised part of the hub on the pulley go down or up? i put it down as it made more sense to raise the pulley from the mounting surface. was i correct on that?

According to the parts manual, the extended part of the idler pulley goes down, and the loose spacers go on the top side of the idlers.

So, it appears you have the idlers installed correctly.

 

it seemed the right wat to go but you never know. thanks for the help in this.