Nice job, well done. Helped me immensely.

You are a savior!! Thank you for helping me decipher fixing my tractor, you are a good man. John Deere on the other hand is not a good man, he is a sadistic, twisted son of a biscuit! His tractors are a royal pain in the aspirin box!

Thank you SO very much for this video and for your attitude of sharing information and helping. LOVE videos like this!!! After retiring from Corporate America (I grew up on a large farm and fantasizing about having my own got me through the day), bought a li'l 5.25 acre property, with steep steep hills and about 4 acres of mowing. A Craftman mower came with the property, and I promptly cracked the block on it because, unlike the previous owner, I'd run straight up the hill to get that extra couple of feet mowed (the more I mow, the less my city-boy husband has to stand on the side of the hill with a weed eater) then would back down (vs just getting to the top and doing a 180, like I SHOULD have done), using the reverse mow feature, to back over another swath. Didn't realize the Craftman didn't have a pressurized oil tank, so kept running the engine dry at the apex. So, yeah, my ignorance and stupidity cost me a 3 year-old mower. Grew up driving John Deere (it's all my farmer dad would buy) so I did my research, and bought a brand new D170, with the widest mowing deck available. I've used and abused this machine from 2017 - 4/2023 (if my dad, who always babied all farm machinery, were alive he'd KILL me for running it at full throttle, racing as fast as it can go, up and down our hills. but that's what I do. I'm able to get done, in six hours, what it took me 8.5 hours on the Craftman.) I've always LOVED this little machine, and every time I got on it, I reaffirmed "nothing runs like a Deere." The ONLY complaint I ever had was that it's not a 4WD, but the JD X758 (which IS a 4WD) STARTS at $18k. Uhhh... one can dream... SO... a couple of weeks ago, it started running out of power when trying to climb the same hills I've always navigated with zero issue on the D170. Learned later that my husband bought low octane fuel instead of the premium I always put in small engines, so wondered if that was the issue. Then, coincidently, after the horrendous rain we've (finally) had in Northern California, the grass is the thickest it's been since we purchased the place, and for the first time ever, same time period, my mower belt started coming off. Two issues: (1) suddenly no power going up the hill, and (2) mower belt started coming off. My city boy husband is a super intelligent geek, but he is NOT a mechanic, and neither am I (I was raised with all brothers and unfortunately was the youngest, so I was always just in the way... never learned how to do much more than change the oil. I give my brothers grief over this, always. Unfortunately, they live 2000 miles away from us.) He figured he'd change the worn-looking drive belt while changing the mower belt. I've not been able to use my D170, since. (1) I really think the drive belt is too loose (to the point I wondered if he was sold the wrong one -- we bought the actual JD belt, not something from another manufacturer. He's measured it / compared it to the old belt. Says it's the same belt.) Uploaded two videos so you can see the tautness of the new drive belt it in slow motion: #1: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mZyYlKeC1ZuVYqM.html #2: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l891i9mYua2rj6M.html (2) When driving down our steep driveway, the engine typically maintains the speed all the way down. NOW, I'm in free-fall, gaining momentum as I start screaming down the hill to the point that I have to slam on the brakes to stop, which causes the tractor to lock up and screech, pulling sharply, counter-clockwise, to the left. (3) Since the drive belt was changed, now, when I first get on it, neither the forward nor reverse pedals work, until AFTER I push them back and forth, repeatedly, then suddenly BAM, something engages and the tractor lurches forward. My husband found a small stick jammed in something to do with the clutch/brake, removed it, but no impact to the forward/reverse pedal issue. (4) Now, when test driving it on level ground, it makes a thwacking noise (I'm guessing it's the lose drive belt hitting something) (5) Last test drive, when the drive finally engaged (after I rocked the forward/reverse pedal), we thought there was a slight grinding noise. My (honestly, wonderful) husband immediately believes the transmission is going out, and research says that the Tuff Torq K-46 transmission it came with sometimes goes out if you do a lot of hill work (I'm at 216 hours on the tractor). I'm having trouble supporting this idea, however, since (1) it appears the Tuff Torq K-46 is put in EVERYTHING, and (2) We're not the only people who live on super hilly properties, and (3) NONE of this was happening until AFTER we changed the drive belt. I'm so sorry for the long post, but any advice? If it IS the transmission, I see there's a Tuff Torq K-57 upgrade (which USED to cost $900, but now it's $2000 in this ridiculous state, and because the D170s aren't made any more, my husband says there's a "scarcity issue"). I'm torn, because sure, we can invest another $2k, but I'd be putting it on a HEAVILY USED and SERIOUSLY abused (though much loved) D170. Grateful for any thoughts or advice, and totally get it if, instead, I get my arse kicked for being an idiot. Kimberly

Nice vid. Thanks. Here's a little tip for the older guys. Take the right rear tire off. Take the front lower trans mount off (10mm & 13mm). Use a 15mm wrench from the front to loosen and then reach in from the back to grab the bolt. Made it a lot easier for a guy with rheumatoid & psoriatic arthritis in his hands (and everywhere else.).

just changed mine for the first time on my D170. impact on the front pulley, vice grips around the steering shaft to hold it tight while breaking the nut loose on the steering gear with a 19mm socket driver, and that rear pin with the 15mm open ended wrench wasn't too bad but one of those slow going gigs for sure. all in all it wasn't bad, but it was definitely harder than it should be to replace a drive belt on a lawn mower. thanks for your guide hoss!

Thanks, great video, except I used 15mm, 16mm, and 19mm sockets, also found the large idler pulley extremely bad and had to order it. Wish I would have inspected the under carriage first before I bought the belt because the belt I took off was same size (length) as the new one and the pulley was absolutely shot! Going to replace it all. Again, thanks.

Thanks for the info vid. I have been grass cutting and snowblowing with my D170 the last 6 years. I just spotted that dang belt tonight putting the snowblower on. It's pretty rough. LOL. I hope the new one arrives before the old one breaks. { I should know better.} Thanks again for a well presented video.

Thank you for a good instructional video. Just lost the Steering gears on my D170 two days ago. Ordered the new gears and looked under today and said hey that belt is original and showing some cracks. I did not realize that it was routed around the steering shaft until i seen this video. I guess since I am going to be repairing the steering why not fix both. Time to order a belt.

Nice DIY! It helped out tremendously. The only extra tools I need was to go back to Lowe’s and get a 15mm combination wrench for the belt guide in the rear by the fan. You were about right on the time of completion.

Awesome George! I love working on things with my boy. -Will

Thanks for the overview. Nice job :)

Thank you. GX20006

I was not able to get a pipe wrench on the pulley shaft and my smaller impact tool would not break the bolt. In exasperation I pulled the top cowling off the engine put a pipe wrench on the large shaft nut placed a 2x2 against the cylinder wall to hold it and used an extra long pull handle to finally break the bolt. The clutch and pulley is a heavy mother and I was forced to jack it back in place. Miserable machine to work on.If it didn't have a great engine I would have junked it a long time ago.

Here's how I did it and it makes it way less complicated. .remove the deck...go on the driver side and pick up the middle rear of tractor like your gonna tip it over one hand on steering wheel helps balance it..have a 2 or 3 ft step stool or similar item lined up with the steering wheel and it will stay perfectly balanced almost on its side but not quite that far ...now you can access the underside without laying under it and have full access. .first thing you do is disconnect the pto wire..then the bolt for the pto..the pto bracket does not need to be removed..then drop pto take vise grips and bend the tabs on the two pulleys in middle just a little and belt is off instantly. .then the belt got plenty of slack to go around the fan with removing it..steering gear is the same way as video..then on install put the belt over the trans fan pulley first and it's repeat removal steps from there

so much help thank you

Thank you 🇺🇸

If you don't have an impact wrench you can loosen the 4 engine mount bolts and raise the engine to get the belt off the main drive sheath

Have you ever experienced a belt slipping slightly after stretching when used for a few mow jobs. I put a new one on when replacing my steering gear and sprocket, but now I can barely mow up a 15 degree incline (easier at the highest #4 setting, but pulling a lawn sweeper as I mow still makes going slow). I read one report that there was a tension test and if found too slack, an alternate bolt hole for that drive belt tensioning pully plate (where you suggested an impact wrench to remove pully nuts). Have you ever noticed a way to adjust that plate's position? Thanks for the clear video!

I just replaced my deck belt and the blades. Before I put the deck back on, I got underneath and checked out the drive belt. Does having the parking brake on cause a lot of slip in the belt? I have a lot, but the mower drives just fine. Is the belt suppose to be tight when it’s not running?

Good video. Not to knock the video, but just going to ask your honest opinion. For the average guy, with basic mechanical ability and tools wanting to do this job, starting with a complete tractor with the deck on and finishing with a working mowing tractor, how long do you really think it would take him on a Saturday morning? I am looking for an honest answer and not a race with everything laid out and having done the job 10 times.

Informative but vid so small