Help..?

[mapsedge]

Help: does anyone within driving distance of my house (Independence, MO) have any expertise in fixing lawnmowers? Not the engine, the drive belt: it slipped off the transmission pulley, and I can't for the life of me get it back on, there's a metal guard in the way. It's a Toro Personal Pace self-propelled (somewhat op...timistically) P.O.S. (truth be told) mower.

For the record: I'll never again take a lawnmower to Roberts Small Engine Repair on Crysler in Independence. I've had nothing but troubles since they "fixed" it last summer.

Late Edit: 

I got past my frustration and found a video that demonstrated how to completely replace the belt, and that, while not the exact make and model I've got, provided the inspiration for fixing mine. For future reference, because, thanks to Roberts Small Engine Repair on Crysler in Independence, I have every expectation I'll have to do this again, here is what I did:

Toro Personal Pace, model# 20017.

Putting the belt back onto the transmission pulley has nothing at all to do with the transmission pulley, at least initially. Remove the blade. Then remove the blade driver assembly just enough to get the belt off the blade pulley.  Remove the belt guard from the underside of the chassis. Freed from the blade and with access now that the guard is removed, the transmission can rotate backwards, giving you access to the transmission pulley. It's still not a cakewalk, but you now have enough access to work the belt around the metal guards and onto the transmission pulley.

Reassemble, done.

I still don't know if I got everything back together correctly. The mower, upside down for half an hour, wouldn't start (no surprise there, probably flooded) but at least when I pulled on the rope it didn't make any sounds I haven't heard before.

There's hope.

Comments

[glesyn.livejournal.com]

Neither one of us know how to do it, but maybe our GoogleFu might help: "this is not easy you have to turn the mower on its side (make sure the carb is down) take off the blade belt guide and look at it the space is really tight and you have to hold the trans with two fingers and then walk the belt on. its hard because the trans is spring loaded to twist backwards to keep the belt tight"

or

"Remove two bolts under the lawn mower body which holds the top cover over the drive belt. Remove the belt guard that is around the pulley on the crank shaft. Than work the belt around the blade and off the the drive pulley. Reverse procedure to replace the belt"

[billthetailor.livejournal.com]

GoogleFu. That's funny.

I took your reply as some inspiration, swallowed my frustration and went back to searching. Update posted, above.