# Idler pulleys=Bankrupcy



## dsterl (Jul 31, 2011)

Hello gentlemen, I'm having a major problem with idler pulleys on my 54inch deck. It's a PGT9500 (Sears), the exact same thing as the 54incher on the Prestige. Part numbers are all the same. It has two of the same idler pulleys I replaced both last summer one month after I purchased it. They were screaming very loud, I removed them and the bearings were very grouly. Ok no biggie, I ordered the suppose to be better, heavy duty Stens variety. And I have the same problem with them. Just removed them and one of them is almost locked up its so bad. They are lasting about 20-30 hours! The tractor doesnt get abused gets run on the average 2 hours a week, but this year it's been about 2 hours every other week. I don't get it!!! The bearings are made in china, but so is practically everything else. Is anyone else experiencing idler pulley premature bearing failure or am I just unlucky and getting bad bearings from two different places? I was really ticked off at all this, the deck cost $1500 I have another tractor in the garage that cost $800 and almost a thousand hours and I have had no problems with it whatsoever in 8 years. I shouldnt have to be replacing this stuff for a long while. Any Ideas? Thanks


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## Thomas (Nov 1, 2006)

Kinda got me stump when both only lasting that long.

In the darkness w/mower decking running maybe you can see sparking etc.

Are the bearing open or seal?

Slightly bent shaft new bearing not setting correct?


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## dsterl (Jul 31, 2011)

I dont think there's anything wrong with the deck or it's hardware. It's gotta be these bearings. I think maybe water is getting into these so called sealed bearings. Another guy told me to shoot grease into them with a needle and see how long the new ones last. My wife hoses this thing off pretty good when she's done with it. But sealed bearing used to mean sealed bearing! Before Peking started supplying us with everything under the sun! I just figured maybe this was a major batch of bad bearings, and someone else had the same problem. At this rate I'll replace them every spring like spark plugs! Better yet maybe I shoulda got a GREEN TRACTOR but I m sure they have their quirks also!


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## enigma-2 (Aug 16, 2012)

Worng belt?
Belt alignment? 
Perhaps belt running at a bad angle to idlers when the mower is lowerd and engaged, causing the idlers to be overstressed?


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## dsterl (Jul 31, 2011)

First off it ate 1 set of spindle bearings and 2 pulley bearings at twenty hours. Ate 2 more sets of spindle bearings and 2 more pulley bearings at 50 hours. Now I have an 8 year old craftsman (electrolux) $899 when new, mower that I was using and washed it and the deck off everytime I used it! And I have never replaced a single thing on that deck, It has close to 1000 hours on it and everythings fine. I have narrowed it down that water is getting in to the bearings when I use the deck washout and flooding the top of the deck. I took these items apart and dismantled the bearings. There was powdered grass in the first spindle bearing. And the acid or whatever is in the grass was actually eating the metal on the races. I looked at them under 10x magnification cause I really couldnt believe it was just water from washing it. I took pictures of this stuff to show the guys on another forum. The bearings are still a far cry from quality! And the spindle housings on this thing are cheap steel stampings that if tweaked a little will throw these bearings into convulsions! The spindle housings on the old craftsman are alluminum or some kind of alloy. But they are machined for bearings. The stamped steel housings on this are two poor stampings that bolt together through the deck. This tractor retailed for $7400!! It's twin (and they are identical!) except for the roller, which I added after I bought it, "Simplicity Prestige" retails for around the same price. So I will not be going anywhere near this again with a hose!! I've learned my lesson on this. What I did do is drilled out those rivets in the idler pulleys, and added allen head cap screws. And ordered "Nachi" C3 bearings and installed them in the unlikely event that this thing is off center from the factory. Now to change them out all I have to do is pop a new bearing in and go. I ordered C3's because they have more clearance and those idlers do a fair amount of shaking back and forth. I figured if they had some room to move around they wouldn't self destruct!! Anyway alot of messing around for a bunch of idlers but I had to find out what was doing this. WATER, cheap Chinese bearings, cheap steel stampings. One more note, everything on these newer tractors is very cheap, I swear Briggs and Stratton is trying to do to Simplicity what MTD did to Cub Cadet. I think it's sad. Some bean counter in a corporate office, doesnt get "we will pay for quality but I won't pay a quality price for a chopped, cheap tractor!!!!!!!


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

That seems like an awful fast failure for berings - heck ive had seized berings( when bot the tractor) that I freed up and re greased and they even lasted another couple seasons mowing .

A better alternative might be to use an air hose to clean the deck off .


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## dsterl (Jul 31, 2011)

I'm definitely going for the air hose. I never saw bearings so touchy, on anything! I couldn't find any real good bearings the Japanese "Nachi's" are better than the Chinese "Peer" bearings. Some snowblowers have these Peer bearings and so do some snowmobiles and they are wearing them out real fast also.


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## dsterl (Jul 31, 2011)

I gotta few minutes I'll toss some photos at yah!


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## dsterl (Jul 31, 2011)

*More Pics!*

This bearing had a major thump in it when spun like it had a detent!


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