Problem w/QA42A belt adjustment

[daved5150]

Hey guys, I need your help here. I have a 1250 and last year was the first year that I used the snow thrower that came with it when I bought it. When I put it on last year, it really took some effort to get the belt on. Is this normal? I have the Cub manual stuff on CD and printed out the section for the QA36/42A throwers. In the Adjusting and Operating section under "V-Belt", it says to turn the belt tension screw counterclockwise until all the slack is out of the belt. I would assume that this is the same as the belt adjusting bolt part number 548-186R1 that I found on the original parts list for the QA42A? I noticed that said bolt is reverse threaded and when I turned counterclockwise, the gear box assembly moved up allowing me more room to get the belt on but it was still a bear to get on. And that was for the old belt, which was worn all the way down to 3/8" wide. Unless the PO had the wrong belt. It squealed under heavy snow load. This year I bought the correct belt (it's 1/2" instead of 15/32" wide).

Getting back to the belt adjust screw, it seemed that I couldn't get the pulley high enough to get the belt on easily. Is this normal or is something wrong here? The instructions say to turn counterclockwise to tighten the belt but I had to do that to get the pulley higher. Then I had to turn clockwise to tighten the belt. I also couldn't turn the screw's handle by hand. I had to use a rubber mallet to spin it. The threads are well greased so it's not that. After I put the thrower on the tractor, I started to turn the handle counterclockwise to raise the gear box to get the belt on (again w/the mallet). Then the swivel nut came out of the pivot plate. I then noticed that the end of the pivot plate where the slot is was bent up and back. There's a definite problem here. What would cause this? The pulleys line up. I have to find someone with a cutting torch to heat it up before I straighten it out. Or would MAP gas be enough to heat the small area? It looks like it's a tad over 1/8" thick. But would I like to fix the problem that caused the pivot plate to bend and why the belt is so hard to put on.

I was too tired yesterday to post with a pic because I had to use my neighbor's snow blower. We got over 12" south of Buffalo. I will post a pic later today at home. Any help here guys would be HIGHLY appreciated. I'm a noob when it comes to this snow thrower and the belt set up. Thanks.

[R Bedell]

Picture would help alot.

[daved5150]

I already pulled out the pivot plate. That's what I was talking about for the pic.
I work nights and I'm almost ready to leave. Maybe I'll put the plate back and snap some later when I get up. Thanks.

[Sugarmaker]

Dave,
I just finished one of these snow throwers but have never run one. The screw that adjust the belt tension is left handed I know that. The pivot plate that you describe may have a factory bend in it already? (again pictures would help) From the way you describe it I would guess that you have to short of a belt. There should be enough slack to allow you to easily roll on the correct belt onto the pulleys.
But since I have not actually mounted the thrower on a tractor I am not the best to tell you about these. Lots of other guys are running these, and have way more experience than I. Good luck. I do have a bunch of pictures on here showing lots of the pieces parts during restoration.
Regards,
Chris

[daved5150]

Thanks for replying guys. Sorry about not posting a pic. I figured it out.

Sugarmaker, I hope you don't mind, but I am going to use a few of the pics from your thread QA42 snow blower restoration in this section "Implements and Attachments" in the "Cub Cadet" section of the forum. Anyone looking for a thread on restoring the QA42 thrower, Sugarmaker's is excellent.

In the first picture from partstree.com, the problem was the slot in the pivot plate (number 13) which bent because I didn't have the nuts loose on the carriage bolts on the mounting plate (number 9) for the gear box assembly (number 9). The belt adjusting bolt is number 11 in the picture. Said carriage bolts are in elongated holes which can be seen in the third and fourth pictures. By having these loose, you can pick the pulley all the way up to get the belt on easily which I could not do because my bolts were tight when I was using the belt adjusting bolt. This bolt did not turn easy and I was moving it with a rubber mallet which in turn bent the skinny "ear" part of the slot. It is now easy to see that the bolt should turn by hand when the carriage bolts are loose.

I looked at the my Cub stuff and saw what I dug up last year because I had a hard time with the old belt. Here's one from http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=46963 :

Snowblower belt tension?

Postby Tom Evans » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:08 am
I just restored and mounted a QA42A snowblower on my 1650. After I adjust the belt tension, should I tighten the belt adjuster slide plate bolts?

Re: Snowblower belt tension?

Postby BigBill » Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:31 pm
Sorry for the late answer. After looking at my newly required QA42 42" snowblower you loosen those carriage bolts to adjust the belt tention then tighten those carriage bolts in the slots tight again so it will keep the adjustment.

Found similar answer in this thread: http://onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2117

It also says on page 6 on the Setting Up section, Step 1. Drive Sheave in the QA-36A/QA-42A Operator's Manual Setting Up Instructions: NOTE: Do not tighten set screws on drive sheave until final belt alignment is made.

So apparently I cannot read or have a terrible memory. All that's left to do is heat up that slot area cherry red to get it back to where it's supposed to be, mount it back on, get the new belt on and adjusted, take some pics so I can post them to my new member intro and get ready to throw some snow! Thanks to Mr. Bedell and Sugarmaker for trying to help me.

Thanks for the excellent pics from your thread, Sugarmaker. Hope you don't mind that I used them for reference.

[Matt G.]

Those bolts are supposed to be tight. There need to be spacers on the bolts in the slots so the plate can slide with the bolts tightened. Another thing that isn't helping is the fact that it is completely covered in rust. It won't slide very easily that way.

Also keep in mind that the tension adjustment bolt can only apply a force to tighten the belt, it won't actually move the gearbox up when you loosen it, so you'll have to loosen it and then push up on the gearbox and plate to move it up so you can install the belt.

[ol'George]

This might help: http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...hlight=spacers

[Sugarmaker]

Couple things real quick.
I agree with Matt on this: The sloted holes allow the support plate for the gear box to move up and down to allow belt tighting. The spacers around the bolts allow for the bolts to tighten against the spacers and not the plates. So there should always be some slop in the system.
Matt I disagree on this: After I assembled mine the left handed adjusting screw will raise OR lower the gear box plate! It has to, there is a eye bolt on the bottom of the gear box plate that is attached to the triangular adjusting cam. Moving the cam with the left handed belt adjusting screw has to move the plate up or down. Mine did.
Daved5150,
I can see how the small tab on the tri-shaped cam could get bent with enough force on it. Sorry I did not understand what got bent.
Also Matt I think all those pictures are mine and yes it was very rusty but still moved. Its not as rusty now
Regards,
Chris

[Matt G.]

Chris-

Does yours have two nuts on the eye bolt, one above and one below the flange of the gearbox plate? My QA36A has one, so it can only push down, and I can't remember if the other two snowthrowers I had used one or two nuts there. Maybe the other one fell off of mine.

[Sugarmaker]

Matt,
That is so funny! That is exactly what I thought may have happened. Yes there is a nut on the top and bottom of that moving plate "eye bolt". Get another nut on that unit!
Regards,
Chris