# How to know when to replace belt



## Sel (Feb 17, 2019)

Hi,

How can you tell when you should replace Ariens belt?

I have a two stage, is it doable at home, or should I take it into a shop?


----------



## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I do mine at home, but I never had an Ariens.
Some shops are busy too you might have to wait.
Heck that is normal maintenance in my book.
Everyone should know how or learn how.


----------



## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Should do normal adjustments on the belts too.
Keep an eye on them, you don't want to pop one during a big storm?
Everybody should also have a spare belt on hand.
Eventually your going to need it anyway.


----------



## Sel (Feb 17, 2019)

Thanks, I will give it a shot


----------



## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

In your manual it will tell how to check and replace.
It should tell you the belt adjustment in inches too.
The auger belt gets a lot of use, that one will wear faster then the other belt.

I forgot to mention the cost of a shop doing it, just like tossing money into the air on a windy day.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Sel said:


> Thanks, I will give it a shot


inspect the belts for wear, underside cuts, splits etc. check around for rubber belt dust....shows that the belt is not running true or not adjusted correctly. 

I'm sure there is a you tube video on how to inspect and replace if necessary. like others here mentioned. it's worth learning how. usually not too difficult unless the machine is covered with ice and it's 10 below zero.


----------



## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Sel said:


> Hi,
> 
> How can you tell when you should replace Ariens belt?
> 
> I have a two stage, is it doable at home, or should I take it into a shop?


I think there are a few things to check:
1. The belt(s) should not have cuts in the narrow part of belt and the sides do not have worn out sections (circular looking wear from jammed belt with engine pulley burning the belt) due to jamming, and the top layer of the belt is not de-laminating.

2. A good Ariens belt(s) will usually have the top part level with the engine pulley. If the belt sits down in the engine pulley groove with the clutch applied then it is worn. In either case check the belt tension by applying the auger clutch and zip tying the handle to the handlebar. Check if there is a 1/2" of deflection on the taught run from impeller pulley to engine pulley (you may have twin belts). If more than a half inch then release clutch lever and loosen idler pulley bolt and nut, then move the pulley toward the belt. Tighten the bolt and check for deflection, until correct. You may need to adjust the pulley guide fingers (heavy wire from block goes forward and over pulley and back to block. The gap between belt and finger on tension side of belt (opposite side to idler pulley) is less than 1/8" but not touching belt when clutch engaged. The purpose of the finger(s) is to help release belt from the engine pulley so the belt does not flop around under the cover.

The auger belt replacement is described in my owner manual and is very good. You will be separating the bucket from the engine chassis and separating the chute controls in operator area from the chute and deflector. Easy to do in nice weather, not so nice in the cold of winter.

Good luck.


----------



## jerryvvv (Apr 23, 2020)

the best way to tell is by removing the belt and checking for cracks on the inside part of the belt,

bend the belt back slightly to see cracks easier,

when in doubt replace them,

i normally replace mine every 3-5 seasons regardless of how they look,

but that number will vary drastically from one machine to the next, because it is determined by use,

and no two machines are used in the exact same way, duration, hours, etc etc


----------



## gpguy2008 (Sep 27, 2020)

Do you have spare belts? On my recently purchased used Troy-bolt the belts were in good shape. I went and bought NEW belts and installed them,run them in and made sure the tension is correct. I kept the old ones in the cardboard sleeves and now have spares and am positive what the correct part numbers are if I ever purchase again. And I know how to change the belts not that it was hard


----------



## 4getgto (Jul 20, 2020)

Sel said:


> Thanks, I will give it a shot


I know there are U-Tube videos how to do the belts. Just have to find one on your machine. They're pretty easy..👍


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If a belt ever lets go on me when I'm doing snow, I just grab one of my other blowers ... 

If you only have one machine, I would always have a spare belt on hand ... That is the stuff you should be checking in the nice warm weather off season maintenance, along with gear, spindle, axle lube, as well as auger shear pin removal and lube the auger through the ends and the shear bolt hole, making sure it spins on the auger shaft easily. Also use the paint stick or wooden yard stick under the cutting edge plate, and adjust your side skids. Also a nice coat of wax ... LOL ... I could go on and on ... also make sure all your gas cans have Stabil and half the rate of SeaFoam. Also check the auger gearcase if so equipped .. etc., etc.....


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

oneacer said:


> If a belt ever lets go on me when I'm doing snow, I just grab one of my other blowers ...
> 
> If you only have one machine, I would always have a spare belt on hand ... That is the stuff you should be checking in the nice warm weather off season maintenance, along with gear, spindle, axle lube, as well as auger shear pin removal and lube the auger through the ends and the shear bolt hole, making sure it spins on the auger shaft easily. Also use the paint stick or wooden yard stick under the cutting edge plate, and adjust your side skids. Also a nice coat of wax ... LOL ... I could go on and on ... also make sure all your gas cans have Stabil and half the rate of SeaFoam. Also check the auger gearcase if so equipped .. etc., etc.....


this is an excellent topic for a sticky where every new member must read.


----------



## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

Town said:


> I think there are a few things to check:
> 1. The belt(s) should not have cuts in the narrow part of belt and the sides do not have worn out sections (circular looking wear from jammed belt with engine pulley burning the belt) due to jamming, and the top layer of the belt is not de-laminating.
> 
> 2. A good Ariens belt(s) will usually have the top part level with the engine pulley. If the belt sits down in the engine pulley groove with the clutch applied then it is worn. In either case check the belt tension by applying the auger clutch and zip tying the handle to the handlebar. Check if there is a 1/2" of deflection on the taught run from impeller pulley to engine pulley (you may have twin belts). If more than a half inch then release clutch lever and loosen idler pulley bolt and nut, then move the pulley toward the belt. Tighten the bolt and check for deflection, until correct. You may need to adjust the pulley guide fingers (heavy wire from block goes forward and over pulley and back to block. The gap between belt and finger on tension side of belt (opposite side to idler pulley) is less than 1/8" but not touching belt when clutch engaged. The purpose of the finger(s) is to help release belt from the engine pulley so the belt does not flop around under the cover.
> ...


These are all really good maintenance points. On my old Ariens I had slippage once in a while that I couldn't initially figure out. Then I realized it was Fluid Film getting in there from when I would spray the chute and other parts. My lesson was when you are in swapping out the belt, use a good degreaser to clean up in there so things like Fluid Film or teflon spray don't make themselves at home in the black belt housing/shroud. Not sure of your model, but the basic idea is in this vid:


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

I'm lucky to also have a backup machine or two. But I also keep the consumable parts on hand. Shear pins, spare belt for each machine, even have a Ariens friction disc sitting here. 

I subscribe to " Two is one, and One is none"


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I have many spare parts, plus new belts, friction disc, shear bolts, roll pins, and on and on.

We here that work on blowers all usually have this stuff ready to replace if necessary, but I am sure the average owner of a blower would not have this stuff on hand, but should at least have some shear bolts and a extra belt, and should take the time in the off season to get in there and change them, just for practice and to understand their machine operation, for when it happens in the middle of a storm, they wont be left sitting there, scratching their heads.


----------



## Sel (Feb 17, 2019)

Great comments, recommendations and advice from everyone, I appreciate it very much!

We have a few warm days ahead of us and will perform all your suggested maintenance checks and corrective actions.


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Mountain Man said:


> I'm lucky to also have a backup machine or two. But I also keep the consumable parts on hand. Shear pins, spare belt for each machine, even have a Ariens friction disc sitting here.
> 
> I subscribe to " Two is one, and One is none"


Same! More than 1 machine, same parts on hand, great quote, I get yelled at by the wife for "Two is one, and One is none." The job gets done. Something breaks and with all the stuff I have, how dare me not have that stuff. She so misunderstands.


----------



## davebullock (Oct 24, 2020)

First time poster. I picked up a John Deere 726 blower, running fine. I replaced the friction disk, greased and changed oil, gear box, and added an impeller kit. My question is the belts. The auger belt looks nice, but seems a bit loose when the auger is engaged. There is about one inch play in the belt. The other belt looks good. Is there an adjustment for the auger? The cost isn't my concern so much as if I can adjust it I would do that. Thanks for any help. Dave


----------



## Venture_N3 (Sep 18, 2020)

Very nice suggestions and tips here. My snowblower still has its original belts, but it is only used during any major snow event. For residential use, I think it has lasted longer than I thought especially since the last 4 winter months... we never had a lot of snow in the SE corner of York, Pa. But there is one thing I don’t have on hand - belts. I’ll have to get one of each just in case my belt breaks. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

All good comments and here is mine. Belt replacement is based on a visual and tension inspection. There are tons of images and videos showing what worn belts look like and how to replace them. Used that as your visual reference. I have also advised anyone who buys a used machine to change the belts as a matter of course unless they know absolutely for sure that the previous owner has changed them. This way, you start out "fresh" so to speak and you know what good looks like.


----------



## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

davebullock said:


> First time poster. I picked up a John Deere 726 blower, running fine. I replaced the friction disk, greased and changed oil, gear box, and added an impeller kit. My question is the belts. The auger belt looks nice, but seems a bit loose when the auger is engaged. There is about one inch play in the belt. The other belt looks good. Is there an adjustment for the auger? The cost isn't my concern so much as if I can adjust it I would do that. Thanks for any help. Dave


Welcome to the site.
I think you would be better off posting this elsewhere.
I never had a Deere, but there should be an adjustment for the auger belt.
Ask a Mod to take your question and add it in here,








John Deere Snowblowers


John Deere Snow Thrower Forum




www.snowblowerforum.com





Or just copy and paste and put it in there yourself, start a new thread.
It might just be worn and a replacement would be best?


----------

