Hello, Hope someone can give me a suggestion on this annoying problem. Mower is a Toro Z500 Z Master, 60" Turbo Force Deck, 27 HP Kohler Model # 74296 SN 310000885. 1200 hrs on machine. I have been very pleased with this machine except for 1 annoying glitch. Sometimes when I engage the blades, the belt pops off the first deck pulley. (Doesn't happen all the time. It's intermittent.) This is the pulley with the "belt guide" which is supposed to keep the belt from popping off. I know when this happens, the deck makes a different sound so I turn the blades off immediately and drive the mower back to the truck to put the belt back on...This mower is almost identical to the old style eXmark Lazer except it has a different deck (Turbo Force rather than the Ultra Cut) and it uses 1 belt to drive the deck. eXmark uses 2 belts, a mule belt from the PTO to a jackshaft assembly on the deck and then a second belt from the jackshaft to the blade spindles. I have had multiple Lazers and I never had any problems with belts popping off like this. I have had this to a dealer and he couldn't figure it out. I have just submitted a request for assistance through the Toro web site... I am using an OEM Toro belt. I am engaging the blades at full throttle per the manual. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks, George
Toro Z500 Z Master Deck Belt Pops off Pulley
grobinsonpa
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Hello, Hope someone can give me a suggestion on this annoying problem. Mower is a Toro Z500 Z Master, 60" Turbo Force Deck, 27 HP Kohler Model # 74296 SN 310000885. 1200 hrs on machine. I have been very pleased with this machine except for 1 annoying glitch. Sometimes when I engage the blades, the belt pops off the first deck pulley. (Doesn't happen all the time. It's intermittent.) This is the pulley with the "belt guide" which is supposed to keep the belt from popping off. I know when this happens, the deck makes a different sound so I turn the blades off immediately and drive the mower back to the truck to put the belt back on...This mower is almost identical to the old style eXmark Lazer except it has a different deck (Turbo Force rather than the Ultra Cut) and it uses 1 belt to drive the deck. eXmark uses 2 belts, a mule belt from the PTO to a jackshaft assembly on the deck and then a second belt from the jackshaft to the blade spindles. I have had multiple Lazers and I never had any problems with belts popping off like this. I have had this to a dealer and he couldn't figure it out. I have just submitted a request for assistance through the Toro web site... I am using an OEM Toro belt. I am engaging the blades at full throttle per the manual. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks, George
Have you checked the belt tension? Are your idler pulleys and spindles rotating smoothly and have no excessive play with the belt removed? Here is a link to the shop manuals, parts list etc. If you go to section 7 page 25 of the shop manual, it gives a detailed procedure to check and adjust the belt.
https://www.toro.com/en/parts/partdetails/?id=34996
Open the link, click on the Manuals arrow. When it opens, click on the service manual on the second line, right side. It is 198 pages.
The other buttons are are for the owners manual, parts lists, hydro pump, wheel motors etc
https://www.toro.com/en/parts/partdetails/?id=34996
Open the link, click on the Manuals arrow. When it opens, click on the service manual on the second line, right side. It is 198 pages.
The other buttons are are for the owners manual, parts lists, hydro pump, wheel motors etc
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Hi EricG, Thanks for reminding me of the Toro link. I have the parts breakdown saved but I never checked out the manual. I now have the service manual saved to my computer. ... Anyway, yes I have checked out all of the pulleys and spindles. Everything spins freely. The belt tightening procedure is very straightforward. The dealer I took it to confirmed that I was doing that correctly. Thank you for all of the advice and direction you give on this forum! Have a great day, George
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Hello, Yes I have tried that. The belt will always jump off when engaging at 1/2 throttle.
George, I would go over the procedure utilizing the manual and double check everthing. Is it possible that the belt has stretched and that you are at the limit of your adjustments?
Just for curiosity, when was the last time you adjusted your clutch?
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Hi EricG, Yes, good thought. I am going to print that section of the manual and go over everything again. There is still some adjustment left in the belt. I'm not all the way to the end of the adjustment slot. I don't think the clutch is adjustable. I didn't see any procedure in the manual. I thought I read somewhere that it wasn't adjustable...Going to head out & start cutting. It's 7:30 AM and is already hot and humid!
George, I checked and you are right. The clutch is non adjustable.
Here is the service manual for the clutch should you ever need it:
https://purchase.wrightmfg.com/user...ages/1/Additional_Resources/Warner_clutch_install11217431314.pdf_1233029336.pdf
Here is the service manual for the clutch should you ever need it:
https://purchase.wrightmfg.com/user...ages/1/Additional_Resources/Warner_clutch_install11217431314.pdf_1233029336.pdf
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I had contacted Toro through their web site to see if they could give me any suggestions on fixing this problem. I got a canned response saying to read my owners manual and take it to my nearest dealer. Then they gave me the contact information for my 2 "nearest" dealers. Both of them were in Texas. I'm in Pennsylvania...What a joke. When I had some service issues with my eXmark Lazer (my backup machine), I contacted eXmark through there web site. Later the same day I got a phone call from one of there techs. He was very helpful and he told me to call anytime on his direct line. Toro and eXmark may be the same company but they sure don't share the same level of customer service.
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Hi EricG, No haven't had a chance yet. Looks like its going to be Saturday morning before I get to it. It's ready for an oil & filter change so I'm going to check out the deck belt problem while I'm doing that. I'll let you know how I make out.
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1,289 Posts
Your tension spring is worn out
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Hello, Good thought but I just replaced the tension spring. The loop snapped off the old one. Thanks, George
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There is another thread from a few months ago where another member was having the same issue with his new toro. Said that toro was aware that the belts kept popping off and were working on a fix to send to their dealers. He said that his dealer kept coming out to put on new parts and trying to fix but after a few hours it would pop off again.
I am on my phone or I would do a search for that thread.
I am on my phone or I would do a search for that thread.
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Found it...it's a different toro mower but might be the same issue. I don't know anything about toros so IDK...
http://www.lawnsite.com/threads/toto-titan-mx6000-design-flaw.454698/
http://www.lawnsite.com/threads/toto-titan-mx6000-design-flaw.454698/
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653 Posts
Ever get this issue resolved? I posted about this a year or two ago...AND...I'm still dealing with my Z500 belt jumping. I paid my dealer $600 last year to resolve the issue. After going through EIGHT after market deck belts, I sucked it up and spent the $150 for the 'toro' official belt...that was a damn waste of money! My belt, about 95% of the time jumps off at the same pulley as yours...the one with the little guide. Other times it comes off of the PTO pulley. Today my worker and I watched everything as I engaged the blades...the back left pulley with the spring...that thing moved left to right, up and down...it's a train wreck. Full throttle, mid throttle, low idle start...doesn't matter...that is the problem area. It's a poor design. I had that whole thing replaced last year...still no solution. I've been dealing with issues with this mower from day 1. If you don't let it warm up for five minutes and try engage it blades...stall. The torque from the PTO is way off. The tension spring pulley area is a flawed design. I have two other Toro Z453...awesome mowers. Simplistic, great weight distribution...don't need wheel weights for bagging, easy to work on. Best Z Toro ever built. I hate my Z500. I'm giving this mower one last chance. Going to buy a new spring/pulley arm. If that doesn't work...trading it in. I private messaged you with my number. Would like to chat with you about our ongoing issues.
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Yes...there are two. My tension pulley/pulley arm kicks to the left into the frame/pulley protectors/tip protection things as soon as the blades are engaged. The pulley has created a groove in this frame work. There are two washers on the pulley arm preventing the arm from tightening completely against the mower frame. The race inside is slightly longer than the pulley arm. It was creating a gap and some play in that arm. So now that's super tight without the washer. I also loosened my belt tension pulley...moved it about a whole inch difference. So now the belt has some give/extra flex when the blades are engaged. Just trying to alleviate the stress on that pulley on the left of the PTO once the PTO engage. It's all fine tuning crap. Engaged twice and no jump off. I typically have to put the deck down to 1" to turn the blades on then quickly raise the deck...???? Engaged at 3" after these adjustments and didn't jump. Tomorrow will be the really test with a whole day of mowing.
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