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184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:26 pm
by AL Farmall Boy
After replacing the throttle cable, carburetor, and fuel sediment bowl on a 184 lo-boy, I went to try it out before replacing the hood and panels. It reved up ALOT better with the new carb (same type Zenith as the one before) and everything worked well. When I dismounted the tractor after making 1 pass in the front yard mowing (grass was cut yesterday actually with another mower), I noticed that the belts on the clutch assembly were flipped up side down and on top of each other. WHAT HAPPENED THIS TIME!!!??? This time last year we spent almost $1,400 at the CASE/IH dealer for them to install a new clutch, throwout bearing, U-Joint and yoke. I'm trying to get the tractor fixed right so I can sell it for someone, and everytime we repair something, something else happens. This is about the 5 time this year that we've repaired something on it, and something else fails! I've never seen nothing like it. Haha.

Anyways, please post some pictures of what one SHOULD LOOK LIKE, so we can compare and see what happened to the one I've got. I have some pictures of it the way it is now that I can post later. I know FOR A FACT that the belts were correct BEFORE I started it up today and "tried it out". Please help me figure this out, and hopefully this will be a simple quick fix. It just keeps reminding me how much I dislike the design of the numbered series lo-boys. Thanks!

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:59 pm
by AL Farmall Boy
Here are the pictures of what mine looks like NOW. I don't know what happened, but it aint right!!

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:01 pm
by AL Farmall Boy
More pictures.....

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:24 am
by AL Farmall Boy
ANY suggestions on how to fix, or ideas on what happened!? All replies are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:46 am
by Jim Becker
I have nothing specific to those particular belts. Maybe some others will now that the Cub Tug is over. However, the answer is probably the same as nearly every other v-belt problem.

1) Check the pulleys for any deformities, sharp edges, etc. that can damage the belts.
2) Check pulley alignment. The belts should be absolutely straight as they go on and off of each pulley when in operation, particularly as they go on.
3) Damaged belts (with internal cord damage) will not work properly. They can jump off, turn over, or misbehave in all sorts of unexpected ways. Once they have jumped off, and even more if they have turned over, they will never work right again. They usually need to be replaced.
4) NEVER install a belt by rolling it over the edge of a pulley. If there is a spring loaded tensioner, you can mount a belt by pulling the tensioner to a slack position. If the belt is tensioned by any other method, you need to release the tensioner to install the belt.

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:56 pm
by twotone
When I replaced the belts on my 154, I bought IH belts,($60.00 a pair) and I know the importance of using a matched set when replacing 2 belts on the same pulleys.

Tom

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:13 pm
by Rudi
AL Farmall Boy wrote:ANY suggestions on how to fix, or ideas on what happened!? All replies are greatly appreciated. Thanks!


Have you read the Cub 184 Lo-Boy Owner's Manual or the IH-50 2004 Edition Complete Shop Manual which covers the 154, 185 and 184 Lo-Boy's :?: The clutch is described on pages 13-15.

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:31 am
by outdoors4evr
All of your pics seem to be from the LH side of the tractor so we can't really see the alignment of the pulleys and the spring loaded tensioner pulley. I would suspect that the tensioner pulley is not aligned and tight. There is one mounting bolt on the tensioner that keeps the tensioner pulley in line and a spring (underneath) that pulls on the assembly keeping the belts tight. The mounting bolt must be snug, but still allow the spring to move the assembly. There are some spacers on the mounting bolt that help allow for this motion.

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:00 pm
by AL Farmall Boy
Ok. Thank you all for the responses. We have NO CLUE whatsoever on how the whole assembly works, or how to fix it; and yes I took a look at the manual; but like I said the whole electric clutch assembly kind of intimidates us to work on. After everything that has gone wrong and has broken on this tractor once we fix something else; we are just sick and tired of working on it and wish it would end! haha. I'm sure you all have been there before on a particular "devilish tractor". Thanks again, and maybe we can figure it out with little cost and labor to get it fixed right. And if it needs new ones, I bet NAPA has those belts too!

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 2:00 pm
by Landreo
I do not have a 184 but I assume the pulleys (clutch , engine, idler) are not all in alignment. I would put the belts back on, stand far away and sight along the belts. They should be straight and the pulleys aligned front to back and look for any twist in the pulleys. Try to twist the idler and clutch itself. Shoud be no movement. When they redid the main clutch, did the dealer remove the PTO clutch? If so, they may not have aligned properly. Look at page 15 on the like Rudi gave. It discusses the shims needed to align the PTO clutch pully with the engine pulley.

Outdoors4evr also gives good advice on the potential misalignment or movement of the idler pulley.

Not much to the system, engine pulley, idler pulley, PTO pulley, one of those 3 is lose or misaligned. There is nothing you can break by fixing the alignment.

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 7:51 am
by Gary Dotson
Once the belts have flipped over, they are done for, they'll never stay upright again. Those belts are not run of the mill belts! You need to get them from IH, they are a much stiffer belt than you will find at your NAPA store. I doubt that aftermarket belts will hold up very long. Once you hold one in you hand, you will see how different they are.

Re: 184 Clutch? Belts PROBLEM - PLEASE HELP

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:44 am
by outdoors4evr
During the process of replacing the clutch, the lower pulleys had to be removed from the flywheel. This was the best opportunity to change these belts. The two belts must be a matched set. They come from IH as a pair tied together. I suspect that the belts do need to be replaced as one is probably stretched out so they no longer match in length.
Yes, this involves pulling the clutch fork, and driveshaft. Pulling the driveshaft does not require moving the engine. It will wiggle out. You will also need to remove the tensioner pulley & spring and remove 3 of the 4 of the electric clutch bolts. The electric clutch floats on springs so pay attention to how tight they are (measure how compressed the springs are or how many threads are showing). Remove these gently so the assembly doesn't fall apart in your hands.
This wasn't really a hard job but did eat a few hours.