How to Replace the Drive Belt on Husqvarna Zero Turn Riding Lawn mower 

Dude - Rudy, this has got to be the BEST how-to video I've ever seen. Man, if every manufacturer, vendor, and any other equipment/packager/parts outfit could do what you just did and SIMPLIFY the replacement procedure, this world would be SO MUCH better off. I hauled my mower to my girlfriend's property to do some mowing since her big bad diesel Grasshopper is out of commission, and with all the hilly terrain my Husky started to slip and then just limped. Figured the belt was worn, it's been at least 5 years since it's been replaced. Your video rocks... every frickin' equipment manufacturer needs to watch your video and do EXACTLY what you do to inform folks on how to replace parts! Rock on buddy!!!!

Great video but you don't have to take the clutch off to get the belt on. Just take the two half inch bolts that hold the clutch locking bar on and remove that. Then the belt will go right around the clutch without having to remove the clutch. Must faster and easier.

Got this mower from a friend who replaced the belt once before. He had the idler resting all the way to the left side with absolutely no tension on the spring. I didn't know any better. Thought it was supposed to be this way. Fought the replacement belt for 2 afternoons. Wasn't until I came here and saw how yours was mounted that I realized it was wrong. Got it on the right way and everything is up and running again. Learned something you weren't even trying to show. Appreciate the video.

Hi Rudy of Take A Bath Productions, I just came across your video yesterday (May 26, 2024) as I broke the drive belt on my zero turn Husqvarna mower. I just wanted to thank you for your video showing and describing in such a clear and concise way of the exact repair I had to do. Everything you explained on your video I followed and viola, got my mower up and running today! I highly recommend this video to anyone who has this issue with their zero turn Husqvarna riding mower! Thank you again!

THE BEST video! Concise, straightforward, easy to understand.

Awesome how-to video! Could not suggest the slightest improvement. One thing that I ran into which could benefit some folks -- the swivel for that tensioner pulley froze up in my Z254 with only 320 hours on it. You need to undo the spring, unbolt it, and knock that bushing out in a vise. After cleaning with a wire brush and a little grease, it rotates freely, good as new. That restored enough friction to drive the hydraulic motors again. I think I could climb a tree with it now. (I did go ahead and replace the belt as it had some cracks in it.) Thanks from Tennessee for taking the time to do this!

Thank you. You saved me from taking it to the shop and saved me a bunch of money. Very detailed and informative video. Thank you!!!

Thank you for your very helpful video. I have the same mower. This spring I started mine up, getting ready to pull out of the barn & put her to work when I noticed a burning plastic smell, and she wouldnt drive. I towed her up to the garage and lifted, found that my idler and belt fused together! At first it looked like a pretty involved repair, until I found your video. The idler on my machines bearings seized up and caused the plastic idler (really bad design) to completely melt within seconds of running. The internet wasnt much help locating a steel replacement, so I ordered the OEM part and got it running. Long story short (too late), its people like you that take the time in a short easy to follow video that can give the how to, and confidence in what was a simple repair. Well done!

Awesome video sir. I was dreading this project on my Z254. But now I feel confident after watching your awesome instructions I think I will be mowing grass today :) . Thank you !!!

Excellent video. I would have been lost without. I was able to change the belt WITHOUT removing the clutch completely, I just loosened it until it was nearly ready to fall off and was able to wiggle the new belt on.

This video was a great help. I replaced the belt on my Dad's mower yesterday after watching this to make sure I didn't miss anything. The ratchet trick was a big help. After seeing you use the ratchet, I wanted to slap myself on the forehead, It was such a simple idea, why didn't I didn't think of this years ago.

Thanks. My mower was sluggish going up hill. Changed the belt and now she’s back to normal.

This was extremely helpful for someone who is far from mechanically inclined. Everything worked just like you said it would.

Hi, thanks for your video! Just a note to all to check that the idler arm can easily swing forth and back. Take off spring an check it. Might need disassembly and some grease. On my mower it was completely stuck and the belt was actually fine.

Great job!!!! All of the other videos about job just show you a parts swap via the magic of youtube; One second the parts are on the mover and the next they're on the work bench, no how it happen videoing, totally forgetting folks are watching to learn all of the steps necessary to get it done. You got it right. Thanks.

Your videos are absolutely the best I've ever seen. It took me a while as I worked at ground level, but there is NO WAY I could have replaced the broken drive belt without your guidance. I almost can't wait for something else to go wrong so I can fix it with the help of your great videos. BTW I agree with Al Trevino. Thank you!

Great video, you are gonna save me a lot of pain......watching other folks made me NOT want to do this but after your video I have complete confidence.....thanks buddy!

I watched your video and I apparently diagnosed the issue with my mower correctly. Thanks.

Your video very helpful,step by step instructions,hardest part of Job was lining up the clutch pulley and getting to the volta with impact

Excellent video…I keep threatening to drive my z5426 off into my pond but the damn thing keeps going. I made the mistake of changing this belt because it looked cracked…the original one lasted many many years but new belt and tension pulley has been changed every season since. Thanks for refreshing my memory on this job.

This was the only video that helped me. Thanks man!

Thanks for the information....Now I can go back out to the shop and lay my 80 year old body back down on that concrete floor and see if I can do as you demonstrated....Thanks....

Good video - good instructions - no nonsense - good camera and audio skill

Hello, RZ46i Husq. Zero turn - 1st time repairing my mower, your video is very detailed and I figured I would give it a go. However when removing the drive belt, either I missed something or it was on wrong in the first place but I have to unbolt the tension pulley to remove the belt. I ran out of daylight and will get back at it in the AM - thanks for you video, you rock

Excellent video and good ideas. Look at belt routing first and note it. I just cut the old belt into to remove quickly. Its much harder but I changed belt the with it sitting on the ground. I used a couple bricks and sat the clutch on it without unplugging the wire. Also if have trouble getting the deck belt loose up front at your feet remove the panel and take the belt off up front for some play to remove the belt at the back.

What a perfect find for me. A lot easier than I had anticipated. Now, I gotta do it.

Awesome video. Helped me save a bunch of time and very intuitive walk through on how to change the drive belt. Thanks a ton.

A n alternate solution that works too is double up on the tensioner spring... the springs wear out and are a bit weak. Do both belt replacement and add some extra tension on the belt tensioner spring and it won't ever slip... kevlar reinforced belts recommended.

Thanks. Tried impact but bolt didn’t budge 😢. Need to change tensioner pulley. Shredded itself

SECOND TIME I HAVE WATCHED THIS VIDEO TO REMIND ME OF PROCEDURE. THANKS ONCE A GAIN.

on the 242e remove the 2 bolts that secure the electric clutch assembley and the wire that connects to it and the belt can be fitted without removal of the clutch and drive pulley

As Al Trevino said, one of the best how-to video's I've ever seen; plenty of lighting, good views and thorough explanations without leaving anything out. The center of my idler pulley melted and the pulley fell right out. Wondering how it got so hot that it would do that and why would Husqvarna make the pulley out of plastic instead of metal.

Thank you soooo much for this! For once a repair video that is exactly like what I encountered! Awesome!

TYVM! I understand this now! Now wish me luck

Downright amazing video. OUTSTANDING. Why can’t the manufacturer make it this simple. Thanks brother.

I could not get the clutch bolt out using a swivel with the impact wrench. I do not know if anyone mentioned in a previous comment, but I just took the spacer bar off the back to get the impact wrench on straight. That made it easy to get the clutch bolt out.

Outstanding video friend. Thanks a lot. SC Navy vet. Keep up the great work.

Thanks. This helped me change my drive belt today. I noticed that my idler spring and pulley weren't freely rotating (which prob contributed to the belt failure) I loosened the idler bolt so it could hold tight and it runs like a nascar now. Well.......you know.

Great video, just replaced the belt myself quickly and easily😀

Thanks for this very informative video. You helped me out a lot with this replacement. Much easier doing it this way instead of some of the others Ive seen.

If you have a Z254F with a Kohler engine, then make sure you have an impact wrench with some heft to it. The Kohler does not have a nut on the top, instead it has another female threaded end with another 7/16" bolt. If you try to hold the bolt head while turning the bottom bolt, it just loosens the top bolt!!!! An impact wrench is the only reasonable way of getting the clutch bolt off. Some of the battery powered impact wrenches do not have enough loosen torque to get the bolt out. I am currently waiting on delivery of a Kobalt battery impact wrench with 690 ft lbs of torque. If it doesn't do the job, am really up the creek without a solution.

One of the best videos I’ve ever seen. You rock my man!

I needed this, thank you!!

Good video. Thank you very much.

I have the same mower, but it has a bracket on the right of the tensioner pulley preventing placement without removing the pulley. Have you seen any like this?

Very helpful, best how to video on RU-vid

You made it look easy peasy!

I hired a guy who came out to put my rear belt back on, mower was stuck way down a hill so it had to be done in place, he laid on his back and somehow got it back in place in about 5 minutes, cost me $45, he drove a half hour each way too, way worth it. He figured a stick I ran over got up in there and derailed the belt. They don't make it easy to do without jacking it up.

Great video!

Also a good idea to grease the drive belt idler pulley as this is also a part that can jam up and stops the mower moving if it doesn’t move freely

Your video really help me change mine

Thank you so much! This video saved us a lot of time and money.

Excellent instructional video!

Good video!

Thanks for the vid, changing my drive belt now!!! Also, I have a FOXBODY (or 3) in my back ground as well, BUT NOT A 93 COBRA!!! Sweet ride man, truly most iconic car the world sleeps on. #FordTuff #❤️ Foxbody #StangBang

Good job on the video explained it to a T !! Turned out to be a easy fix

Excellent tutorial, thank you for posting.

You saved me $400 bucks😂

Your the best! Could you drive up on automotive ramps without driver belt. Wish I could get mine that high. It’s out in the field

Excellent video with some good pointers. However I have to point out that with a Husqvarna Z246, you do not have to remove the clutch housing at all. There are two carriage bolts on the side of the clutch housing that you remove to take off a bracket that will allow you to remove the old belt and install a new belt without having to use an impact wrench to take out the clutch. MUCH SIMPLER than removing the clutch!

Thank you, sir!!

thank you i was doing the tension pully and couldnt find the belt diagram. just got it fixed

Thank You for your time and it:"s being supper helpful, Blessings.

I hope that you don’t have a mini bad out of the pulleys to replace on yours as I have a man I have replaced probably six in the last seven years but it’s been a great lawnmower enjoyed it

Rudy! My deck is scalping the lawn and it's on the highest setting, any recommendations? This video was perfect as I can't get it to go fwd all the time.

Fixed mine good video my problem is I put all back ran fine then bolt fell out. Tighten it but miter won’t start unless I loosen the bolt. Did I not a-line something

Very capable mower

Great video helped tremendously

I'm going to try this on my Z246 this weekend and hopefully this works

Best video on doing this Great job.

Have you ever done a drive belt on a snapper 61in zero turn?

Why in the world would the engineers at Husqvarna make replacing the all important drive belt so difficult? Couldn't they have designed it better? Probably want people to run to their Husqvarna dealers for something we can do ourselves. Great video.

Great video, simple and informative!

I can't thank you enough with the money i saved paying someone i got a top of the line cordless impact wrench that took the clutch off in seconds. Husqvarna should hire you! The part number doesn't even show on their website. Shame!!!

Thanks for the video, mine stopped working today. Now I know what I got to do. First time viewer and subscriber...

Best video on this fix thank you:)

LOVE the intro

Your video was great! Does the belt just get loose and cause it not to grab properly while driving up hill? I had an oil filter come loose which caused oil to leak all over the motor lounging plate and I believe drip onto my belt snd pully down below. While driving on flat ground it seems fine but it does not want to go up hill. It is very slow going up hill. Do you think I am on the right track?

Excellent tutorial!!

2019 Z254F from Lowes with the Kawasaki engine -- the drive belt came off after the right transaxle spring got ripped off. Could not find a decent diagram showing how the belt would go back on so I am hoping this will be what I need. Great view. Thanks.

Nice video and instructions. How many hours on your machine?

Hey I have the same problem with them or go forward a little bit and then stop oh wonder if you could help me out

Thanks

Very good video, thanks !

Great vid, helped a lot. Thank you!

My tension arm keeps freezing at the pivot point been using wd40 to keep loose any better ideas?

Your mower stopped moving (mine too). Was the cause a broken belt? Or did it slip off the pulley? Why did you feel you had to replace it? I'm watching your video to find the location of the belt to see if it's broke or slipped off.

The idler wheel, is that the actual name? Do you have a part number? Mine seems to have melted

My idler pulley melted and fell off. I need the routing diagram for replacing the belt after I replace all the worn/damaged parts. Where can I find it? Thanks.

Thanks for sharing 👍 very helpful

Love ur videos your super smart !!

Great video very helpful !!

Mine still doesn’t move after the belt. Have looked everywhere for a hydraulic tank.

That is a great video! Thanks!

My Husqvarna will not move forward or backwards

Please make more videos this was perfect

Ty good video I’ll be giving this wack when the belt comes in

question i was mowing and that last peice must have fell off cause the mower quit using the blades and on the ground looked like a pulley of some sort hope its an easy fix and the bolt just came loose

Hello my brand new lawnmower is acting like how you described in the beginning mow the yard one time driving it back to the shed won’t move

Nice job. Good video & good explanations.