About a month ago, I lost drive on the Mulchmaster. Thankfully, it failed at home and after finishing my mowing run for the day. What I thought would be a simple belt change turned out to be more involved. In fact, the belt itself still had a few threads intact, but one of the tensioner pullies had slipped off the bearing.............
From what I have since learned, once the bearings fail on these, they heat up the plastic pully and melt them free.
After a few minutes searching the PDF parts manual, which I have saved for all of my machines now, I found that Victa only sells the complete tensioner assembly and not the induvial pullies. In any case, these are not all that expensive, but they are special order and why it's taken me a month to get around to fixing this issue.
Victa: CH86896AW
https://bwmachinery.com.au/wp-conten...Parts-List.pdf
https://www.outdoorking.com.au/index...oducts_id=8845
Replacement of the belt and tensioner is a bit of a fiddle, but not hard. First, remove the blade carrier from the driveshaft to give access later on. Then, release the speed control cable by loosening the double nuts that hold it to the assembly, then unhook the cable from the pivoting tensioner arm. Next, remove the nyloc nut from the second pully, this bold also holds the assembly in place and passes through the chassis, you will need two 13mm ring spanners.
New unit ready for install following the above in reverse.
The Mulchmaster was the last machine I entrusted to the "care" a local repair shop. I had dropped it in for a belt replacement, a month and $220 later, the machine was handed back on a Saturday morning. On the first job, the thing was driving way too slowly, even in top gear. Thinking back, I am certain they didn't even do a test run before signing off on the job, because if they had, they would have known something wasn't right. By this time, it was 1pm on a Saturday and the shop closed. Annoyed, I removed the belt shroud to discover they had put the belt on incorrectly. The short period of running had also cut the belt.
I then spent a month arguing with the arrogant shop owner, who was insistent I bring the machine back, which wasn't going to happen. My argument being they charged me for a repair that I ended up having to do myself to get it running and earning money again, and that the belt was compromised. In the end, we agreed for them to simply cover the cost of a new belt and call it a day. After waiting for weeks to be issued a refund, I sent an email to Victa head office that a "certified dealer" was doing the brand a disservice. I got no response from either Victa or the dealer, but the money was in my account 24 hours later.
I say all of the above because I already had a belt in stock, and that I'm shocked that the compromised belt lasted 14 months. Even so, I ordered another belt to keep in stock.
Victa - CH85666A
https://www.outdoorking.com.au/index...oducts_id=8534
To fit the belt takes a bit of finagling. First, feed the belt from the top of the deck, pulling through to hook over the blade boss and then onto the engine pully. You then snake the belt around the pivot arm pully and up to the gear box pully. Get the belt started on the gearbox pully, then rotate till it walks into place.
Next, you need to reset the speed control. First, move the lever to the fastest position, pull back on the cable to tension the pivot arm, then adjust and tighten the double nuts to lock everything down. A quick test run, then another readjustment of the cable, the belt cover can be reinstalled.
I ended up giving the machine a test run on the neighbors lawn, and I'm pleased to report the Mulchmaster is now fixed and running well.
