Swisher Mower Belt Installation Instructions

The Swisher Z-Max 25 HP 60-inch-cut rear engine riding mower is a powerful, versatile machine designed for heavy work, low maintenance and ease of operation. Although the machine has a wide mower deck, this zero-turn mower is well balanced and easy to maneuver over the roughest terrain. Despite its cutting speed of 6 mph, the well-shielded cross-drive mower belt has an impressive service life. Installing a new V belt over the accessible top-mounted pulleys is a straightforward task.

Things You'll Need

• Socket wrench
• Pencil and paper

Instructions

1. Pull the black rubber boot from the spark plug and move it away from the plug.

2. Lower the mower deck to its lowest position by moving the deck lift handle forward and engaging the lever in the front notch nearest the deck.

3. Undo the bolts holding the belt covers to the top of the mower deck with a socket wrench. Lift the belt covers off and lay them on one side. Use a pencil and paper to draw a sketch of the deck belt layout.

4. Using a socket wrench, remove the lock nut holding the tension spring to the tension handle that's connected to the idler pulley; the idler pulley is the white pulley in the center left of the mower deck. Rotate the tension handle counterclockwise to loosen the belt.

5. Remove the worn belt by rolling it over the top of all visible pulleys.

6. Thread the replacement belt over the pulleys as shown on your diagram. Position the tapered V section of the belt into the pulley grooves and the flat side of the V belt against the face of the idler pulley.

7. Rotate the idler pulley tension handle clockwise to tighten the belt. Stretch the tension spring and insert the threaded end back into its hole. Thread the lock nut on and tighten it securely with the socket wrench.

8. Replace the belt covers and secure them to the deck with the bolts removed earlier. Check and tighten all bolts with the socket wrench after installation.

9. Reconnect the plug lead by replacing the rubber boot on top of the spark plug and pushing down until it clicks into place.

References

• Manage My Life: Swisher ZT 2560 Operator's Manual
• Swisher: ZT 2560 Repair Manual