How to Remove Pulleys From a Riding Mower Deck

If you look at the mower deck on your lawn mower, you will see several pulleys mounted to the top. There are different reasons for each pulley. The two largest pulleys hold the mower blade in place. The smaller pulleys are idler or tensioner pulleys, and they are there to help route the belt in the correct direction. When a bearing within the pulley goes bad, you will hear squealing and grinding. When this happens, you must pull the pulley off the spindle so you can replace the bearing. Do this with a spindle puller or gear puller.

Screwdriver

Spindle pulley

Wrench set

Remove the mower deck from the lawn tractor. This process varies greatly depending on the model and the brand of lawn tractor you own. In most cases, you will see rods that hold the deck to the underside of the lawn tractor. You must remove the rods to lower the deck to the ground. You need access to attach the spindle puller to the top of the pulley. If you do not know how to remove the mower deck, purchase a service manual from the manufacturer. In many cases, the owner's manual tells you how to remove the deck, since this is part of routine maintenance.

Remove the screws that hold the pulley guards over the pulleys and then place the pulley guard off to the side.

Remove the bolt from the center of the pulley with a wrench. In some cases, the pulley relies solely on the fit between the bearing and the spindle, and you will not locate a bolt. If this is the case, forgo this step.

Place the three jaws of the spindle puller under the pulley and center the threaded screw directly in the center of the pulley so it rests on the spindle shaft.

Place a wrench onto the square end of the threaded screw and turn it clockwise. As you turn it, the jaws pull the pulley up and off the spindle.