Belts form part of every drive. Scag Tiger Cat 2 has major belt that drives various mower functions. Belts require periodic inspection to check for misalignment, elongation and wear and tear. Operation of equipment with defective belt drive systems can cause serious operation problems and present safety risks.
Table of Contents
1. Belt Misalignment
Belt misalignment occurs when the drive pulley and tail pulley are out of their original intended alignment position. Misalignment can be caused by loose pulley components which results in movement away from the line of alignment. Vibration if uncontrolled for a long period will cause misalignment of pulleys and resulting belt configuration. The Scag Tiger Cat 2 pulleys under misalignment result in excessive belt wear and tear. This is due to increased frictional forces between belt sections and pulleys grooves where belts are supposed to run freely under normal circumstances. When facing excessive belt wear with your Scag Tiger Cat 2 mower, first check the alignment of your pulleys. Drive belts should rest freely in pulley grooves without any sign of being in a runaway position. Correctly align the pulleys and make sure pulleys are held tight in position once aligned. Also ensure pulley groves are clean and free from debris so belts can seat freely in those grooves. If the belts are already worn out, there is need to replace with correct size and belt types. Under misalignment, belts experience high temperatures which affect their life span. Normal belt life as prescribed by Scag Tiger Cat 2 supplier should be achieved with proper pulleys and belt alignment. In case of any challenge, supplier contact is recommended to assist in the alignment procedure.
2. Elongation or Loose belt
Drive belts requires correct tension values for effective transfer of drive to other system components. If the belt becomes too loose either due to excessive elongation or poor tensioning, the drive is lost and control becomes difficult. Loosing steering is a serious safety hazard. Scag Tiger Cat 2 recommends periodic inspection and tightening of the drive belt.
In worst case scenarios the belts may be broken in which case no drive is provided. Slippage does not occur with broken belt as the wheels will spin freely without any load on them. Inspection schedule should seek to identify these problems and replacement of worn out belt is recommended for efficient power transfer. Follow supplier manual for the accurate and detailed steps on carrying out the trouble shooting. Also use of right tools is a recommendation so that components are not damaged.
3. Faulty Deck Drive Belt
The deck of Scag Tiger Cat 2 comes with a belt whose tension is maintained by presence of spring loaded tensioning idlers. The deck belt may be worn out or show signs of elongation which requires replacement and continuous monitoring. Belt slippage may occur either due to contamination of the pulleys, worn out pulley side guides. Scag Tiger Cat 2 manual provides instructions on proper deck belt inspection, alignment and replacement. It is highly recommended to follow supplier procedure when carrying out these trouble shootings.
4. Ground Drive Belt Adjustment
The next type of drive belt is the ground drive belt. This belt comes already tensioned but will need readjustments or re-tension as the belt elongates from wear and tear. Tensioning procedure is the same for all drive belts with tension values given in the manuals. In some instances, just like the deck drive belt the Scag Tiger Cat 2 belt may wear or gets broken. When belt is longer than necessary, the tension is lost and no drive effect will be provided by the belt. Inspection on a periodic basis is required for ground drive belts to ensure belts are well seated in pulley groves, they have good tension with proper alignment. If belts are worn out, replace with good condition belts as instructed by supplier manual. It is not recommended to tighten drive belts excessively to accommodate worn out pulleys. Over tensioning will likely cause fatigue and ultimately failure of other connected components. Under tension is also discouraged as the belt slips and wears reducing its life span. A simple check for belt tension is to apply force on the mid span of the belt and note the deflection size of the belt. High deflection implies under tensioning while no deflection implies excessive tensioning of the belt.
5. Faulty Hydraulic Pump Drive Belt
One of the common belt problems of the Scag Tiger Cat 2 model is the faulty hydraulic pump drive belt. To Care and attention is required in replacement of faulty hydraulic pump belt. It is recommended to park the tractor on level surface and put the park brake on. After switching off the engine and removing the ignition key, remove the belt as per supplier instruction. There are various nuts provided for the attachment, these need to be loosened. Loosening will release the belt tension allowing it to freely move out of pulley grooves. Replace worn out or torn belt with new belt. Always ensure the belt runs freely in grooves of the pulleys to avoid friction and overheating of the belt sections resulting in excessive wear and tear. After replacement tension the belt correctly, attach the belt guards. Before starting the machine ensure all nuts are tightened to avoid belt slippage and components failure.
It is a common practice to replace belts that show signs of severe tears, cracking and burns that are caused by slippage. One major aspect not to forget is contaminated pulley groves. Again periodic inspection is required to make sure the groves are free from debris or grease which increases slippage and shorten belt life span. Scag Tiger Cat 2 suppliers like other models offer support within the scope of all their equipment models in the market. It is recommended to contact the supplier for any problem and for troubleshooting guide. Misguided trouble shooting may cause serious damage to the equipment and operator safety. If not sure of what to do, kindly get in touch with a recommended competent personnel.
