50c pto to deck belt not at tension?

[county_line]

The other day I was mowing with my '81 682 and I smelled a belt burning. I shut the pto off and check things over. The idle pulleys at the front of the mule drive were in the non tension position. Thought that was odd since I just check it before I mowed, but figured the belt must have stretched.

Took the belt off and discovered that both 4" idle pulleys were locked up on the mule drive. So I replaced both with new and put a new belt on.

With the left bar in the unlocked position I began to adjust the belt tension nut on the hook that's attached to the right side pulley. The left bar starts to move out like it does to get you to the first notch that the sticker says is proper tension but it never it gets to it. Instead the pulley on the right that is attached to the adjustment hook will start pulling foward but the tension pulley does not move forward with it to move the bar to its tension notch. I can run the nut in on the hook but the left bar never moves farther out instead stays where the lock notch is lined up with the frame

I don't know how if I can just mow like this or if there is something wrong with the bar that the two pulleys are on?

The belt i put on is a Stens True Blue 89" belt. It's the same kind I've been using every time I do a belt change.

[ol'George]

And just for clarification:
Left and right are always determined from on the operators' seat on mobile equipment.
Your J hook adjustment is on the left side, and your spring tensioned unlocking bar is on the right side.
Put a few drops of oil on tensioner bar pivots the spring is on as it needs to not be bound up so it can put proper tension on the belt.
Also check to see tension bar indicator that flops in its slot is free to do so and you did not lock it down while replacing the mule drive pulleys.
Your mule drive pulleys should be equal distance to cross on your mule drive.

[county_line]

Thanks for the clarification. I ended up just trying to mow with it the way it was set. I have about 2 achres I mow. It mowed very well. Maybe the Stens belts are just a bit stiffer at first?

[ol'George]

Most belts are quite stiff when new, and most need a bit of readjustment
after some usage.
Keeping the belt adjusted so the pulleys are equally distant from the front of the mule drive (the part that has the decal on it) gives the best belt life.