John Deere 285 transmission drive belt replacement?

Answer 1

I know this is an old question but I searched for a few hrs trying to find the answer to this and I saw where some had taken the clutch assembly off which is what I was going to try until I talked to my neighbor, and he just replaced his on his craftsman and it hit me, that's what I need to try...

I started off by taking the deck off, then I unplugged the clutch assembly harness, I loosened the small spindle and shield by the clutch assembly, I took off the spring on the tensioner as well as the shield on the 2 tensioner spindles, then I fed the belt on the clutch side spindle first then I fed it in the little metal wire type guide, then in between the fan blades on the rear hydro side and just spun the fan blades slowly to feed the belt down and onto the rear spindle, I then lined it up inside the tensioner spindles and reinstalled the shield and spring then fed it inside the small guide spindle and shield and tightened it down then reconnect the clutch wire harness and your back in business! Hope this helps!