Hi Crigby, just wondering if you could send the link for replacing the belt for the John Deere JX75 lawn mower? I have searched for your answer high and low and can not seem to find the actual post you mentioned in one of your answers to "Twagner428" . I know you mentioned you do not have to remove the engine? Thanks. Rmac2010

Hi,
Sorry but your email suddenly "droppde into my box lo these many months away. Yes, you simply loosen the rear bolts and tilt the engine back. I cannot say that this is my technique as I was shown this by a fellow employee of past. The machine would probably be findable if you search for its first designation of the Deere 14SB

Hi,
I apologize but no amount of searching yielded favorable results. I could get no more than 500 results and you can see I have answered over 5 times as many times. I will go through it again!
The JX75 (and the 14SB) use a Kawasaki FC120V, the FC150V and the FC180V engines. The tag will also have a type with two letters of the alphabet; the first of which is an ascending series code that started with an "A" on the first engines, and an "S" Then comes the numeric engine code which describes who bought the engine. The first customer would have a "00" coustomer code. If the customer made a significant change to the specs, it would by the next lowest available code at that tim, i.e. it could become a "11" I would point out that Deere specified OEM-supported engines from Kawasaki, which means that a Deere dealer, and a good Kawasaki parts man or mechanic could cross them assuredly. All that said, here we go (will save this, convert to HTML and post it to my bel site as time permits.)
First step is the rear cover which is held in place by the round black plastic cylindrical screw. It will pop free to reveal the rear part of the belt. The nut holding the sheave to the top of the transmission and the sheave must be removed. Al ight duty air tool and a 17mm socket should do it.
Next loosen one of the nuts that the cable into the slotted cast locater on the frame and lift it out. Grasp the spring on the cable that connects to the right side of the machine at the clutch lever and pull back, hold the lever with your other hand and disconnect the spring. Ought to be in the front hole, but you can make note of it.
Now to get under the machine! The best way I have seen is a raised surface and tilting the handlebars down over the edge (it can reacha balance point that way.) If that is unavailable, a moderate weight at the operator's station will suffice; it makes for more kneeling and stooping.
The blade must be removed. Two metric bolts with 15mm heads will free the blade. Now for the special tool needed; an 8mm Allen head hex driver takes out the bolt hloding the clutch on. Be sure to got the hole very clean and to get a good deep seat of the driver in the hole (least you strip it and have to drill the head off it.) The lower half of the clutch may or may not separate with a tug or a few taps (taps only, please.) If it does not easliy separate, move on.
Okay I hope you have noticed that the clutch arm you previously removed the cable/spring from is now firmly all the way forward against the front of the slot. Also, notice that the slot has a front, a bottom and a back, but no top; the botom top the engine is the top. Air tools are pretty well the way to go for parts of these. The nut/sheave on the transmission, the blade bolts and the Allen head bolt on the clutch. Most can be accomplished with a good 3/8" butterfly wrench. You may wish to reconnect the cable/spring if the bottom did not come off and pull rearwards with one hand wihile removing the large shoulder bolt on the lever hidden beneath the deck (picture with the yellow dot and red border.) I think a 3/4" or 19mm socket does this and can be done with a ratchet, extension and socket (notice that a small washer goes next to the engine on the shoulder bolt.) That is the clutch stay and the lever/spring/cable combination can be held onto while removing the front two engine mount bolts and loosening the two rear ones about 3/4" so that the engine cocks back (if you removed that transmission sheave.)
Once the engine cocks back, the clutch can move forward and release most pressure. If you got it to separate, you can now see if you are lucky enough to have the upper half come off. You will kinda have to play with it if it does to get the lever to clear. If it does not, it is special tool (bolt) time again and you will have to have a 12mm coarse thread (this the actual size of the bolt at the threads) and you will see that the upper half has internal threads where that bolt goes in to push the upper half off the crank. Careful of that lever!
Once this is all done, you can see the belt sheave on the crank and the short tension spring attaching to the clutch and the hooked anchor to the front has probably fallen out.
Inspect to make the clutch disc on the upper half is intact, the bearings all have seals intact and slip your old belt out, new belt on and out the rear hole.
If you are wise, you will get some antiseize compound from an auto supply house to reassemble. All but the oldest clutches would either have three nut/spring combinations. The oldest have four and can be trickier. Might be wise to replace one of those because the newer ones have the key built in and those older ones had a loose key.
Now to go back the other way, antiseize on the inside of the upper half, "sneak it on" with that 2" long spring hooked into the hole on the tab on the clutch, hook it onto the hooked bracket at the front, pull the cable/spring back on the clutch lever and reinstall the shoulder bolt to the stay (with washer) to the sump and still holding back on the lever into the slotted area tighten down on the rear engine bolts to "trap" the lever in the slot. Put in the front bolts and tighten all. Pull back on the cable the put it bac into it boss. Check to make sure the belt went to the inside of both of the sides of the rear "V" belt guide, put upper half on (with antiseize, preferrably) install the bolt (8mm Allen head) to hold ot on and together and the blade.
Some do not put the cable into the bosses until the work underneath is done. It is now and you can now put the machine down on its wheels, put the transmission sheave (making sure it is inside its guides) and nut back on, and lastly the cover.