The top of my transmission shaft, near the pulley, is not centered in the hole in the sheet metal belt guard above. Rather, the shaft is shifted forward 1/4 inch or more, and slightly to the left, and has been running against the belt guard. Is this any concern?

The mounts for the belt guard, slots on left and screw on right, don't appear to allow any float or misalignment on the frame rails. Do the axle's mounts somehow allow some float in where the axle mounts? When I replace the belt and fan, should I (can I?) try to move the whole axle to align the shaft with the hole in the belt guard?

Any help appreciated!

Jim
Boston, MA

Thanks to anyone who might have read through or been thinking about my question. I believe I found the problem - As I got into replacing the fan and pulley, I found the transmission has two straps that mount its front to the frame. The left one was rattling loose, and the right one was broken clean through! It's pretty clear now that the transmission's weight, without proper mounts, is making it roll forward and left so the shaft hits the belt guard above. The new mount is on order; hopefully it will fix the alignment and maybe help keep the belt from coming off the pulley!
Thanks, -Jim