Timemaster Sync Belt Replacement

How to replace the synchronous belt on a Toro Timemaster. This is the belt that synchronizes the two blades to cut together. If the belt breaks while in use, make sure to inspect the blades as they may sustain damage warranting replacement in addition to the belt.
The official Toro part number for this belt is 120-3335, however the belt used in this video was a Stens 265-610. I went with the Stens because my local Toro dealer was out of the genuine Toro part and only the Stens was availible for Amazon Prime shipping so I could get mower back in service faster. I plan to keep a genuine Toro belt on hand in the future now just in case I need it. It appears that the sister Exmark Commercial 30" and Toro Turfmaster mowers likely uses the same belt and process, but I cannot confirm this.
Toro Timemaster Playlist:
• Toro Timemaster / Mowe...
Amazon affiliate links to parts:
Genuine Toro belt: amzn.to/2M9RiLJ
Stens Belt: amzn.to/2wWCHgW
Toro Replacement blades: amzn.to/2oWHNXf

[@williamaylmer2194]

Thanks! Very helpful! Two suggestions if I may. To set the tension on the sync belt after mounting, use a piece of paper between the spring plate and frame; it should be just possible to pull the paper out without tearing. Second, consider a cable tie or tension strap instead of a Milwakee clamp to hold the blade brake open. For information I paid my local authorised Toro distributor €172 in Dublin this week including taxes and carriage for a Toro Sync belt for my TimeMaster.

[@ModSquads]

Belt snapped today. The video was very helpful. This is how a community of shared knowledge benefits us all. Well done, thanks

[@jeffreypugh4553]

Very clear advice. Except I don't have enough clearance between the main pully and the red guide pole on the housing. Your belt slips in fairly easily with a little force. Mine is not. Looks like I have to take the whole pully off somehow.

[@DJHITMAN29]

My belt broke today so I came home and immediately searched for a video. This is the first one I found and the last one I'll have to watch! Very well done. Good, simple, easy to follow instructions! Thank you! And,,,I've now Subscribed! ;)

[@DJHITMAN29]

Edit: I could not get the belt on without removing the brake pulley spindle.

[@doughsnakes]

Nice. I just replaced all 3 belts and the blades on mine after the blade belt broke. I originally got a non-OEM replacement and it broke in less than 2 minutes and the blades got really chipped up. So I ordered the Toro belt. I had to wait a month, but it is a much higher quality belt - carbon fiber. The non-OEM one that broke was clearly not made with carbon fiber. Anyway, the Toro belt is working great. I didn't know about the blade lock (I do now). I managed to get everything lined up nonetheless. Getting one of the old blades off proved to be challenging. The bolt wouldn't budge. I finally managed to remove it after heating it with a heat gun. Thanks for the video. I learned something 🙂

[@patrickfanelli]

Perfect video! Shows exactly what to do! Thanks for making this easy! I got the same belt as you and also went ahead and changed the blades and blade adapters.

[@OnTheWorkbench]

happy to help!

[@kennethmarriott8044]

Regarding the comment from Cujo below, Good catch, I believe factory specs are to use a feeler guage between the spring washer (rectangular washer) and the housing: .25mm (0.010 inch). You may need to slightly loosen the 2 bolts holding the tension plate 1st, make adjustments to factory specs (noted above) then re-tighten that bracket.

[@cujo7240]

I noticed that the blade tension spring clip was not parallel to the deck after you tightened the bolt. You're supposed to tighten this bolt down to a point until the clearance behind this spring clip is at a certain clearance, which I believe is about 0.020". Just an FYI for you and others. Happy mowing!

[@boydwinslow5839]

That was a great video. I'm about to replace my V belt for the 3rd time. Why doesn't Toro listen to these complaints and make a steel-reinforced belt? I guess I'll get a little better at doing it each time.

[@JoseCastro-kh7ez]

I appreciate the video man spot on step by step thank you

[@donfrank4429]

nice info, I always use anti seize to coat the threads when I work on stuff, I have my cover off, after the first time I used it 6 years ago, the grass builds up under the cover so I just keep it off so when I am done mowing I can wash off the mower topside and tilt it on its side exhust side down to was under side , lay it back on all four wheels and let the mower dry

[@bruceincola8692]

Best video on this I’ve seen, thanks. Very clear, well-lit and not too fast. Also curious about longevity/perf of the off brand belt. Went w the genuine OEM for $44 delivered bc it was the only one w Prime delivery. Wish I could have waited...they had some belts for less than half what I paid.

[@OnTheWorkbench]

So far so good, I inspected the belt about two weeks ago and it still looked good.

[@officemanager8624]

Not sure how you got belt passed the screw guard mount. It's too narrow of a gap.

[@josequinarez1145]

Thank you for the video! I'll be changing mine tomorrow!!

[@infinityandbeyond2386]

Minute 8:08 when u out the belt around the black pulley was it really that easy ? Mines is freaking tight and I’m having a hard time trying to pull it down .

[@OnTheWorkbench]

Make sure you loosen up the tensioner pulley, wrap the belt around one blade pulley completely, check the blade position, then wrap the belt around the other blade pulley. It might be a bit tight but if you start to rotate the blade the belt should finish seating itself. Using the blade for leverage to turn the pulley works well, just don't cut your hand on the blade.

[@drewrichards3013]

@@OnTheWorkbench the red post on your mower has a smaller diameter at the top (I can see the tapper), the version I have is larger in diameter and almost touches the pulley, there is no way a belt is getting through there.

[@dw.imaging]

My OEM belt broke on my brand new Toro on the 3rd use yesterday. I haven’t even had the mower 2 months. When the blades broke, the blades clacked together pretty hard causing some damage to the ends of both blades when they collided (because the blades turned freely out of alignment once the belt broke). Unfortunately the service dealer told me belts are not under any kind of warranty and damage caused to blades, or another other part, because of belt failure is also not covered under the warranty. I didn’t even have 3 hours on my mower. Did not hit anything in the yard. Nor was the mower neglected in any kind of way.

[@OnTheWorkbench]

Yikes, that sounds scarry! Glad to hear you are ok. This mower seems to have the uncanny ability to eat belts. I have not been able to make it through a single season yet without having to replace at least one belt. Now I keep a dedicated pegboard hook in the garage to keep extra belts on hand.

[@OnTheWorkbench]

The sockets and wrenches shown should have been SAE instead of metric. The correct size for the mower cover is 3/8" not 10mm, and the pully tensioner is 1/2" not 13mm. The metric sizes are larger by 0.3mm and 0.475mm respectively. Attempt to use the SAE sizes tools first but if they are fouled with hardened grass clippings, then you may need to switch to metric.

[@TheFalconbeast]

Your video was very informative thank you so much

[@Banditmanuk]

Its that top belt that needs replacing regularly. It takes so much wear starting the blades up. Always carry a spare in the van

[@gordonhutchinson529]

How did that belt hold up?

[@LonnieVanZandt]

Crucial advice here during the reinstallation of the belt: after the tensioning pulley is backed off, there will still be tension left on the belt as you try to slip it over the left-side blade gear; to get the belt to wrap around and down over that gear, ... use the blades below to crank the half-engaged belt the rest of the way around the left gear and then down into place. There is just too much tension and the belt is not elastic to be able to pull by hand the belt over the rest of the top of the gear. Get it partially engaged, insure that the blades are properly offset by 90 degrees, remove the posts in the gears that locked them from rotating, disconnect the spark plug, and use the blades as levers to turn the gears above while pushing down on the belt. Tooth by tooth it will move down into place. Once it is properly in place, tighten up the tensioning pulley.

[@buteobuteo]

Thanks for the tip! I couldn't get the belt on for a while, but turning the blade made it easy. I haven't seen a video with that, seems like their belts have a lot more play.

[@infinityandbeyond2386]

When tightening the tension pulley is the plate tighten down where there is no play at the shoulder bolts . Then tighten the tension pulley to a business card space or the 1”&1/8,1/16 gap ?

[@michaelg1201]

Spot on!

[@bryanreese4614]

How did you get the belt on at 8:05?

[@pdxpete48]

Saved me time thank you for this excellent detailed video.

[@OnTheWorkbench]

Thanks!

[@tonyduffy6602]

Really useful thanks

[@Angelparra832]

Thanks !

[@jefferywright4204]

Toro used SAE dimension fasteners. The correct socket sizes are 3/8" and 1/2".

[@OnTheWorkbench]

And Briggs uses metric on their engines so toro mowers are a hot mess of both SAE and metric fastners

[@jefferywright4204]

@@OnTheWorkbench The fasteners discussed in this video were SAE spec and the wrench sizes to use for them are 3/8” and 1/2”. Using the mismatch of metric tools with SAE fasteners is bad practice that could lead to personal injury or damage to the parts. This is especially true for inexperienced Individuals who are seeking instruction/advice from a teaching video.

[@OnTheWorkbench]

@@jefferywright4204 Agreed! I should have reached for SAE for those bolts.

[@michaelstanhope5244]

Bought one today. Toro is 78 bucks in Lee's Summit MO

[@OnTheWorkbench]

That's quite the deal!

[@ellag8885]

we replaced the tensioner which blew out and yesterday while mowing the pulley blew out, the owner hit a canvas dog toy originally. Do you see any reason by the left side pully would fail?? We are buying parts

[@matthewnovik4050]

no way to get that belt passed the right side tooth blade gear.. no way.. need to remove it

[@StripeLife-cy9bc]

Yea I'm sitting here trying to figure that out now......

[@matthewnovik4050]

@@StripeLife-cy9bc I used a flat head to just cross my fingers and hammer the belt down between the gap...lol.. worked fine and no damage to the belt but only time I've ever tried..lol.. could have ended badly..

[@bryanreese4614]

I pretty much hammered it on too last time. Doing it again and there’s got to be a better way.

[@benplummer8866]

Just paid $87 after tax for belt for my exmark 30 bs

[@henrymaccus]

You talk way too much! Get on with the instructions!