Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): murray riding lawn mower, idler pulley, lawn mower

Question
my drive belt on murray model 42508x92a is wearing out idler pulley excessively fast. changed pulley and new pulley wore out in one hour. the belt wore through the top part of the pulley. What do I do?

Answer
The first thing to do is to make sure you have the correct size belt. If it is correct, take a look at how it is riding on the idler, and make sure that once you have the new idler/belt in place, the pulley is secured, and isn't "sloppy". I had this problem on a Murray rider last year, and it in fact turned out to be that the pulley was loose.