Thanks to both of you. I'm beginning to suspect my deck is different. There don't seem to be any handles on it at all. What the book tells you to do is: "Put a 15mm closed wrench or a socket on the idler sheave nut (A) and rotate clockwise to move idler sheave toward front of tractor and hold to release belt tension." I tried that, but it doesn't give nearly enough tension release. I'm begining to wonder... I bought the new belt from Alexander & Duncan in Leominster UK, and while I was at it I bought a second one as a spare. The second one has "John Deere" on its outside face, but the first doesn't, and it's the first one that I mounted. Both these belts came in an identical thin card sleeve, but they weren't coiled quite the same way. I'm wondering if someone "made a mistake" and put a non-original belt in a John Deere sleeve. But be that as it may, is it possible that your 48" deck and mine aren't the same? I bought the whole thing less than a year ago, so maybe they changed the pattern. Passthegravey: does your manual talk about slipping a wrench over the left-hand idler sheave nut?

Thanks to this Thread I was able to repair the LT180 I just bought at an auction. All was good until about 30 minutes of mowing when the world stopped turning and the machine was barely moving. After reading all the info above I took a slightly different approach to remedy the slow trans-axle condition. Taking the least aggressive path, I was curious if just a fluid change would make a difference, I decided to jack the rear end up and pop a couple drain holes into the Axle cast housing where Tuff-Torq suggests. Here is a Link https://www.tufftorqservices.com/EnvEEdefault/FlatHTML/TechInfo/ttcoil/pdfs/K46%20Drain%20Port%20Location.pdf I used a 1/8 stubby drill as not to injure any interior components, both holes drained over night. I then added 2 self tapping screws 1/2 inch long with a neoprene washer. Without the deck on the machine I was able to reach under the frame and pop the fill hole cover off using a stubby flat screwdriver. I cleaned up the magnet and filled the unit. 24 inches of 3/8 clear tubing and a small funnel allowed me to add back the 2 quarts of cheap 10-30 oil for my test. Popped the magnet and cap back in place and DONE! I am pleased that the result was success, the machine runs very well without growling and slowing after 30 minutes of use. My intention is to replace the 2 small drain holes with real drain plugs after about 5 hours of use and refill the unit with synthetic oil for hopefully many more years of use. Happy Mowing!!

Normally, I'd be quite critical of someone hauling an old thread out of the archives and reviving it but your post does fit into the spirit in which this thread began. Ask an Ingersoll dealer and they will tell you about the customer loyalty they enjoy thanks to the durability that is built into every one of these garden tractors. I am not being critical when I say that there is nothing all that unique about your 19 years of experience with your GT. When John (Jack) Ingersoll bought the Outdoor Power Equipment Division belonging to J. I. Case and put his name on it, the slogans used in their advertising went as follows: - Quality in the American tradition - Be in a class by yourself - Ingersoll...Invest in the best - The tractor of a lifetime I would have to say that your experience proves that the above slogans were not an exaggeration in any way. I don't know of another tractor today that uses hydraulic drive, offers a large line of hydraulically powered attachments or still builds their garden tractors without compromise. You invested in the best and it paid off in spades because after 19 years of hard use, you still own a tractor that has value to others. If you amortize what you paid for your tractor over the 19 year period and include the cost of replacement parts, the annual cost of ownership of this fine quality machine is very low. The other bonus is the absence of the aggravation factor that comes with owing an Ingersoll. When other people are having to take the time needed to send their low quality machine in for repair and then pick it up, your Ingersoll was at home and ready to do some more work for you. A "generation" occurs every 20 years and to some, that is a lifetime. Your tractor is still far from being dead even after 19 years so Jack Ingersoll wasn't lying when he said his products were "the tractor of a lifetime". Thanks for providing your first-hand report about a marque that few people have heard of but still "makes them like they used to", only better.

To swh22: I hope you got it fixed. I have the same tractor with a peerless 6840-P91 Transaxle and it has been sluggish for a while. I moved last year and while in the process I mowed about 2 acres in the misting rain. After that it would not move at all. It has been hard to push when disengaged for a long time. Upon inspection I found the vent tube was laying on the frame and was letting moisture in. I took it off and drained it and tried to flush it with gasoline. I let it set for a couple days to dry out and added the oil suggested by others, 20-50 synthetic. But alas no help at all. After reading about broken parts inside the unit I decided to take it apart. I found nothing wrong upon visual inspection. It was very difficult to move both axles with transmission off and was still stiff when the case was opened. I give up and will be ordering a new one next week. I hope that will fix the problem as it is a good tractor with the exception of the cheap metal the deck wheels attach to and the non adjustable steering which make the front wheels splay out and wear out. I guess I'll bend the wheels back and may make my own brackets or get some like are on the john deer my mother in law has.