How does the drive belt go around the pully system on an Ariens lawn tractor

There are multiple belts on the Ariens A20VA46 lawn tractor. Which belt are you asking about?

Service and Owner's manuals can be downloaded from the following link: Find Manuals by entering your tractor's model and serial numbers.

The deck drive belt is easy to change by releasing spring pressure on the idler pulley (usually under a plastic cover). See the user's or service manual for directions from the above link.

The two transmission belts are somewhat more difficult, but are usually long-lasting. The newer type of continuously variable transmissions used on these tractors have a friction belt like a snowmobile but under much less load. As a result, they are long-lasting. The engine to transmission belt is a conventional V-belt and may require occasional replacement. Usually, there's a similar tensioner pulley you would release in order to replace this belt.

I would check to make sure none of the pulleys are bent or has any kind of dents or dings around the rim of them and there is a belt arm that is suppose to keep the belt from jumping off and sometimes its out of position and will eat the belt up

those fluid drive transmissions fail on quite a few brands as they all use the same ones....replace the trans...they are expensive but still cheaper than a new mower.

Anyplace that sells Ariens mowers will have one. Most other lawn mower stores can also sell you one. Remove the old belt and take that and the model Airens you have to get a replacement. You do not want a used belt just get a new one.

You may have a pully that is not spining freely. Or you may have a pully that is not positioned straight. Ariens had a problem with that. so your troy built may have the same.

if you go to searsparts.com type in the 917 # it will show you and exploded veiw of the entire mower ? you have to removwe the deck to get access to this belt you may also have to loosen the crankshaft pullie bolt to get it around it ?

you need to remove the mower deck there you will see the pullys.

it could be the belt has streched
check tensioner if has one and check all nuts and bolts tight

The deck drive belt makes an L shape looping to the the outside deck pulley that has 2 pulleys. The deck drive belt rides on the top set. X = pulley engine x
l l
l l
l l -
l l x x = outside deck pulley
back deck pulley =x
motor to idle to outside
motor to tension to outside back side of belt goes around idler

go to sears.com click on parts and enter your mod#