First of all thank you for this video. I just did this job. You don’t have to remove the PTO arm. 1. Just remove the spring underneath the double pulley arm. This will allow you to swing the PTO arm enough for the bolt connecting the two pulleys to drop out.
2. Loosen and take off the nut on top of the upper pulley. This will allow the bolt to drop through both the upper and lower pulley.
3. With a metal punch, punch out both bearings. There are two. Make sure you keep the spacer between both  the bearings as you mentioned in the video.
4. Carefully tap in both the top and lower bearings. Make sure you include the spacer with some grease.
5. The bearings will be a tight fit. Take your time and tap these in.  You will probably have to tap/hit these in with some force.
6. Make sure these bearings are tapped in a little below the surface of the PTO arm cavity and not flush with the surface.
7. Put the upper and lower pulleys in place with the two washers for each pulley, and slide the bolt through the two pulleys and fasten the nut on bolt from the upper pulley. If done correctly, they should both spin in unison.
8. Attach the spring back underneath the double pulley unit.

Note: someone mentioned their pulleys didn’t spin and it seemed pinched. This is because you didn’t tap in the bearings far enough.

Thank you for this video,  helped me so much. FYI in Canada the arm assembly with the bearings is $188 plus tax as of July 2023.  I purchased the bearings for $15 each so a big savings thanks to your video.

This is probably the most common repair that we would do on these style mower decks.

I can't thank you enough for this wonderful video.  It has saved me!!! THANK YOU KIND SIR!!!!!

Thank you! back up and running. D. Smith Bangor PA

well done!

great site thanks for sharing!!   thumbs up!

Good info, thanks.

Thanks for this...
My idler pulley arm was tweaked and causing a side load on these bearings also.  Replaced these 2 bearings and the idler pulley and then straightened out the alignment of the pulley = a mower that works the way it should.

Just did mine, but it was baaad. Locked up the pulley and ruined the arm. Thought I lost the washers for the stack pulley... then I looked through the pile of destroyed races and melted ball bearings. Melted the washers to the inner races, into the inner seal grooves. It's only been howling for 4 years in my lawn service, might've waited just a little too long to do this lol.

Thanks, The part is now a little over $100 with tax as of June 2021. The bearings are still cheap.   I certainly appreciate the help!

Thanks - the universal bearing code is 6203-2RS  (40mm OD x 17mm ID x 12mm width - 2 x rubber seal)  - this 6203 bearing is also used on the idler pulleys (6203-2RS - idlers can be split and bolted together for bearing replacement) and the blade spindle (2 x 6203-ZZ metal shield - remove shield on upper bearing inner face) - this is true for my JD X300 42’ Mulching deck.

So I had this issue with the bottom pulley of that whole assembly rubbing against the spring below it. It would pretty much last a whole summer before the spring snaps so my lazy ass was buying the spring once a summer (I always had intentions on fixing the issue, but procrastination is a bitch when you have a million other things going on). Come to find out this was the reason for it and now I have to replace the pulley too because I waited lol

Lesson being: PROCRASTINATION WILL COST YOU.

That part is 93.00 dollars now at john deere dealer

Use OEM bearing if possible. My aftermarket idler pulley with new bearings installed lasted only two seasons. The OEM original lasted 25 years ! All parts are not created equal.

Any idea how to fix mower deck height adj knob.  It’s frozen rock solid.  Also diff foot pedal on left side floor board is frozen.   Purchased X595 used.  Primary use here in NE was to plow with it.  I TOOK rusted Curtis cab off and now in the process of de-rusting it.  Seat adj was frozen solid as well got that free yesterday with copious sums of penetrating oil, sitting on tractor moving forward and back until it broke loose using my legs and core.   Great workout.  I’m so sore today!   :-).  The Rest of the tractor looks great. Frame engine etc. Yanmar purrs like a kitten.   This thing needs some TLC, but I think it’s worth the effort.   Any advice is grateful.

Great video. Why do we want grease in a sealed hole?

Drill and tap that housing for a zerks? Make it greasable?

will a 60 or 62 inch deck fit a 530 x john deere riding

Great video. I’m just doing mine now, do you tighten the nut and bolt that goes through the double pully and bearing right up tight or leave some play in it? When tightened the pullies don’t seem to turn?