More Speed for Cub Cadet LT1040 CVT?

Hello Good People,
After spending a few days reading the many post I thought now is the time to ask the question in this forum. After all the reading some things starting making sense, and than shortly after my brain froze as if I needed to start allover.

I have Cub Cadet LT1040 CVT, the deck is removed and I want a bit more speed when working around the property. It was suggested I could change out the transmission or start with a pulley swap. For now I would like to try the pulley swap as that might fit my needs without opening the wallet anymore than I want.

Someone whispered the Cub Cadet is made by MTD. With that being said would someone with much more experience have a moment to share their knowledge as to what size pulleys I should be swapping?

Much appreciate all the support thus far from this awesome site. I am completely completely completely new to this world of riding mowers / mud mowers / speed mowers! I am having to learn many new terms which is helpful but it does take a bit longer to understand. If your time permits and you do respond please feel free to use more detailed and constructive words like my wife does when she is pissed with me.

T.I.A.

Welcome to ATLFT!

Cub Cadet LT1040 CVT, isn't that a F-N-R (on the left fender)?  If so, yeah you can get some more speed with pulley swapping.  Easiest is the Engine, may have to modify the belt guides.  I personally have not seen a trans pully swap on one of those.  Not sure if the belt would slip a lot on one or not.  Oh and of course a new belt.  I've always used the rope to measure for new belts.

Hey MightyRaze,
Thanks for the welcome! Good to be here and looking forward to contributing my experience to the forum.

Yes - F-N-R on the left fender.

So I should be looking for larger pulley for the engine?

CuberCadet wrote:

Hey MightyRaze,
Thanks for the welcome! Good to be here and looking forward to contributing my experience to the forum.

Yes - F-N-R on the left fender.

So I should be looking for larger pulley for the engine?

Yep bigger for engine. 

Very cool!
So I will simply start with a larger engine pulley.
At this time would you recommend a Kevlar belt or any other type of belt?

Thanks

that model its harder being it has a lower plate on the bottom for the front pully so take the body off theres one bolt on each floor pan and two in the middle pan and i think four under the seat and you might have to remove the foot pedals the rear transmission pully is either solid or two peice and its real easy to just weld or have a pully welded on if its solid cut the hub and id say a 6inch for more speed and still able to climb a hill. doesnt make sense? okay heres step by step.

1. remove body should be 6-8 bolts
2. remove the belt and the big nut on the big pully on the transaxle and lift the pully off
3. there two different pullies a solid one with splined hub or a splined hub and keyed pully, solid then cut the pully and leave a square on the hub and its as easy as drilling four holes in the hub and new pully and bolting them together. if its the star keyed splined hub thats seperate then weld a new 5-6 inch pully (from tractor supply or elsewhere) on the keyed splined hub.
4. then reinstall and find a belt that fits like the stock one did it will be 5/8 so the cvt shifts.
5. reassemble body pedals battery
6. put the back wheels off the ground or take them off, and start it make sure the wheels spin and everything functions as it should
7. have fun!

Nice! Thanks for breaking it down, much appreciated.

i had a troy bilt identical chassis i dont want you to make the mistakes i did i put a 5 on the front it worked nice but it wasnt very great it kicked the front belt regularly and it was a pain great chassis though! i still have the front half of it lol i scrapped the rear half of the chassis. and kept the clutch setup and steering for a dragster buildor something

Auhhh okay I very much appreciate your time and you taking me to school! Now that I am armed with the knowledge you shared it will soon be time to get motivated and make this happen before the dampness of Autumn arrives.

So I am on the hunt for a 5inch engine pulley and a replacement belt. But first I have to remove the entire frame. A few cans of liquid courage and I should be on my way.

While I have your ear would it be of any need to have larger front wheels / tires?

okay as a general machine i would start off with just taking the rear body off swapping the rear pully and testing then further modification. also tractor supply local hardware stores etc should stock pullies

Okay that sounds like a worthwhile approach. What size pulley would you recommend in the rear?

5 for more speed 6 for longer lasting belts and more hill climbing capabilities make sure its a 5/8 belt pully with no center

Much appreciated. As you have described, the 6 inch would fit the bill.
Thanks!

for your purpose without a welder put a picture of your stock rear pully and ill let you know where to go from there ill be online till about 3

Okay so simply remove that big-ol-rear pulley, take a photo and upload it? I can do that. I am currently at work so I may miss your window of response today. I will still get it removed and photographed for you.

Again I appreciate your time and all your help.
Thanks!

Budget_gokart wrote:

5 for more speed 6 for longer lasting belts and more hill climbing capabilities make sure its a 5/8 belt pully with no center

I thought MTD's came factory with a 6 inch in the rear..? At least all the ones I've had we're all about 6 inch. I know for a fact they did not have a 6 in the front tho.

Images coming up.

Here are a couple of images I took last week.

measure the size pully then and we will see what all you will have to do, it looks to be the two peice one

Here is the info for the front if it helps

Cub Cadet 756-04196A
Engine Pulley, 3.39 X 6.12

if this helps and I had a coast-to-coast made by MTD ( with an fnr )with the stock variator. the tractor had a 4 in pulley on the rear and a 5 on the rear it went 26mph. so a 5:4 ratio

Hey MN mudder,
Thanks for the feedback. Is that coast-to-coast made by MTD a custom piece for your setup or is that something I could get right the correct part number?

I am not sure on part numbers I used some old pulleys I had lying around, I used the stock variator that was on the tractor. the tractor was about a mid-90s pan frame with an 11.5 Briggs the tractor looked like this.the trans was a single-speed fnr like this