Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Yard man belt

I've gotten a Yard Man 46" rider in and it has a PTO belt on the deck that is completely shredded on the outside portion of the belt (the wide side of the belt). Then only thing unusual is there are two idler pulleys (one stationary and one movable) that are 7/8" wide flat pulleys...the type pulleys that order
narily have the backside of the v-belt to run on them. These pulleys have the back side run on one of them and the v-side to run on the other one. Is this unusual or not? If you would, look at http://mtd.arinet.com/scripts/EmpartISAPI.dll?MF&app=MTDC&lang=EN&TF=Mainframe&loginID=MTDCon%20&LoginPWD= and type in the model # 13BT604H452 under the Yard Man (drop down box), then go to the "PTO, battery, frame" link. Look at the left hand drawing of the belt (pulleys are item number 28). Am I missing something or could the belt have been installed wrong? This rider has a total of 4 belts.

I guess I am not sure just what ur askin, I only found 2 question marks in your punctuation so maybe I can start there.
It is not uncommon to have a belt run around a idler or tensioner pulley on the back/fat side of the belt. It looks to me from the drawings that the tensioner pulley pushes on the back side of the belt to tighten and also further wrap the "gripping"/skinny side of the belt around a driven pulley.

Again sorry just not sure I understand what problem ur having if I did not address it...?

I'm sorry, the side of the belt that was shedded was the "v" side, or narrow side.

Yes, MTD uses two flat idlers on here. Both pulleys are the same part#, even though one is on the backside, and one on the inside of the belt. I bet it was on wrong...probably over a belt keeper. If you look closely at the keepers, you'll probably see a spot shined up on the outside of the keeper where the belt was riding over it instead of between it and the pulley.

Cheese,
There is another question I wanted to ask you. On this Yard man's deck there is a permanent brake on one of the outside blades. The direction of rotation of the blades (CW looking at top) is such that the brake just slides along with a small amount of spring tension. What I was wanting to know, is this a common pratice...I never have seen it before.

That doesn't sound familiar. Blade brakes usually have a linkage that lets the brake apply pressure to the pulley when the blades are disengaged. I don't think it would be normal for one to be in constant contact with the pulley. The only blade brake I see is part #53, and it is not supposed to touch the pulley unless the blades are disengaged. This is only on decks with manual engagement instead of electric clutch.

Cheese, You are absolutely right...after a little investigation I discovered there was indeed a cable which pulls the brake back when the blades are engaged. I just glanced at it and assumed that it was a permanent brake...you know what usually happens when I assume...usually bad things!

Lol...Yes, I know what happens when you assume....from experience!! :D