Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

When the control bar is released and the auger stops spinning, is the idler arm supposed to be tight to the belt at the front tip of the idler arm against the auger or drive pulley?  In my mini-review of the PR621ES posted here at Reply #60 I noted a problem with the auger disengagement not working properly.  Turns out the idler arm's spring was missing.  Poulan / Husqvarna sent me a spring and a new belt (I'll keep the belt for future use.)  The manual shows different / conflicting versions of the spring installation.  I can only see putting the upper end of the spring in the V-notch of the frame.  There are no holes for the upper end of the spring to go into.  The spring's lower end seems best placed in the lower or outer hole of the idler arm, not in the upper inner one.

My concern is that when the auger is disengaged, the idler arm rests fairly tightly on the pulley of the auger.  The spring seems strong for its job or overly extended the way I now have it.  This allows the motor's spinning pulley to make some minor contact with the same spot on the stationary belt.  Would it not be better if the belt was afforded some freedom to move a tiny little bit when the auger is disengaged?  Or is this the way it is supposed to be, with the theory that if the belt is held tightly in place by the idler arm when the auger is disengaged, it allows the belt the maximum distance / separation and minimum burn / wear exposure to the constantly spinning engine pulley at the other end?

TIA for any help here with these conflicting diagrams and my lack of pulley / belt knowledge.