Did you re-attach the sring to the idler pulley when you put the new belt on? The Idler puller takes up the slack when you raise and lower the mower deck. Also it is common to mis-route the belt so that it is on the wong side of the idler pulley, so it turns when the deck is raised, but not when it's lowered...so make sure you routed the belt correctly.
Hope that helps,
Allen