Craftsman 917.255950, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...Follow All Safety Rules And Instructions Before Operating This Equipment 18 0 HP TWIN CYLmNDER ELECTRIC START 44 MOWER 6 SPEED GARDEN TRACTOR Assembly o Operation Maintenance Service and Adjustment Repair Parts 3ea_s Roebuck and Co Chicago IL 60684 U S A ...

Page 2: ...on when changing direction on slopes While going up or down slopes place gearshift control lever in 1st gear position to negotiate tt e slope without stopping_ Never mow in wet or slippery grass when traction is unsure or at a speed which could cause a skid Stay alert for holes in the terrain and other hidden hazards Keep away from drop offs Do not drive too close to creeks ditches and public high...

Page 3: ...stem is equipped with a spark arrester meeting applicable local or state laws if any If a spark arres ter is used it should be maintained in effective working order by the operator In the state of California the above is required by law Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code Other states may have similar laws Federal laws applyon federal lands A spark arrester for the muffler is avai...

Page 4: ... 26 Filter Air Cleaner 18 Fuel 18 Oil 18 Fuel Storage 26 Type 14 Fuse 23 G Gauge Wheels Adjustment 13 H Headlights 23 Hood Removal 24 L Leveling Mower Deck 19 20 Lubrication Chart 15 M Maintenance 15 18 Air Filter v 18 Foam Pre Cleaner 18 Air Screen Engine 18 Battery 17 Blade 16 Cooling Fins Engine 18 Engine Oil 17 Fuel Filter 18 Lubrication Chart 15 Schedule 15 Spark Plugs 18 Tire Care 8 15 22 Tr...

Page 5: ...pe augerhandles powdery and wet heavy snow Mounts easily with simple pin ar rangementr Discharge chute adjusts from tractor seat 6 inch di ameter spout discharges snow 10to 50 feet Uft controlled at trac tor seat Use with chains wheel weights or rear drawbar weighL TIRE CHAINS are heavy duty closely spaced extra large cross links give smooth ride outstanding traction WHEEL WEIGHTS for rear wheels ...

Page 6: ... 4 20 x 3 4 2 Lockwasher 1 4 2 Washer 9 32 x 5 8 x 16 Ga 2 Hex Nut 1 4 20 2 Wing Nut 1 4 20 Parts packed separately in carton Seat Battery acid Steering Wheel Battery i I i I I _ _ L Parts Bag Owner s Manual i i i ill ill Parts bag contents not shown full size 2 Keys V Br 2 Battery Carriage Bolts 1 4 20 x 7 1 2 Terminal Guard Steering Wheel Insert m 15 Slope Sheet I t Battery Caps and Instructions...

Page 7: ...osition front wheels of the tractor so they are pointing straight forward Position steering wheel so cross bars are horizontal left to right and slide onto adapter_ o Secure steering wheel to steering shaft with hex bolt lock washer and large flat washer previously removed Tighten securely Snap insert into center of steering wheel Remove protective plastic from tractor hood BEFORE ROLIJNG UNIT OFF...

Page 8: ...ove any acid then wipe dry Check battery case for leakage to make sure that no dam age has occurred in handling Dispose of excess battery acid Neutralize acid for dis posal by adding it to four inches of water in a five gallon plastic container Stir with a wooden or plastic paddle while adding baking soda until the addition of more soda causes no more foaming Follow instructions orr how to install...

Page 9: ...has been shipped with the front mower suspension bracket banded to the frame Remove bands and pivot bracket downward MOWER INSTALLATION See FIGS 7 8 9 and 10 Remove banding from suspension arms and gauge wheels Set gauge wheels aside for later assembly Slide mower under tractor with discharge guard to right side of tractor Slide front suspension brackets into mower brackets Re tain with release pi...

Page 10: ...ectly CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM After you learn how to operate your ractor check to see t _at the brake is properly adjusted See TO ADJUST BRAKE in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU OPERATE AND ENJOY YOUR NEW TRACTOR WE WISH TO ASSURE THAT YOU RECEIVE THEBESTPERFORMANCEAND SATISFACTIONFROM THIS QUALITY PRODUCT PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING CHECKLIST All assembly instru...

Page 11: ...blades or ether attachments mounted to your tractor LIFT LEVER Used to raise and lower mower deck or other attachments mounted to your tractor CLUTCH BRAKE PEDAL Used for declutching and brak ing the tractor_ HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT KNOB Used to adjust the mower height GEARSHIFT LEVER Selects the speed and direction of the tractor THROTTLE CONTROL Used to control engine speed RANGE SHIFT LEVER Allows HI...

Page 12: ... throttle reduces the bat tery charging rate and the engine cooling air flow Full throttle offers the best mower performance TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD See FIG 13 The direction and speed of movement is controlled by the gear shift lever Start unit with clutch brake pedal depressed and the gearshift lever in NEUTRAL position Move gearshift and range shift levers to desired position Slowly release...

Page 13: ...rive across any slope Choose the slowest speed before starting up or down hills Avoid stopping or changing speeds on hills If slowing is necessary move throttle control lever to slower position If stopping is absolutely necessary push clutch brake pedal quickly to brake position and engage parking brake Move gearshift lever to NEUTRAL position To restart movement move gearshift lever to 1st gear a...

Page 14: ...gine starts slowly push choke control in Move throttle corrtrol to FAST position Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before engag ing clutch brake pedal or attachment clutch switch NOTE If at a high al_tude above 3000 feet or in cold tem peratures below 32 F the carburetor fuel mixture may need to be adjusted for best engine performance See TO ADJUST CARBURETOR in the Service and Adjustments...

Page 15: ...ain unit as instructed in this manual Some adjustments will need to be made periodically to prop erly maintain your unit All adjustments in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual should be checked at least once each season Once a year you should replace the spark plug clean or replace air filter and check blades and belts for wear A new spark plug and clean air filter assure proper air...

Page 16: ...own Tighten bolt securely 30 35 Ft Lbs torque IMPORTANT BLADE BOLT IS GRADE 5 HEAT TREATED_ TO SHARPEN BLADE See FIG 19 Care should be taken to keep the blade balanced An unbal anced blade will cause excessive vibration and eventual damage to mower and engine The blade can be sharpened with a file or on a grinding wheel Do not attempt to sharpen while on t le mower To check blade balance drive a n...

Page 17: ...N Change the oil after the first two hours of operation and every 100 hours thereafter or at least once a year if the trac tor is not used for 100 hours in one year Check the crankcase oil level before starting the engine and after each five 5 hours of continuous use Add SAE 30W motor oil or equivalenL Tighten oil fill cap dipstick securely each time you check the oil level SAE 5W 30 motor oil may...

Page 18: ...and oiled element cover and element cover seal Install the air cleaner cover and wing nuL Tighten wing nut 1 2 to 1full turn after nut contacts cover Do not over tighten FIG 26 MUFFLER Inspect and replace corroded muffler and spark arrester if equipped as it could create a fire hazard and or damage SPARK PLUGS Replace spark plugs at the beginning of each mowing sea son or after every 100 hours of ...

Page 19: ... plug and place wire where it cannot come in contact with plug H r i H SIDE TO SIDE ADJUSTMENT See FIGS 29 and 30 Raise mower to its highest position DEPTH ADJUSTMENT KNOB BELT SUSPEN _ s oN SUSPEN A M I ONT _ _ RELEASE PIN J FIG 28 TO INSTALL MOWER Follow procedure described in INSTALL MOWER AND DRIVE BELT in Assembly section of this manual r TO LEVEL MOWER HOUSING Adjust the mower while tractor ...

Page 20: ... as shown If dimension is 1 4 or less belt should be adjusted Pull tension pulley lever forward to loosen belt Remove idler pulley and reassemble in NEW pulley po sition hole Tighten securely Push tension pulley lever rearward into operating posi tion Check belt for proper position in all pulley grooves NOTE When installing a new replacement mower drive belt idler pulley must be moved back to ORIG...

Page 21: ...an adjustable brake system which is mounted on the left side of the transaxle If unit requires more than six 6 feet stopping distance at high speed in highest gear then brake must be adjusted Remove four 4 hex washer head tapping screws from shift cover plate located on top of tractor frame Remove the cover plate Loosen am nut A on brake rod B at clevis C Fig 36 If you find it difficult to loosen ...

Page 22: ...over engine pulley Loosen L H engine pulley belt guide bolt and swivel belt guide on to R H bolt Tighten L H and R H bolts se curely Release parking brake IMPORTANT CHECK BRAKE ADJUSTMENT LH BOLT O r j ENGINEPULL__ f ________ B ELTGUIDE R H_ BOLT FIG 37 ADJUSTMENTS FLATIDLER CLUTCHPULLEY V IDLER CLUTCHING IDLER TRANSAXLE PULLEY FIG 38 TO ADJUST STEERING WHEEL ALIGNMENT If steering wheel crossbars ...

Page 23: ... chassis ground away from fuel tank and bat tery TO REMOVE CABLES REVERSE ORDER BLACK cable first from left side of chassis and fully charged battery RED cable last from both batteries Replace with 30 amp automotive type plug in fuse The fuse holder is located behind the dash TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT BULB Raise hood Pull bulb holder out of the hole in the backside of the grill Replace bulb in holder a...

Page 24: ...Y See FIGS 42 and 43 Lift hood Disconnect headlight wiring connection_ Unscrew one screw at rear of each side panel ADJUSTMENTS SCREW _ FIG 42 Pivot hood and side panel forward and lift off tractor To replace reverse above procedure aC FIG 43 24 ...

Page 25: ...ut counterclockwise 1turn FINAL SETTING Start engine and allow to warm for five minutes Make final ad ustments with engine running and shift motion control lever in NEUTRAL position With throttle control lever in FAST position turn main fuel ad usting needle In clockwise until engine begins to d e then turn out counterclockw se unt engine runs rough_ Turn needle to a point midway between those two...

Page 26: ...the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur Use fresh fuel next season NOTE Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable alternative in mini mizing the formation of fuel gum deposits during storage Add stabilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or storage container Always follow the mix ratio found on stabilizer container Run engine at least 10 minutes after adding stabilizer to al low the stabilizer to reach the ca...

Page 27: ... s CORRECTION 1 Fill fueltank 2 See TO START ENGINE in Operation section 3 Wait several minutes before attempting to stad 4_ Replace spark plug Clean replace air filter 6 Replace fuel filter_ 7 Drain fuel tank and carburetor refill tank with fresh gasoline and replace fuel filter 8 Check all wiring 9 Contact Sears Setvice Department 10 Contact Sears Setvice DepadmenL 1 Clean replace air filter 2 R...

Page 28: ... OFF 2 Bulb s burned out 3 Faultylight switch 4 Loose or damaged wiring 5 Blown fuse 1 Bad battery cell s 2 Poor cab e connect ons 3 Faulty regulator if so equipped 4 Faulty alternator CORRECTION 1_ Check wiring switches and connections If not corrected contact Sears Setvice Department 1 Replace blade Tighten blade bolt 2 Level mower deck 3_ Clean underside of mower housing 4 Replace blade mandrel...