14
LAWN MOWER
Always observe safety rules when per-
form ing any main te nance.
TIRES
• Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect
control chemi cals which can harm rubber.
• Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp
objects and other hazards that may
cause tire damage.
DRIVE WHEELS
Check rear drive wheels each time be fore
you mow to be sure they move freely.
The wheels not turning freely means trash,
grass cuttings, etc. are in the drive wheel
area and must be cleaned to free drive
wheels.
If necessary to clean the drive wheels, be
sure to clean both rear wheels.
BLADE CARE
For best results, mower blade must be kept
sharp. Re place a bent or dam aged blade.
CAUTION:
Use only a replacement
blade approved by the manufacturer of
your mower. Using a blade not approved
by the manufacturer of your mower is haz-
ardous, could damage your mower and
void your warranty.
TO REMOVE BLADE
1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with plug.
2. Turn lawn mower on its side. Make
sure air fi lter and carburetor are up.
3. Use a wood block between blade and
mower hous ing to prevent blade from
turning when re mov ing blade bolt.
NOTE:
Protect your hands with gloves
and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.
4. Remove blade bolt by turning counter-
clockwise.
5. Remove blade and attaching hard-
ware (bolt, lock wash er and hardened
wash er).
NOTE
: Remove the blade adapter and
check the key inside hub of blade adapter.
The key must be in good condition to work
properly. Replace adapter if damaged.
TO REPLACE BLADE
1. Position the blade adapter on the en-
gine crank shaft. Be sure key in adapter
and crankshaft keyway are aligned.
2. Position blade on the blade adapter.
IMPORTANT:
To ensure proper as sem bly,
center hole in blade must align with star
on blade adapter.
3. Be sure the trailing edge of blade (op-
posite sharp edge) is up toward the
engine.
4. Install the blade bolt with the lock
washer and hardened washer into
blade adapter and crankshaft.
5. Use block of wood between blade and
lawn mower housing and tighten the
blade bolt, turning clockwise.
• The recommended tightening torque is
35–40 ft. lbs. (47–54 Nm).
IMPORTANT
: Blade bolt is heat treated.
If bolt needs replacing, replace only with
approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual.
5/8" bolt or pin
Center hole
Blade
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE
: We do not recommend sharp en-
ing blade - but if you do, be sure the blade
is balanced. An un bal anced blade will
cause eventual damage to lawn mower or
engine.
• The blade can be sharp ened with a fi le
or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt
to sharpen while on the mower.
• To check blade balance, you will need a
5/8" diameter steel bolt, pin, or a cone
balancer. (When using a cone bal anc er,
follow the in struc tions supplied with
bal anc er.)
NOTE:
Do not use a nail for balancing
blade. The lobes of the center hole may
appear to be centered, but are not.
• Slide blade on to an unthreaded portion
of the steel bolt or pin and hold the
bolt or pin parallel with the ground. If
blade is bal anced, it should remain in a
horizontal po si tion. If either end of the
blade moves downward, sharpen the
heavy end until the blade is balanced.
Blade
bolt
Crankshaft
keyway
Hardened
washer
Lockwasher
Blade adapter
Key
Blade
Trailing edge
Belt
retainer
19
ENGINE
FUEL SYS TEM
IMPORTANT
: It is important to prevent
gum deposits from forming in essential fuel
system parts such as carburetor, fuel fi lter,
fuel hose, or tank during storage. Alcohol
blended fuels (called gasohol or using
ethanol or methanol) can attract moisture
which leads to separation and formation
of acids during storage. Acidic gas can
damage the fuel system of an engine while
in storage.
• Empty the fuel tank by starting the en-
gine and letting it run until the fuel lines
and car bu re tor are empty.
• Never use engine or carburetor cleaner
prod ucts in the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur.
• Use fresh fuel next season.
NOTE:
Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable
alternative in min i miz ing the formation of
fuel gum deposits during stor age. Add
stabilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or stor-
age container. Always follow the mix ratio
found on stabilizer container. Run engine
at least 10 min utes after adding stabilizer
to allow the stabilizer to reach the car-
buretor. Do not empty the gas tank and
carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace
with clean engine oil. (See “ENGINE” in
the Maintenance section of this man ual).
CYLINDER
1. Remove spark plug.
2. Pour one ounce (29 ml) of oil through
spark plug hole into cylinder.
3. Pull starter handle slowly a few times
to dis trib ute oil.
4. Replace with new spark plug.
OTHER
• Do not store gasoline from one season
to another.
• Replace your gasoline can if your can
starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your
gasoline will cause problems.
• If possible, store your unit indoors and
cover it to protect it from dust and dirt.
• Cover your unit with a suitable pro tec -
tive cover that does not retain mois ture.
Do not use plastic. Plastic cannot
breathe, which allows condensation to
form and will cause your unit to rust.
IMPORTANT
: Never cover mower while
engine and exhaust areas are still warm.
CAUTION:
Never store the lawn
mower with gaso line in the tank in side a
build ing where fumes may reach an open
fl ame or spark. Allow the engine to cool
before storing in any enclosure.
