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 you
mow to be sure they move freely. The
wheels not turning freely means trash,
grass cuttings, etc., may be inside the
drive wheel and dust cover area and must
be cleaned out to free drive wheels.
If necessary to clean the drive wheels,
check 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
hazardous, 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 filter 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 hardware
(bolt, lock wash er, hardened wash er).
6. Remove debris shield.
NOTE
: Remove the blade adapter
and check the key inside hub of blade
adapter. The key must be in good condi-
tion to work properly. Replace adapter if
damaged.
TO REPLACE BLADE
1. Position the blade adapter on the
engine crank shaft. Be sure key in
adapter and crankshaft keyway are
aligned; and that the drive belt is
inside the tab of the belt retainer.
2. Install debris shield.
3. Position blade on the blade adapter.
IMPORTANT:
To ensure proper as sem bly,
center hole in blade must align with star
on blade adapter.
4. Be sure the trailing edge of blade (op-
posite sharp edge) is up toward the
engine.
5. Install the blade bolt with the lock
washer and hardened washer into
blade adapter and crankshaft.
6. 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.
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 file
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
Crank-
shaft
keyway
Hardened washer
Lockwasher
Blade
adapter
Key
Blade
Trailing
edge
Belt
retainer
Debris
shield
19
ENGINE
FUEL SYS TEM
IMPORTANT
: It is important to prevent
gum deposits from forming in essential
fuel system parts such as carburetor, fuel
filter, 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 flame
or spark. Allow the engine to cool before
storing in any enclosure.
