MTD 979K, Operator'S Manual

Page 1: ...g applicable local or state laws if any If a spark arrester 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 apply on federal lands A spark arrester for the muffler is available through your nearest engine authorized ...

Page 2: ...C P O BOX 361131 CLEVELAND OH 44136 338 228 4683 www mtdproducts com 888 888 7318 Copy the model number here Copy the serial number here CUSTOMER SUPPORT Please doNOTreturn the unitto the retailer fromwhereit waspurchased withoutfirst contactingCustomerSupport If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls operation or maintenance of this unit you can s...

Page 3: ...of material toward roads sidewalks bystanders and the like Also avoid discharging material against a wall or obstruction which may cause discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator 5 To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury stay in the operator zone behind the handles and keep bystanders helpers children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in operation ...

Page 4: ... slipping Children Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the presence of children Children are often attracted to the mower and the mowing activity They do not understand the dangers Never assume that children will remain where you last saw them 1 Keep children out of the mowing area and under the watchful care of a responsible adult other than the operator 2 Be alert and turn...

Page 5: ...ap the blade or wear gloves and use extra caution when servicing them 5 Keep all nuts bolts and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition 6 Never tamper with safety devices Check their proper operation regularly 7 After striking a foreign object stop the engine disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine Thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage Repair t...

Page 6: ...xcess of 15 degrees a rise of approximately 2 1 2 feet every 10 feet A riding mower could overturn and cause serious injury If operating a walk behind mower on such a slope it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip resulting in serious injury Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes never across the face of slopes Operate WALK BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes nev...

Page 7: ...d pull back on the upper handle to raise the handle into the operating position See Figure 2 Make certain the lower handle is seated securely into the handle bracket assemblies _ Handle Assembly Wing Nut Handle Mounting Bracket Figure 2 Tighten wing nuts on each side of the handle making sure that the carriage bolts are seated properly into the handle See Figure 2 Remove hairpin clip from the oute...

Page 8: ...he mulching plug installed on the unit You can keep this plug on as long as you want to mulch the grass clippings For bagging purposes you will have to attach the grass bag and its adapter in place of the mulching plug Remove three wing nuts holding the mulching plug or side discharge chute in place and remove the accessory from the unit Replace with grass bag adapter while making sure the front l...

Page 9: ...djustment Section in this manual RecoilStarter The recoil starter is attached to the right upper handle Stand behind the unit and pull the recoil starter rope to start the unit DriveClutchControl The drive clutch control is located on the upper handle Squeeze the drive control to engage the drive system Release the clutch control to disengage the drive system Release the clutch control to slow dow...

Page 10: ...e times Wait about two seconds between each push In cold weather around 55 F or below prime five times Do not prime to restart a warm engine after a short shutdown WARNING Be sure no one other than the operator is standing near the lawn mower while starting engine or operating mower WARNING Never run engine indoors or in enclosed poorly ventilated areas Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide an o...

Page 11: ...le and raise the rear of the grass bag up toward your chest The grass bag will open and the grass clippings will disperse When replacing the grass bag be sure the top of the bag rests on the wire support between the handles SECTION 6 MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WARNING Do not at any time make any adjustments without first stopping engine and disconnecting spark plug wire Cutting Height Your mower is shippe...

Page 12: ...ce a piece of plastic under the gas cap Tip the mower so that it rests on the housing Keep the side with the air cleaner facing up Hold the mower firmly Scrape and clean the underside of the deck with a suitable tool Do notspray with water Put the mower back on its wheels on the ground If you had put plastic under the gas cap make sure to remove it now _ ARNING Never tip the mower more than 90 deg...

Page 13: ...e a foreign object Replace when necessary Removingthe Blade Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug Turn mower on its side making sure that the air filter and the carburetor are up Remove the bolt and the blade bell support which hold the blade and the blade adapter to the engine crankshaft See Figure 14 Remove the blade and the adapter from the crankshaft Sharpeningthe Blade The blade can be s...

Page 14: ...three hex screws holding the baffle to the deck and pivot baffle towards the rear of the mower See Figure 15 Figure 15 Baffle Remove the hex bolt from the rear of unit holding the transmission to the mower housing See Figure 16 Figure 16 Tilt the transmission forward and loosen the idler pulley bolt and lock nut half a turn See Figure 17 Bolt and Transmission Figure 17 Pulley Idler Pulley Bracket ...

Page 15: ... 20 Belt Guard Pin_ Pivot the control arm back to its original position and reinstall the six speed cable into the slot See Figure 21 Six Speed Cable Slot Arm Figure 21 Make sure the belt is routed inside the pulley halves and the belt guard pin Reinstall the bolt securing transmission to rear mower housing Pivot the baffle back to its original position and secure with three hex screws removed ear...

Page 16: ... hose to clean your unit Refer to engine manual for correct engine storage instructions Coat mower s cutting blade with chassis grease to prevent rusting Store mower in a dry clean area Do not store next to corrosive materials such as fertilizer NOTE When storing any type of power equipment in a poorly ventilated or metal storage shed care should be taken to rust proof the equipment Using a light ...

Page 17: ...blade 1 Wet grass 2 Excessively high grass 3 Dull blade 1 Wheels not positioned correctly 2 Dull blade Remedy 1 Engage blade control handle 2 Connect wire to spark plug 3 Fill tank with clean fresh gasoline 4 Clean fuel line 5 Clean adjust gap or replace 6 Wait a few minutes to restart do not prime 1 Connect and tighten spark plug wire 2 Clean fuel line fill tank with clean fresh gasoline 3 Clear ...

Page 18: ...YOURNOTES Date Comments 18 ...

Page 19: ...Safety Decorative Labels 777S30116 MODEL PLATE ON RIGHT SIDE 777S30118 777S30128 777S30145 NNNNNI I DANQmR I 777D06796 777120291 777120067 777D00535 19 ...

Page 20: ... 27 31 17 20 19 8 35 37 38 41 45 48 9 45 61 57 73 30 IMPORTANT For a proper working machine use Factory Approved Parts V BELTS are specially designed to engage and disengage safely A substitute non OEM V Belt can be dangerous by not disengaging completely 20 ...

Page 21: ... 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 94 95 96 Part No 748 0381 748 0188B 738 0137A 748 0318 710 0969 710 0751 731 0981A 738 0102 736 0504 734 2004A 736 0105 710 1348 710 1652 710 0654A 611 0064 736 0204 710 0703 710 1242 741 0492A 710 1241 731 1834 754 0460 656 0613 750 1071 750 1070 782 7597 710 0654A 782 7596 732 0807 711 1114 736 0526 731 1828 710 0653 753 0377C 74...

Page 22: ...Model979K 28 17 16 15 11 20 64 6O 65 14 13 12 29 31 22 ...

Page 23: ...62 Bell Washer 325 ID x 930 OD 63 Pulley 64 Flat Washer 510 IDx 1 120 OD 65 Hex Jam Nut 1 4 28 Part No 782 7598 741 0124 732 0849A 750 1050 682 0027A 710 0299 741 0682A 736 0570 721 0329 721 0325 618 0253 782 7601A 741 0690 736 0616 782 7595 741 0324 711 1168 717 1469 741 0674 717 1487 736 0314 736 0569 618 0252 710 0642 611 0066 664 0076 747 0940A 747 0939 747 0937 631 0071 712 0429 726 0106 Part...

Page 24: ...ms such as lubricants filters blade sharpening tune ups brake adjustments clutch adjustments deck adjustments and normal deterioration of the exterior finish due to use or exposure d e f g MTD LLC does not extend any warranty for products sold or exported outside of the United States its possessions and territories except those sold through MTD LLC s authorized channels of export distribution Part...