29
Removing the Blade
1. Remove the mower; refer to Removing the Mower on
page 29.
2. Carefully tip the mower over.
3. Remove the bolt (5/8 in. wrench), curved washer,
retainer, and blade (Fig. 29). Use a block of wood as a
wedge between the blade and the mower to lock the
blade when you are removing the bolt.
m-1886
1
2
3
4
5
Figure 29
1.
Bolt
2.
Retainer
3.
Blade
4.
Spindle
5.
Curved washer
4. Inspect all parts; replace any parts that are damaged.
Sharpening the Blade
1. Use a file to sharpen the cutting edge at both ends of the
blade (Fig. 30). Maintain the original angle. The blade
retains its balance if you remove the same amount of
material from both cutting edges.
m-1854
1
Figure 30
1.
Sharpen at original angle
2. Check the balance of the blade by putting it on a blade
balancer (Fig. 31). If the blade stays in a horizontal
position, the blade is balanced and can be used. If the
blade is not balanced, file some metal off of the back
side of the blade. Repeat this step until the blade is
balanced.
m-1855
1
2
Figure 31
1.
Blade
2.
Balancer
Installing the Blade
1. Install the blade, the blade retainer, the curved washer
(cupped side toward blade), and the blade bolt (Fig. 29).
Important
The curved part of the blade must be
pointing upward toward the inside of the mower to ensure
proper cutting.
2. Tighten the blade bolt to 45 to 60 ft-lb (61 to 81 N
⋅
m).
Removing the Mower
1. Park the tractor on a level surface.
2. Disengage the blade (PTO).
3. Shift the ground speed lever into Neutral.
4. Set the parking brake.
5. Stop the engine and wait for all moving parts to stop.
6. Remove the ignition key.
7. Disconnect the wire from the spark plug.
8. Move the height-of-cut lever into the “D” notch.
