Adjustments & Maintenance - MTD Yard Machine 31A-3BAD700 Operator's Manual

6
Maintenance
& Service
WARNING
Before lubricating,
repairing, or
inspecting, disengage
all controls and stop
engine. Wait until all
moving parts have
come to a complete
stop. Disconnect the
spark plug wire and
ground it against the
engine to prevent
unintended starting.
NOTE:
If auger continues to
rotate with the control
disengaged, shut off
engine and re-adjust.
General Recommendations
1. Always observe safety rules when performing any
maintenance.
2. The warranty on this snow thrower does not cover
items that have been subjected to operator abuse or
negligence. To receive full value from the war-
ranty, operator must maintain the snow thrower as
instructed in this manual.
3. Periodically check all fasteners and hardware to
make sure these are tight.
WARNING: Before servicing, repairing,
lubricating or inspecting, disengage all
controls and stop engine. Wait until all
moving parts have come to a complete
stop. Disconnect spark plug wire and
ground it against the engine to prevent
unintended starting. Always wear safety
glasses during operation or while per-
forming any adjustments or repairs.
Replacing the Shave Plate
and Skid Shoes
The shave plate and skid shoes on the bottom of the
snow thrower are subject to wear. These should be
checked periodically and replaced when necessary
1. To replace, remove two carriage bolts and hex nuts
securing each skid shoe to the auger housing. See Fig. 9
2. Reassemble new skid shoes with hardware just removed.
Make sure the skid shoes are adjusted to be level.
3. To remove shave plate: Remove both skid shoes
and hardware including carriage bolts, and hex
nuts which attach shave plate to the snow thrower
housing. For location of shave plate, see Figure 9.
4. Reassemble new shave plate, making sure heads
of the carriage bolts are to the inside of the housing.
Reinstall skid shoes. Tighten securely.
Servicing Augers
The augers are secured to the spiral shaft with four
shear pins and cotter pins. If you hit a foreign object or
ice jam, the snow thrower is designed so that the pins
may shear. Refer to Figure 9.
If the augers do not turn, check if the pins have sheared.
Replace, if needed, with proper shear pins. Refer to
item 42 on page 17 for part number.
IMPORTANT: NEVER replace the auger shear pins with
standard pins or fasteners. Any damage to the auger
gearbox or other components, as a result of doing so,
will NOT be covered by your snow thrower's warranty.
Lubrication
For a view of the lubrication points on the snow thrower,
see Figure 10.
1. Lubricate pivot points on the auger control and drive
control with a light engine oil once a season.
Shear Pin
Carriage
Bolt
Shave Plate
Hex Nut
Figure 9
Lubricate
Figure 10
2. Lubricate the auger idler bracket with a light engine oil
once a season.
Engine
Listed below are general recommendations about
maintaining your snow thrower engine. For further details,
refer to the accompanying engine manual.
1. Before operating snow thrower, check the oil level.
2. Change engine oil after first two hours of operation
and every 25 hours thereafter.
3. Clean spark plug and reset the electrode gap to
0.030" at least once a season or every 100 hours of
operation; replace every 200 hours of operation.
Check V-Belts
Follow instructions below to check condition of drive belts
every 50 hours of operation.
1. Remove the plastic belt cover on the front of the engine
by removing the self-tapping screw and pressing the
plastic tabs to release the belt cover. See Figure 11
2. Visually inspect for frayed, cracked, or excessively
worn out belts. Replace, if necessary, following
instructions on page 13.
12
Cotter Pin
Skid Shoe
Carriage
Bolt Hex Nut
Lubricate