Storage - Craftsman 917.373841 Owner's Manual

STORAGE
Immediately prepare your lawn mower for sto_age at the
end of the season or' if the unit will not be used for 30 days
or more_
LAWN MOWER
When lawn mower is to be stored for a period of time, clean
it thoroughly, remove all dirt, grease, leaves, etc.. Store in
a clean, dry area.
• Clean entire lawn mower (See "CLEANING" in the
Customer Responsibilities section of this manual)°
• Lubricate as shown in the Customer Responsibilities
section of this manual
° Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and pins are
securelyfastenedo Inspect moving parts for damage,
breakage and wear, Replace if necessary.
. Touch up all rusted or chipped paint surfaces; sand
lightly before painting
HANDLE (See Fig. 19)
You can fold your lawn mower handle for' storage.
. Squeeze the bottom ends of the lower handle toward
each other until the lower handle clears the handle
bracket, then move handle forward.
° Loosen upper handle mounting bolts enough to allow
upper handle to be folded back_
IMPORTANT: WHEN FOLDING THE HANDLE FOR
STORAGE OR TRANSPORTATION, BE SURE TO FOLD
THE HANDLE AS SHOWN OR YOU MAY DAMAGE THE
CONTROL CABLES.
" When setting up your handle fromthe storage position,
the lower handle will automatically lock into the rnow_
ing position.
LOWER HANDLE
HANDLE
BRACKET
SQUEEZETO
FOLD
HAIRPIN
COTTER
OPERATOR PRESENCE
CONTROL BAR
UPPER HANDLE
FOLD FORWARD
FOR STORAGE
FOLD BACKWARD
MOWING
POSITION
LOWER HANDLE
FIG. 19
ENGINE
FUEL SYSTEM
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. ALSO,
EXPERIENCE INDICATES THAT 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_
- Drain the fueltank.
. Start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty_
o Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the
fuel tank or permanent damage may occur,,
• Use fresh fuel next season.
NOTE: Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable alternative in
minimizing the formation of fuel gum deposits during stor-
age. Add stabilizerto gasoline in fuel tank or storage
container, Always follow the mix ratio found on stabilizer
container, Run engine at least 10 minutes after adding
stabilizer to ailow the stabilizer to reach the carburetor. Do
not drain 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 Customer Responsibilities
section of this manual),,
CYLINDER
° Remove spark plug
,, Pour one ounce (29 rnl) of oil through spark plug hole
into cylinder,
o Pull starter handle slowly a few times to distribute oil
. Replace with new spark plug=
BATTERY
Disconnect the battery from the engine connector and
charge battery 48 hours.
18
OTHER
o 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 give
protection from dust and dirt.
= Cover your unit with a suitable protective cover that
does not retain moisture. Do not use plastic. Plastic
cannot breathe which allows condensation to form and
will cause your unit to rusL
iMPORTANT: NEVER COVER MOWER WHILE ENGINE
AND EXHAUST AREAS ARE STILL WARM.
CAUTION: Never store the lawn mower
with gasoline in the tank inside a build-
ing where fumes may reach an open
flameor spark. Ailowthe engineto cool
before storing in any enclosure.