Craftsman 917.376662 Owner's Manual page 13

LAWN MOWER
Alwaysobservesafety ruleswhen per-
formingany maintenance.
TIRES
• Keep tires free of gasoline,oil, or insect
controlchemicalswhichcan harmrubber.
• Avoid stumps,stones, deep ruts, sharp
objectsand other hazardsthat may
causetire damage.
DRIVEWHEELS
Checkfront drivewheels eachtime before
you mow to be sure they movefreely.
The wheelsnot turningfreely meanstrash,
grasscuttings, e tc.areinthedrivewheelarea
and mustbe cleanedto free drivewheels.
If necessaryto clean the drive wheels, be
sure to clean both frontwheels.
1. Removehubcaps,Iocknuts& washers.
2. Removewheelsfrom wheel adjusters.
3. Removeany trash or grass cuttings
from insidethe dust cover,pinionand/
or drive wheelgear teeth.
4. Putwheels backin place.
NOTE: If after cleaning,the drivewheels
do not turn freely, contacta Sears or other
qualifiedservicecenter.
BLADE CARE
For best results,blade mustbe kept sharp.
Replacea bent or damagedblade.
A CAUTION:Useonlya replacementblade
approved bythemanufacturer o fyourmower.
Using a blade not approvedby the manu-
facturer of your moweris hazardous,could
damageyourmowerandvoidyourwarranty.
TO REMOVEBLADE
1. Disconnectspark plug wire fromspark
plug and placewire where it cannot
come in contactwith plug.
2. Turn lawn moweron its side. Make
sure air filter andcarburetorare up.
3. Usea wood blockbetweenbladeand
mowerhousingto preventbladefrom
turningwhen removingbladebolt.
NOTE: Protectyour handswith gloves
and/orwrap bladewith heavycloth.
4. Removeblade bolt by turning counter-
clockwise.
5. Removeblade& attachinghardware
(bolt, lockwasher & hardenedwasher).
TO REPLACEBLADE
1. Positionbladeon the bladeadapter
aligningthe two (2) holes in the blade
with the raisedlugs on the adapter.
2. Besure the trailingedge of blade(oppo- •
site sharpedge)is uptowardthe engine.
3. Installthe blade boltwith the lock
washer and hardenedwasher into
blade adapterand crankshaft. 13•
4. Use blockof wood betweenbladeand
lawn mowerhousingand tightenthe
blade bolt, turningclockwise.
• The recommendedtighteningtorque is
35-40ft. Ibs.
IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated.
If bolt needs replacing,replaceonly with
approvedbolt shown in the RepairParts
sectionof this manual.
Blade adapter Key Crankshaft
Lockwasher
/ /
bolt Hardened
washer Trailing edge Crankshaft
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharpening
the blade - but if you do, be sure the blade
is balanced. Care should be taken to keep
the blade balanced. An unbalanced bladewill
cause eventual damage to mower or engine.
• The blade can be sharpened with a file
or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt
to sharpen while on the mower.
• To check blade balance, drive a nail into
a beam or wall. Leave about one inch of
the straight nail exposed. Place center
hole of blade over the head of the nail.
If blade is balanced, it should remain in
a horizontal position. If either end of the
blade moves downward, sharpen the
heavy end until the blade is balanced.
GRASS CATCHER
• The grass catcher may be hosed with
water, but must be dry when used.
• Check your grass catcher often for dam-
age or deterioration. Through normal
use it will wear. If catcher needs replac-
ing, replace only with approved replace-
ment catcher shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual. Give the lawn
mower model number when ordering.
GEAR CASE
• To keep your drive system working
properly, the gear case and area around
the drive should be kept clean and free
of trash build-up. Clean under the drive
cover twice a season.
The gear case is filled with lubricant to the
proper level at the factory. The only time
the lubricant needs attention is if service
has been performed on the gear case.
If lubricant is required, use only Elf Mul-
tis EP00. Do not substitute.