To Sharpen Blade; Drive Wheels Care; Engine Lubrication; To Change Engine Oil - Craftsman 917.377292 Owner's Manual

o Be surethe trailingedgeis up towardthe
engine.
o Install t he bladeboltwiththe lockwasher
andhardened washerintobladeadapter
andcrankshaft.
° Useblockof woodbetweenbladeandlawn
mowerhousingandtightenthe bladebolt,
tumingclockwise.
° The recommended t ightening torqueis 35-
40ft. tbs.
IMPORTANT: B ladeboltis grade8 heat
treated+
NOTE" We donot recommend sharpening
blade- but ifyou do,be surethe bladeis
balanced.
TO SHARPEN BLADE
Care should be taken to keep the blade
balanced. An unbalanced blade will cause
eventual damage to lawn mower or engine+
o The blade can be sharpened with a file or on
a grinding wheel° Do not attempt to sharpen
while on the mower.
o 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
o The grass catcher may be hosed with water,
but must be dry' when used+
o Checkyour grass;catcher often for damage
or deterioration. Through normal use it will
wear. if catcher needs replacing, replace
only with a manufacturer approved replace-
ment catcher. Give the lawn mower model
number when ordering.
DRIVE WHEELS
Check front drive wheels each time before
you mow to be sure they move freely.
The wheels not turning freely means trash,
grass cuttings, etc. are in the drive wheel
area and must be cleaned to free drive
wheels.
If necessary' to clean the drive wheels,
check both front wheels.
o Remove hubcaps, hairpin cotters and
washers.
o Remove wheels from wheel adjusters.
= Remove any trash or grass cuttings
from inside the dust cover, pinion and/or
drive wheel gear teeth.
° Put wheels back in place.
If after cleaning, the drive wheels do not
turn freely, contact your nearest
authorized service center.
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.
o 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 Texaco
Starplex Premium 1 Grease, Part Nor
750355. Do not substitute.
ENGINE
LUBRICATION
Use only high quality detergent oil rated
with API service classification SF, SG or
SH. Select the oil's SAE viscosity grade
according to your expected operating
temperature+
$AE VISCOSITY GRADES
!
" ...... I + .......
+F -20 _ O" _0 32" _0_ 60" e0_ tOa; I
=c'"._'o- +' _o" .,_,- ' _" ;_" '";o- ' _++," ' ,=o"
TEMPERATURE RANGE ANT+CIPATED mEFORE N_ OiL CP,AHG_
NOTE: Although multi--viscosity oils
(5W30, 10W30 etc.) improve starting in
cold weather, these multi--viscosity oils
will result in increased oil consumption
when used above 32°F. Check your
engine oil level more frequently to avoid
possible engine damage from running low
on oil.
Change the oil after every 25 hours of opera-
tion or at least once a year ifthe lawn mower
is not used for 25 hours in one year.
Check the crankcase oil level before
starting the engine and after each five (5)
hours of continuous use. Tighten oil plug
securely each time you check the oil level.
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
NOTE: Before tipping lawn mower to drain
oil, drain fuel tank by running engine until
fuel tank is empty.
° Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with spark plug.
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