Cleaning; Storage; Terminals - Craftsman 917.257480 Owner's Manual

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STORAGE
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Immediately prepare your tractor for storage at the end of
the season or if the unit will not be used for 30 days or more.
CAUTION: NEVER STORE THE TRAC-
TOR WITH GASOLLNE IN THE TANK
INSIDE A BUILDING WHERE FUMES
MAY REACH AN OPEN FLAME OR
SPARK. ALLOWTHE ENGINETO COOL
BEFORE STORING IN ANY ENCLO-
SURE.
TRACTOR
Remove mower from tractor' for winter storage_ When
mower is to be stored for a period of time, clean it thor-
oughly, remove ail dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Give blades
and underside of housing a good coat of grease or rust
preventative, Store in a clean, dry area
• Clean entire tractor (See "CLEANING" in the Mainte-
nance section of this manual),
• Inspect and replace belts, if necessary (See belt re-
placement instructions in the Service and Adjustments
section of this manual).
• Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance section of this
manual
• Be sure that at! nuts, bolts and screws are securely
fastened, Inspect moving parts for damage, breakage
and wear. Replace if necessary.
• Touch up all rusted or chipped paint surfaces; sand
lightly before painting.
BATTERY
• Fully charge the battery for storage
• After a period of time in storage, battery may require
recharging.
• To help prevent corrosion and power leakage during
long periods of storage, battery cables should be dis-
connected and battery cleaned thoroughly (see "TO
CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMINALS" in the Mainte-
nance section of this manual)°
• After cleaning, leave cables disconnected and place
cables where they cannot come in contact with battery
terminals,
• Be sure battery drain tube is securely attached to drain
in battery tray_
. Drain the fuet tank,
* Start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty,
. 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 mini-
mizing the formation of fuel gum deposits during storage_
Add stabilizer to 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
allow the stabilizer to reach the carburetor. Do not drain the
gas tank ancJ carburetor if using fuet stabilizer,
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace with clean engine
oit. (See "ENGINE in the Maintenance section of this
manual).
CYLINDERS
• Remove spark plug(s)_
• Pour one ounce of oil through spark plug hole(s) into
cylinder,,
. Turn ignitionkey to "START" position for afew seconds
to distribute oil
• Replace with new spark plug(s).
OTHER
• 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 dirL
° 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 TRACTOR WHILE EN-
GINE AND EXHAUSTAREAS ARE STILL
WARM.
ENGINE
FUEL SYSTEM
IMPORTANT; IT IS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT GUM
DEPOSITS FROM FORMING IN ESSEN-
TIAL FUEL SYSTEM PARTS SUCH AS
CARBURETOR, FUEL FILTER, FUEL
HOSE, OR TANK DURING STORAGE.
ALSO, EXPERI ENCE INDICATES THAT
ALCOHOL BLENDED FUELS (CALLED
GASOHOL OR USING ETHANOL OR
METHANOL) CAN ATTRACT MOISTU RE
WHICH LEADS TO SEPARATION AND
FORMATION OFACIDS DURING STOR-
AGE ACID!C GAS CAN DAMAGE THE
FUEL SYSTEM OF AN ENGINE WHILE
tN STORAGE