Storage - Craftsman 917.377781 Owner's Manual

Immediately prepare your lawn mower for storage 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.
1. Clean entire lawn mower (See
"CLEANING" in the Maintenance sec-
tion of this manual).
2. Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
3. Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and
pins are securely fastened. Inspect
moving parts for damage, breakage
and wear. Replace if necessary.
4. Touch up all rusted or chipped paint
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
SQUEEZE
Handle
bracket
HandUe pin
HANDLE
You can fold your mower handle for storage.
NOTE: The upper handle has an "anti-fold"
bracket located on the right side of the
handle. This bracket prevents the upper
handle from folding forward, which helps
protect control cable(s) from damage.
1. Loosen the two (2) handle knobs on
sides of the upper handle and allow
handle to fold down to the rear.
2. Squeeze the bottom ends of lower
handle toward each other until pins
in handle clear the brackets and pivot
entire handle assembly forward and
allow it to rest on mower.
• When setting up your handle from the
storage position, you must manually
lock lower handle into mowing position.
mMPORTANT: When folding the handle for
storage or transportation, be sure to fold
the handle as shown or you may damage
the control cables.
Operator presence
controU bar
Up[,
Lower
FUEL SYSTErvI
mMPORTANT: 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, 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.
• Empty the fuel tank by starting the en-
gine and letting 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 minimizing the formation of
fuel gum deposits during storage. Add
stabilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or stor-
age 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 car-
buretor. Do not empty 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
Mowing the Maintenance section of this manual).
position
17