Craftsman 917.376682 Owner's Manual page 17

4. Touchup all rustedor chippedpaint
surfaces;sand lightly beforepainting.
HANDLE
Youcanfoldyourmowerhandleforstorage.
1. Squeezethe bottomends of the lower
handletowardeach other untilthe
lower handleclearsthe handlebracket,
then movehandleforward.
2. Loosenupper handlemountingbolts
enoughto allow upperhandleto be
folded back.
IMPORTANT:When foldingthe handlefor
storageor transportation,be sure to fold
the handleas shown or you may damage
the controlcables.
• Whensetting up your handlefrom the
storageposition,the lowerhandlewill
automaticallylock into mowingposition.
gas can damagethe fuel systemof an
enginewhile in storage.
• Emptythe fuel tank by startingthe en-
gine and lettingit run until the fuel lines
andcarburetorare empty.
• Neveruseengine or carburetorcleaner
productsin the fuel tank or permanent
damage mayoccur.
• Usefresh fuel next season.
NOTE: Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable
alternative in minimizing the formation of
fuel gum deposits during storage. Add
stabilizerto gasolinein fuel tank or storage
container.Alwaysfollowthe mixratiofound
on stabilizercontainer. Runengineat least
10 minutesafter adding stabilizerto allow
thestabilizertoreachthe carburetor.Donot
empty the gas tank and carburetorif using
fuel stabilizer.
SQUEEZE
TO FOLD
Lower handle-"""-
L
Operator MOWING
I: POSITION
control bar
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace
with clean engine oil. (See "ENGINE" in
the Maintenance section of this manual).
CYLINDER
1. Remove spark plug.
2. Pour one ounce (29 ml) of oil through
spark plug hole into cylinder.
3. Pull starter handle slowly a few times
to distribute oil.
4. Replace with new spark plug.
FOLD ,J X
FORWARD Upper
FOR '\ handle
STORAGE
Handle
knob
Lower handle
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.
Alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol or
using ethanol or methanol) can attract
moisture which leads to separation and
formation of acids during storage. Acidic
B ATT E RY
Disconnect the battery from the engine
connector and charge battery 48 hours.
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 protect it from dust and dirt.
• Cover your unit with a suitable protec-
tive cover that does not retain moisture.
Do not use plastic. Plastic cannot
breathe, which allows condensation to
form and will cause your unit to rust.
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
building where fumes may reach an open
flame or spark. Allow the engine to cool
before storing in any enclosure.
17