Craftsman 917.28925 Operator's Manual page 27

Immediately prepare your tractor for storage
at the end of the season or if the tractor will
not be used for 30 days or more,
_,WARNING: Never store the tractor 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.
TRACTOR
Remove mower from tractor for winter stor-
age. When moweristo bestored for aperiod
of time, clean it thoroughly, remove all dirt,
grease, leaves, etc. Store ina clean, dry area.
1. Clean entire tractor (See"CLEANING" in
the Maintenance section of this manual).
2. Inspect and replace belts, if necessary
(See belt replacement instructions inthe
Service and Adjustments section of this
manual).
3. Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
4. Be sure that all nuts, bolts and screws
are securely fastened. Inspect moving
parts for damage, breakage and wear.
Replace if necessary.
5. 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 disconnected
and battery cleaned thoroughly (see "TO
CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMINALS" in
the Maintenance section of this manual).
• Aftercleaning, leave cables disconnected
and place cables where they cannot come
in contact with battery terminals.
• If battery is removed from tractor for
storage, do not store battery directly on
concrete or damp surfaces.
ENGINE
FUEL SYSTEM
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent
gum deposits from forming in essentialfuel
system partssuch as carburetor,fuel hose,
ortank duringstorage.Also, alcohol blended
fuels (called gasohol or using ethanol or
methanol) can attract moisturewhich 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 bystartingthe engine
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 al-
ternative in minimizingthe formation offuel
gum depositsduringstorage. Add stabilizer
to gasoline in fuel tank or storage container.
Always followthe mix ratiofoundonstabilizer
container. Run engine at least 10 minutes
afteradding stabilizertoallowthe stabilizerto
reach the carburetor. Do not emptythe gas
tank and carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace
with clean engine oil. (See "ENGINE" in the
Maintenance section of this manual).
CYLINDER(S)
1. Remove spark plug(s).
2. Pourone ounce ofoilthroughspark plug
hole(s) into cylinder(s).
3. Turn ignitionkey to "START" positionfor
a few seconds to distributeoil.
4. Replace with new spark plug(s).
OTHER
• Do notstore gasolinefrom one season to
another.
• Replaceyourgasolinecanifyourcanstarts
to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your gasoline
will cause problems.
• If possible, store yourtractorindoorsand
coverittogive protection fromdustand dirt.
• Cover your tractorwith a suitable protec-
tive cover that does not retain moisture.
Do notuse plastic. Plasticcannotbreathe
whichallowscondensation to formandwill
cause your tractorto rust.
IMPORTANT: Never cover tractor while
engine and exhaust areas are still warm.
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