Tires Care; Blade Care; Engine Lubrication; Grass Catcher Care - Craftsman 917.388110 Owner's Manual

LAWN MOWER
Alwaysobservesafety ruleswhen per-
formingany maintenance.
TIRES
• Keep tires free of gasoline,oil, or insect
controlchemicalswhichcan harmrubber.
• Avoid stumps,stones, deep ruts, sharp
objectsand other hazardsthat may
causetire damage.
BLADE CARE
Forbest results,mowerblademustbe kept
sharp. Replacebentor damagedblades.
A CAUTION: Useonly a replacement
bladeapprovedby the manufacturerof
your mower. Usinga blade not approved
by the manufacturerof your moweris
hazardous,could damageyour mowerand
void your warranty.
TO REMOVEBLADE
1. Disconnectspark plug wire fromspark
plug and placewire where it cannot
come in contactwith plug.
2. Turn lawn moweron its side. Make
sure air filter andcarburetorare up.
3. Use a wood blockbetweenblade and
mowerhousingto preventbladefrom
turningwhen removingbladebolt.
NOTE: Protectyour handswith gloves
and/orwrap bladewith heavycloth.
4. Removeblade bolt by turning counter-
clockwise.
5. Removeblade and attachinghardware
(bolt,lockwasherandhardened washer).
TO REPLACEBLADE
1. Positionbladeon the bladeadapter
aligningthe two (2) holes in the blade
with the raisedlugs on the adapter.
2. Besure the trailingedge of blade(oppo-
site sharpedge)is uptowardthe engine.
3. Installthe blade boltwith the lock
washer and hardenedwasher into
blade adapterand crankshaft.
4. Use blockof wood betweenbladeand
lawn mowerhousingand tightenthe
blade bolt,turning clockwise.
• The recommendedtighteningtorque is
35-40ft. Ibs.
Blade adapter Key __
Lockwasher
_
Blade
bolt Hardened
washer ""
IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated.
If bolt needs replacing, replace only with
approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual.
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharp-
ening the blade - but if you do, be sure
the blade is balanced. An unbalanced
blade will cause eventual damage to lawn
mower or engine.
• The blade can be sharpened with a file
or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt
to sharpen while on the mower.
• 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
• The grass catcher may be hosed with
water, but must be dry when used.
• Check your grass catcher often for dam-
age or deterioration. Through normal
use it will wear. If catcher needs replac-
ing, replace only with approved replace-
ment catcher shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual. Give the lawn
mower model number when ordering.
ENGINE
LU BRICATION
Use only high quality detergent oil rated
with API service classification SG-SL.
Select the oil's SAE viscosity grade
according to your expected operating
temperature.
SAEVISCOSITYGRADES
F -20 0 30 32 40 60 80 100
C -30 -2; -1; ; 1; 20 30 4?
TEMPERATURE RANGE ANTICIPATED BEFORE NEXT OIL CHANGE
Crankshaft
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.
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.
Crankshaft
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