Craftsman EZ3 917.258562 Owner's Manual page 16

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CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES
TRACTOR
Always observe safety ruleswhen performingany mainte-
nance.
BRAKE OPERATION
If tractor requires more than six (6) feet stoppingdistance
at high speed in highest gear, then brake must be adjusted.
(See "TO ADJUST BRAKE" in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual).
TIRES
Maintain proper air pressure in all tires (See "PROD-
UCT SPECIFICATIONS" on page 3 of this manual).
Keep tires free of gasoline,oil, or insectcontrolchemi-
cals which can harm rubber.
Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp objects and
other hazards that may cause tire damage.
NOTE: To seal tire puncturesand preventflat tires due to
slow leaks, tire sealant may be purchasedfrom your local
parts dealer. Tire sealant also prevents tire dry rot and
corrosion.
BLADE CARE
For best resultsmower blades must be kept sharp. Re-
place bent or damaged blades.
BLADE REMOVAL (See Fig. 12)
Raise mower to highest position to allow access to
blades.
Remove hex bolt, lock washer and flat we€her securing
blade.
Install new or resharpened blade with trailing edge up
towards deck as shown.
Reassemble hex bolt, lock washer and flat washer in
exact order as shown.
Tighten bolt securely (30-35 Ft. Lbs. torque).
IMPORTANT: BLADE BOLT IS GRADE8 HEAT TREATED.
NOTE: We do not recommend sharpening blade- but ifyou
do, be sure the blade is balanced.
BLADE _--------_ MANDREL
*A GRADE 8 HEAT TREATED BOLT CAN BE
IDENTIRED BY SIX LINES ON THE BOLT HEAD.
F!G. 12
TO SHARPEN BLADE (See Fig. 13)
Care should be taken to keep the blade balanced. An
unbalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibrationand even-
tual damage to mower and engine.
The blade can be sharpenedwitha file or on a grinding
wheel. Do not attemptto sharpenwhile on the mower.
To checkblade balance, you willneed a 5/8" diameter
steelbolt, pin,or a cone balancer. (When usinga cone
balancer, follow the instructionssupplied with bal-
ancer).
Slideblade onto an unthreadedportionofthe steelbolt
or pinand hold thebolt or pin parallelwith the ground.
If blade is balanced, it should remain in a horizontal
position. If either end of the blade moves downward,
sharpen the heavy end untilthe blade is balanced.
NOTE: Do notuse a nailfor balancingblade. The lobesof
the center hole may appear to be centered, but are not.
FIG. 13
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