Craftsman 917.388262 Owner's Manual page 16

mmediately prepare your lawn mower for
,torage at the end of the season or if the unit
_ill not be used for 30 days or more.
.AWNMOWER
Vhen lawn mower is to be stored for a perkx_
,f time, clean it thoroughly, remove all dirt,
irease, leaves, etc, Store in a clean, dry area.
Clean entire lawn mower (See "CLEAN-
ING" in the Maintenance section of this
manua|}.
Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
Be sure that all nuts, belts, screws, and pins
are securely fastened. Inspect moving
parts for damage, breakage and wear.
Replace if necessary.
Touch up all rusted or chipped paint
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
-IANDLE
(ou can fold your lawn mower handle for
;torage.
Squeeze the bottom ends of the lower
handle toward each other until the lower
handle clears the handle bracket, then
move handle forward.
Loosen upper handle mounting belts
enough to allow upper handle to be folded
back.
MPORTANT: When folding the handle for
;torage or transportation, be sure to fold the
landle as shown or you any damage the
:ontrol cables.
When setting up your handle from the
storage position, the lower handle will
automatically lock into the mowing position.
Lower
har_e
;queeze to fold
Handle
bracket
Hairpin
cotter
Operator presence control bar Upper
\ handle
o,d,oward #F
for storage J// _/Z';;'--'_
• old
€__//" I backward
I
Lower F_L--_ Mowing
handle _ position
ENGINE
FUELS'YS'rEM
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent gum
deposits from forming in essential fuel system
parts such as carburetor, f fuel filter, fuel hose
or tank during storage. Also, experience
indK'.etes that 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.
• Drain the fuel tank.
• Start the engine and let it run until the fuel
lines and carburetor are empty.
• Never use engine or carburetor cleaner
productsin 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 dunng storage. Add stabilizer
to gasoline in fuel tank or storage container.
Always follow the mix ratio found on stabilizer
container. Run engine at least 10 minutes
after adding stabilizer to allow the stEIbilizerto
reach the carburetor. Do not drain the gas
tank and carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
16