Engine Oil Filter; Air Filter; Clean Air Screen; Clean Air Intake/Cooling Areas - Craftsman 917.273500 Owner's Manual

ENGINE OIL FILTER
Replace the engine oil filter every season
or every other oil change if the tractor is
used more than 100 hours in one year.
AIR FILTER
Your engine will not run properly using a
dirty air filter. Clean the foam pre-cleaner
after every 25 hours of operation or every
season. Service paper cartridge every
100 hours of operation or every season,
whichever occurs first.
Service air cleaner more often under dusty
conditions.
1. Loosen knobs and remove cover.
TO SERVICE PRE-CLEANER
2. Remove foam pre-cleaner from cover.
3. Wash it in liquid detergent and water.
4. Squeeze it dry in a clean cloth. Allow it
to dry.
5. Saturate it in engine oil. Wrap it in
clean, absorbent cloth and squeeze to
remove excess oil.
TO SERVICE PAPER CARTRIDGE
• Replace a dirty, bent, or damaged car-
tridge. Handle new cartridge carefully;
do not use if the rubber seal is dam-
aged.
NOTE: Do not wash the paper cartridge
or use pressurized air, as this will damage
the cartridge.
1. Carefully remove cartridge and grid to
prevent debris from entering carbu-
retor. Clean base carefully to prevent
debris from entering carburetor.
2. Separate the grid from paper cartridge
and gently tap pleated side of cartridge
to dislodge dirt. Never try to brush off
dirt; brushing will force dirt into the
fibers of the paper element.
3. Install the grid over the paper cartridge,
then install the assembly into the air
cleaner base. The grid must be placed
between the foam pre-cleaner and
the paper cartridge to prevent oil from
transferring to the paper element.
4. Reinstall the pre-cleaner (cleaned and
oiled) into the cover.
5. Reinstall air cleaner cover and secure
by tightening knobs.
Foam
Air Cleaner
Base
CLEAN AIR SCREEN
Air screen must be kept free of dirt and
chaff to prevent engine damage from
overheating. Clean with a wire brush or
compressed air to remove dirt and stub-
born dried gum fibers.
CLEAN AIR INTAKE/COOLING AREAS
To insure proper cooling, make sure the
grass screen, cooling fins, and other exter-
nal surfaces of the engine are kept clean
at all times.
Every 100 hours of operation (more often
under extremely dusty, dirty conditions),
remove the blower housing and other cool-
ing shrouds. Clean the cooling fins and
external surfaces as necessary. Make sure
the cooling shrouds are reinstalled.
NOTE: Operating the engine with a
blocked grass screen, dirty or plugged
cooling fins, and/or cooling shrouds
removed will cause engine damage due to
overheating.
MUFFLER
Inspect and replace corroded muffler and
spark arrester (if equipped) as it could cre-
ate a fire hazard and/or damage.
SPARK PLUG(S)
Replace spark plug(s) at the beginning
of each mowing season or after every
100 hours of operation, whichever occurs
first. Spark plug type and gap setting are
shown in "PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS"
section of this manual.
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