Storage - Craftsman 917.378480 Owner's Manual

Immediately prepare your lawn mower for
storage at the end of the season or if the
unit will not be used for 30 days or more,
LAWN MOWER
When lawn mower is to be stored for a pe-
riod of time, clean it thoroughly, remove all
dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a clean,
dry area.
1. Clean entire lawn mower (See
"CLEANING" in the Maintenance sec-
tion of this manual).
2. Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
3. Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and
pins are securely fastened. Inspect
moving parts for damage, breakage
and wear. Replace if necessary.
4. Touch up all rusted or chipped paint
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
HANDLE
You can fold your lawn mower handle for
storage.
NOTE: The upper handle has an "anti-
fold" bracket located on the left side of the
handle. This bracket prevents the upper
handle from folding forward, which helps
protect control cable(s) from damage.
1. Squeeze the bottom ends of the lower
handle toward each other until the
lower handle clears the handle bracket,
then move handle forward.
2. Loosen upper handle mounting bolts
enough to allow upper handle to be
folded back.
IMPORTANT: When folding the handle for
storage or transportation, be sure to fold
the handle as shown or you may damage
the control cables.
• When setting up your handle from the
storage position, the lower handle will
automatically lock into the mowing posi-
tion.
SQUEEZE
TO FOLD
Operator presence it!on
controlbar
Lower
handle_
FOLD
BACKWARD
bracket
ENGINE
FUELSYSTEM
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent
gum deposits from forming in essential
fuel system parts such as carburetor, fuel
filter, fuel hose, or tank during storage.
Also, 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.
1. Drain the fuel tank,
2. Start the engine and let 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
alternative in minimizing the formation of
fuel gum deposits during storage. Add
stabilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or stor-
age container, Always follow the mix ratio
found on stabilizer container. Run engine
at least 10 minutes after adding stabi*
lizer to allow the stabilizer to reach the
carburetor. Do not drain the 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).
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