Craftsman 917.256591 Owner's Manual page 17

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CUSTO RESPONSmB LUTUES
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TRACTOR
Always observe safety rules when performing any mainte-
nance.
BRAKE OPERATION
If tractor requires more than six (6) feet stopping distance
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
o Maintain proper air pressure in all tires (See "PROD-
UCT SPECIFICATIONS" on page 3 of this manual)°
• Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect control chemi-
cals which can harm rubber.
o Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp objects and
other hazards that may cause tire damage.
BLADE CARE
For best results mower blades must be kept sharp Re-
place bent or damaged blades,
o To check blade balance, you will need a 5/8" diameter
steel bolt, pin, or a cone balancer_ (When using a cone
balancer, follow the instructions supplied with bal-
ancer),
o Slide blade onto an unthreaded portion of the steet bolt
or pin and hold the bolt or pin parallel with the ground.
if blade is balanced, it should remain in a hodzontaf
position, if either end of the blade moves downward.
sharpen the heavy end until the blade is balanced
NOTE: Do not use a nail for balancing blade, The lobes of
the center hole may appear to be centered, but are not,
CENTER HOLE /
518" BOLT
OR PIN
BLADE
BLADE REMOVAL (See Fig. 13)
= Raise mower to highest position to allow access to
blades.
o Remove hex bolt, lock washer and flat washer securing
blade,,
= Install new or resharpened blade with trailing edge up
towards deck as shown,
o Reassemble hex bolt, lock washer and flat washer in
exact order as shown.,
• Tighten bolt securely (30-35 Ft. Lbs. torque).
IMPORTANT: BLADE BOLT tS GRADE 8 HEATTREATED.,
NOTE: We do not recommend sharpening blade- but if you
do, be sure the blade is balanced,.
BLADE MANDREL
ASSEMBLY
TRAILING EDGE
FLAT WASHER_ !
HEXBOLT
(GRADE
*A GRADE 8 HEAT TREATED BOLT CAN BE
IDENT1FIEDBYSIXLINESONTHEBOLTHEAD.
FIG. ! 3
TO SHARPEN BLADE (See Fig. 14)
Care should be taken to keep the blade balanced An
unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration and even-
tual damage to mower and engine_
. The blade can be sharpened with a file or on a grinding
wheel Do not attempt to sharpen while on the mower.
FIG. 14
BATTERY
Your tractor has a battery charging system which is suffF
cient for normal use° However, periodic charging of the
battery with an automotive charger will extend its life
- Keep battery and terminals clean.,
Keep battery bolts tight,
• Keep small vent holes open,
. Recharge at 6-10 amperes for 1 hour_
TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMINALS
Corrosion and dirt on the battery and terminals can cause
the battery to "leak" power.
o Remove terminal guard,
° Disconnect BLACK battery cable first then RED bat-
tery cable and remove battery from tractor,
- Rinse the battery with plain water and dry
. Clean terminals and battery cable ends with wire brush
until bright,
o Coat terminals with grease or petroleum jelly,
o Reinstall battery (See "CONNECT BATTERY" in the
Assembly section of this manual),
V-BELTS
Check V-belts for deterioration and wear after 100 hours of
operation and replace if necessary. The belts are not
adjustable., Replace belts if they begin to slip from wear
TRANSAXLE COOLING
The fan and cooling fins of transmission should be kept
clean to assure proper cooling
Do not attempt to clean fan or transmission while engine is
running or while the transmission is hot.
= lnspect cooling fan to be sure fan blades are intact and
cleano
- Inspect cooling fins for dirt, grass clippings and other
matedalso To prevent damage to seals, do not use
compressed air or high pressure sprayer to clean
cooling fins
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