Craftsman EZ 917.270941 Owner's Manual page 29

Immediately prepare your tractor for
storage at the end of the season or if the
tractor will not be used for 30 days or
more.
CAUTION: Never store the tractor with
gasoline in the tank inside a building
where fumes may reach an open flame or
spark. Allow the engine to cool before
storing in any enclosure.
TRACTOR
Remove mower from tractor for winter
storable. When mower is to be stored for
a period of time, clean it thoroughly,
remove all dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store
in a clean, dry area.
• Clean entire tractor (See "CLEANING"
in the Maintenance section of this
manual).
• Inspect and replace belts, if necessary
(See belt replacement instructions in
the Service and Adjustments section of
this manual).
• Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
• Be sure that all nuts, bolts and screws
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.
BAI'I'ERY
• Fully charge the battery for storage.
• After a period of time in storage, battery
may require recharging.
• To help prevent corrosion and power
leakage during long periods of storage,
battery cables should be disconnected
and battery cleaned thoroughly (see
"TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMI-
NALS" in the Maintenance section of
this manual).
• After cleaning, leave cables discon-
nected and place cables where they
cannot come in contact with battery
terminals.
• If battery is removed from tractor for
storage, do not store battery directly on
concrete or damp surfaces.
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, experience indicates that alcoho
blended fuels called gasohol or using
ethanol or methanol) can attract moish
which leads to separation and formati¢
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 th,
fuel lines and carburetor are empty.
• Never use engine or carburetor clea
products in the fuel tank or permane_
damage may occur.
• Use fresh fuel next season.
NOTE: Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable
alternative in minimizing the formation
fuel gum deposits during storage. Add
stabilizer' to gasoline in fuel tank or
storage container. Always follow the rr
ratio found on stabilizer container. Rut
engine at least 10 minutes after addin!
stabilizer to allow the stabilizer to reacr
the carburetor. Do not drain the gas tar
and carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
ENGINEOIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and repla,
with clean engine oil. (See "ENGINE" i
the Maintenance section of this manu_
CYLINDER(S),
• Remove spark plug(s).
• Pour one ounce of oil through spark
plug hole(s) into cylinder(s).
• Turn ignition key to "START" positior
for a few seconds to distribute oil.
• Replace with new spark plug(s).
OTHER
• Do not store gasoline from one seas
to another.
• Replace your gasoline can if your c_
starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in you1
gasoline will cause problems.
• If possible, store your tractor indoors
and cover it to give protection from d_
and dirt.
• Cover your tractor with a suitable
protective cover that does not retain
moisture. Do not use plastic. Plastic
cannot breathe which allows conder
sation to form and will cause your
tractor to rust.
IMPORTANT: Never cover tractor whil
engine and exhaust areas are still wal
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