MTD 11B-439Q755 Operator's Manual page 11

BladeCare f -._
_ ARNING:Whenremovingthe cuttingblade
for sharpening or replacement, protectyour
hands with a pairof heavy gloves or use a heavy rag
to hold the blade.
Periodically inspectthe bladeadapterfor cracks,
especiallyif youstrikea foreignobject. Replacewhen
necessary.Followthe stepsbelowfor blade service.
1. Disconnectsparkplug wirefrom spark plug.Turn
moweron its side makingsurethat the air filter and
the carburetorare up.
2. Removethe boltand the bladebell supportwhich
hold the bladeand the bladeadapterto the engine
crankshaft.See Figure5-2.
3. Removebladeand adapterfromthe crankshaft.See
Figure5-2.
4. The bladecan be sharpenedwith a fileor on a grind-
ing wheel.Do notattemptto sharpenthe blade while
it is still on the mower.Whensharpeningthe blade,
followthe originalangle of grind.Grind eachcutting
edge equallyto keepthe bladebalanced.
5. Removebladefrom the adapterfor testingbalance.
Balancethe bladeon a roundshaftscrewdriver to
check. Removemetalfrom the heavysideuntil it
balancesevenly.
_ii ARNING:An unbalanced bladewill cause
excessivevibration when rotating at high
speeds. It may cause damageto mower and could
break causing personalinjury.
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Figure 5-2:Remove t hebolt, s upport, andadapter t oaccess
theblade.
6. Lubricatetheenginecrankshaftand the inner surface
of the blade adapterwith lightoil. Slide the blade
adapteronto the enginecrankshaft.
7. Placethe bladeon the adaptersuch that the side
of the blade marked"Bottom"(or with part number)
facesthe groundwhenthe moweris in theoperating
position.Makesurethat the blade is alignedand
seatedon the bladeadapterflanges.
8. Placeblade bell supporton the blade.Align notches
on the bladebell supportwith smallholesin blade.
9. Replacehex boltand tightenhex boltto torque:450
in. Ibs. rain.,600 in. Ibs.max.
Toensuresafe operationof yourmower,periodically
checkthe blade boltfor correcttorque.
Replacing Rear Flap
1. To removerear flap, lift reardoor,and pressflap in on
eitherside to removefrom hole. See Figure5-3.
2. Removeflap fromoppositehole and replacewith new
flap in theoppositeorder and mannerof removal.
Figure5-3:Removerearflap.
Off-Season Storage
Thefollowingstepsshouldbe takento prepareyour
lawnmowerfor storage.
• Cleanand lubricatemowerthoroughlyas described
in the lubricationinstructions.
• Do not usea pressurewasheror garden hoseto
cleanyourunit.
Referto engine manualforcorrectengine
storageinstructions.
Coat mower'scuttingblade with chassisgreaseto
preventrusting.
Storemowerin a dry, cleanarea. Donot storenext
to corrosivematerials,suchas fertilizer.
Whenstoringanytype of powerequipmentin a poorly
ventilatedor metal storageshed, careshouldbe taken
to rust-prooftheequipment.Usinga lightoil or silicone,
coat theequipment,especiallycablesand all moving
parts of yourlawnmowerbeforestorage.
11
Maintaining
YourLaWn
WARNING
When removing the
cutting blade for
sharpening or replace-
ment, protect your
hands with a pair of
heavy gloves or use a
heavy rag to hold the
blade.
An unbalanced blade
will cause excessive
vibration when rotat-
ing at high speeds, it
may cause damage
to mower, and could
break causing per-
sonal injury.