Lubrication; Adjustments; Cleaning Battery; Battery Failures - Craftsman 247.288820 Operator's Manual

Lubrication
Beforelubricating, repairing, o r inspecting, alwaysdisengagePTO (Blade
Engage Lever),moveshift leverintoneutral position, set parkingbrake,stop
eng ne andremovekeyto prevent un ntendedstart rig.
Pivot Points & Linkage
Lubricate all the pivot pointsonthe drivesystem, p arkingbrakeandlift linkageat
leastonceaseason with light oil.
RearWheels
Therearwheelsshouldberemoved fromthe axles onceaseason. L ubricate the
axles andthe rimswell with anall-purpose grease beforere-installingthem.
Front Axles
Each endof the tractor'sfront pivotbarmaybeequipped with agrease fitting.
Lubricate with agrease gunafterevery25 hours of tractoroperation.
Battery
Thebatteryissealedandis maintenance-free. Acidlevelscannotbechecked.
Alwayskeepthe batterycables andterminalscleanandfreeofcorrosive
build-up.
Aftercleaning the batteryandterminals, a pplya lightcoatof petroleum jelly
or grease to bothterminals.
Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositioned overthe positive terminalto prevent
shorting.
IM PORTANT: If removing the batteryforanyreason, d isconnect the NEGATIVE
(Black) w irefrom its terminalfirst, followedbythe POSITIVE (Red) w ire.When
re-installingthe battery,always connect t he POSITIVE (Red) w ireto its terminal
first, followedbythe NEGATIVE (Black) w ire. Becertainthatthe wiresareconnected
to the correct t erminals; r eversing themcouldchangethe polarityandresultin
damage to yourengine's alternatingsystem.
Cleaning Battery
Clean the batterybyremoving it from the tractorandwashingwith a bakingsoda
andwatersolution.Ifnecessary, scrape the batteryterminalswitha wirebrushto
remove deposits. C oatterminalsandexposed wiring with grease or petroleum jelly
to prevent c orrosion.
Battery Failures
Some common causes f orbatteryfailureare:
Incorrect i nitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corroded connections
These failuresareNOT covered byyourtractor'swarranty.
Cleaning the EngineAnd Deck
Anyfuel or oil spilledonthe machine shouldbewipedoff promptly.DoNOT allow
debris to accumulate around the coolingfinsof the engineor onanyotherpart of
the machine.
IMPORTANT: Theuseofa pressure w asher to cleanyourtractorisNOT
recommended. It maycause damage to electrical c omponents, spindles, p ulleys,
bearings orthe engine.
Adjustments
Neverattempt to makeanyadjustments while the engine isrunning, e xcept
where specifiedin the operator'smanual.
Levelingthe Deck
NOTE: Check thetractor's t irepressure before performing any deck leveling
adjustments. Refer toTires intheService section o fthismanual formore
information r egarding tirepressure.
FrontTo Rear
Thefront of the cuttingdeckissupportedbyastabilizerbarthat canbeadjustedto
levelthedeckfrom front to rear. T hefront of the deckshouldbebetween1g-inch
and_8-inchlowerthanthe rearofthe deck.Adjustif necessary asfollows:
1. With the tractorparked on afirm, levelsurface, p lacethe leverfor lifting the
platformon the second to the top notch(second highestposition) a ndrotate
the bladeasclose aspossible to the discharge c hannel t hatisparallelto the
tractor.
2. Measure t he distance fromthe front of the bladetip to thegroundandthe
rearof the bladetip to theground.The first measurement takenshould
bebetweenlg" and_8" lessthanthe second measurement. Determine
the approximate distance necessary f orproperadjustment a ndproceed, if
necessary, to the nextstep.
3. Locate the flangelocknut onthe front sideof the stabilizerbracket. S ee
Figure 20.
Tightenthe flangelocknut to raise the front of the deck;
Loosen the flangelocknut to lowerthe front of the deck.
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