Spark Plug; Lubrication; Muffler; Pivot Points & Linkage - Craftsman 247.288842 Operator's Manual

Spark Plug
1. Cleanareaaroundthe spark plug base.Do not sandblastspark
plug.Sparkplug shouldbe cleanedby scrapingor wire brushing
and washingwith a commercialsolvent
2. Removeand inspect t he spark plug.Checkgap to makesureit is
set at .030".See Figure13.
Electrode Porcelain
.030 (.76 mm) gap
Figure13
J
3. Replacethe spark plug (Champion®RC12YC) o ncea season.
Muffler
Temperature of mufflerand nearbyengine areasmayexceed 150 ° F
(65°0).Avoidcontact with theseareas.
• Inspectmufflerperiodically, a nd replaceif necessary.Replace-
ment partsfor the mufflermustbe the sameand installedin the
same positionas the originalparts.
Clean Engine
• Dailyor beforeevery use, cleangrass,chaffor accumulated
debrisfromengine.Keeplinkage,spring,and controlsclean.
• Keeparea aroundand behindmufflerfreeof any combustible
debris.
• Keepingenginecleanallows air movement a roundengine.
• Engineparts shouldbe keptcleanto reducethe risk of overheat-
ing and ignitionof accumulated debris.
Do notuse waterto cleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminate fuel
system.Usea brushor dry cloth.
Carburetor Adjustment
• Thecarburetoron this engineisnot adjustable.
LUBRICATION
Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO
(BladeEngageLever),move shiftleverinto neutralposition,set
parkingbrake,stop engineand removekeyto preventunintended
starting.
Pivot Points & Linkage
Lubricate all the pivot pointson the drivesystem,parkingbrakeand lift
linkageat least oncea seasonwith lightoil.
Rear Wheels
The rear wheelsshouldbe removedfrom the axlesonce a season.
Lubricate the axles and the rims wellwith an all-purposegreasebefore
re-installing them.
Front Axles
Eachend of thetractor'sfront pivotbar may be equippedwith a grease
fitting. Lubricatewith a greasegunafter every 25 hoursof tractor
operation.
Battery
The batteryissealedand ismaintenance-free. Acidlevelscannotbe
checked.
• Alwayskeepthe batterycablesand terminalscleanand free of
corrosivebuild-up.
After cleaningthe batteryand terminals,applya lightcoat of
petroleumjelly or greaseto bothterminals.
• Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthe positiveterminal
to preventshorting.
iMPORTANT: If removingthe batteryfor any reason,disconnectthe
NEGATIVE (Black) wirefrom its terminalfirst, followedby the POSI-
TIVE (Red)wire. Whenre-installing the battery,alwaysconnectthe
POSITIVE(Red)wireto its terminalfirst, followedbythe NEGATIVE
(Black) wire. Be certainthat the wiresare connectedto the correct
terminals;reversingthemcouldchangethe polarityand result in
damageto your engine'salternatingsystem.
Cleaning Battery
Cleanthe batteryby removingitfrom the tractorand washingwith
a bakingsodaand watersolution.If necessary,scrape thebattery
terminalswith a wirebrushto removedeposits.Coat terminalsand
exposedwiringwith greaseor petroleum jellyto preventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:
Incorrectinitialactivation
• Overcharging
• Freezing
• Undercharging
• Corrodedconnections
Thesefailuresare NOTcoveredby yourtractor'swarranty.
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