Preparing The Engine; Draining The Fuel - Craftsman 247.28881 Operator's Manual

Neverstorelawntractorwith fuel in tank indoorsor in poorly
ventilatedareaswherefuel fumesmay reachan open flame,spark,
or pilot lightas on a furnace,water heater,clothesdryer,or gas
appliance.
PREPARING THE ENGINE
IMPORTANT: F uelleft in thefuel tank duringwarm weatherdeterio-
ratesand will causeseriousstartingproblems.
To preventgumdepositsfromforminginside the engine'scarburetor
and causingpossiblemalfunction of theengine,thefuel systemmust
be eithercompletely emptied,or the gasolinemustbe treatedwith a
stabilizerto preventdeterioration.
1. If usingafuel stabilizer:
a. Readthe productmanufacturer's instructionsand recom-
mendations.
b. Add to clean, freshgasolinethe correctamountof stabilizer
for the capacityof the fuel system.
c. Fillthe fueltank with treatedfuel and run the enginefor 2-3
minutesto get stabilizedfuel intothe carburetor.
2. If emptyingthe fuel system:
a. Donot drainfuel whenthe engineis hot. Allowthe engine
adequatetime to cool. Drainfuelinto an approvedcontainer
outdoors,awayfrom open flame.
b. Drainany largevolumeof fuel from thetank bydisconnect-
ing thefuel linefrom the in-linefuel filter nearthe engine.
See the completeinstructionsfor DrainingThe Fuellaterin
this section.
Gasolineis extremelyflammableand can be explosiveundercertain
conditions.Draingasolinebeforestoringthe equipmentfor extended
periods.Drainfuel only intoan approvedcontaineroutdoors,away
from an openflame.Allowengineto cool. Extinguishcigarettes,
cigars,pipes, and othersourcesof ignitionprior to drainingfuel.
Storegasolinein an approvedcontainerin safe location.
c. Reconnect t he fuel lineand run the engineuntil it starts to
falter,thenuse thechoketo keeptheengine runninguntilall
fuel in thecarburetorhas beenexhausted.
d. Disconnectthefuel lineand drain any remaininggasoline
from the system.
DRAiNiNG THE FUEL
1. Locatethe fuel filter,which is locatedon the left sideof the
engine,and maybe attachedto the enginewith a tie strap.
2. Cutthe tie strap,if present,then pinchthe in-lineclamp on the
fuel filter with a pair of pliers,slidethe clamp up the fuel line.
3. Pullthe fuel line freefrom the filter and placethe open end of the
lineintoan approvedcontainerto drain the fuel.
PREPARING THE LAWN TRACTOR
1. Cleanand lubricate tractorthoroughlyas describedin the lubrica-
tion instructions.
2. Donot usea pressurewasheror gardenhoseto cleanyour unit.
3. Storemowerin a dry,cleanarea. Do notstore nextto corrosive
materials, s uch as fertilizer.
Gasolineis a toxicsubstance.Disposeof gasolineproperly.Contact
your localauthoritiesfor approveddisposalmethods.
3. Removethe sparkplug and pour one (1) ounceof engineoil
throughthe sparkplug hole intothe cylinder.Cranktheengine
severaltimesto distributethe oil. Replacethe spark plug.
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