Engine Storage - Craftsman 536.886350 Owner's Manual

,_ CAUTION: Never store your snow
thrower indoors or in an enclosed, poorly
ventilated area if gasoline remains in the
tank. fumes may reach an open flame,
spark or pilot light from a furnace, water
heater, clothes dryer, cigarette, etco
To prevent engine damage (if snow thrower
is not used for more than 30 days) follow
the steps below.
SNOW THROWER STORAGE
o Thoroughly clean the snow thrower.
• Lubricate all lubrication points (see the
Maintenance section on pages 15.t 7)°
, Be sure that al! nuts, bolts and screws are
securely fastened. Inspect all visible mov-
ing parts for damage, breakage and wear.
Replace if necessary.
• Touch up at! rusted or chipped paint sur-
faces; sand lightly before painting.
° Cover the bare metal parts of the blower
housing auger and the impeller with rust
preventative, such as a spray lubricant.
NOTE: A yearly checkup or tune_up by a
SEARS Service Center is a good way to in-
sure that your snow thrower will provide
maximum performance for the next season.
ENGINE STORAGE
Gasoline must be removed or treated to pre-
vent gum deposits from forming in the tank,
filter, hose, and carburetor during storage.
Also during storage, alcohol blended gaso-
line that uses ethanol or methanol (some-
times called gasohol) attracts water, tt acts
on the gasoline to form acids which damage
the engine.
• To remove gasoline, run the engine_until
the tank is empty and the engine stops_
Then drain remaining gasoline from car-
buretor by pressing upward on bowl drain
located on the bottom of carburetor (see
next figure).
- if you do not want to remove gasoline, a
fuel stabilizer (such as Craftsman Fuel
Stabilizer No. 33500) may be added to
any gasoline leftin the tank to minimize
gum deposits and acids. If the tank is al-
most empty, mix stabilizer with fresh gaso-
line in a separate container and add some
to the tank.
Carburetor Bow!
Always follow instructionson stabilizer con-
tainer. Then run engine at least 10 minutes
after stabilizer is added to allow mixtureto
reach carburetor. Store snow thrower in a
safe ptace_See Caution on this page.
You can keep your engine in good operaling
condition during storage by:
• Changing oil (see page 17).
o Lubricatingthe pistonlcylinder area. This
can be done by first removing the spark
plug and squirting a few drops of clean
engine oil into the spark plug hole. Then
cover the spark plug hole with a rag to
absorb oil spray_Next, rotate the engine
by pulling the starter rope fully out two or
three times. Finally, reinstall spark plug
and attach spark plug wire.
OTHER
o if possible, store your snow thrower in-
doors and cover it to give protection from
dust and dirL
o If the machine must be stored outdoors,
block up the snow thrower to be sure the
entire machine is otf the ground.
, Cover the snow thrower with a suitable
protective cover that does not retain
moisture. Do not use plastic or vinyl.
IMPORTANT: Never cover snow thrower
while engine and exhaust areas are still
warm.
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