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Craftsman 944.360080 Owner's Manual page 13

Rotary lawn mower

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REPAIR PARTS
20
LAWN MOWER
Always observe safety rules when per-
form ing any main te nance.
TIRES
• Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect
control chemi cals which can harm rubber.
• Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp
objects and other hazards that may
cause tire damage.
DRIVE WHEELS
Check rear drive wheels each time be fore
you mow to be sure they move freely.
The wheels not turning freely means trash,
grass cuttings, etc. are in the drive wheel area
and must be cleaned to free drive wheels.
If necessary to clean the drive wheels, be
sure to clean both rear wheels.
BLADE CARE
For best results, mower blade must be kept
sharp. Re place a bent or dam aged blade.
CAUTION:
Use only a replacement
blade approved by the manufacturer of
your mower. Using a blade not approved
by the manufacturer of your mower is haz-
ardous, could damage your mower and
void your warranty.
TO REMOVE BLADE
1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with plug.
2. Turn lawn mower on its side. Make
sure air fi lter and carburetor are up.
3. Use a wood block between blade and
mower hous ing to prevent blade from
turning when re mov ing blade bolt.
NOTE: Protect your hands with gloves
and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.
4. Remove blade bolt by turning counter-
clockwise.
5. Remove blade and attaching hardware
(bolt, lock wash er, hardened wash er).
6. Remove debris shield.
NOTE: Remove the blade adapter and
check the key inside hub of blade adapter.
The key must be in good condition to work
properly. Replace adapter if damaged.
TO REPLACE BLADE
1. Position blade adapter on engine crank-
shaft. Be sure key in adapter and crank-
shaft keyway are aligned; and that drive
belt is inside tabs of belt retainer.
2. Install debris shield.
3. Position blade on the blade adapter.
IMPORTANT: To ensure proper as sem bly,
center hole in blade must align with star
on blade adapter.
4. Be sure the trailing edge of blade (oppo-
site sharp edge) is up toward engine.
5. Install the blade bolt with the lock
washer and hardened washer into
blade adapter and crankshaft.
6. Use block of wood between blade and
lawn mower housing and tighten the
blade bolt, turning clockwise.
• The recommended tightening torque is
35–40 ft. lbs.
IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated.
If bolt needs replacing, replace only with
approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual.
Crank-
shaft
keyway
Key
Trailing edge
Blade adapter
Debris shield
Lockwasher
Blade
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharp en ing
blade - but if you do, be sure blade is bal-
anced. An un bal anced blade will cause
eventual damage to mower or engine.
• The blade can be sharp ened with a fi le
or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt
to sharpen while on the mower.
• To check blade balance, you will need a
5/8" diameter steel bolt, pin, or a cone bal-
ancer. (When using a cone bal anc er, follow
in struc tions supplied with bal anc er.)
NOTE: Do not use a nail for balancing
blade. The lobes of the center hole may
appear to be centered, but are not.
• Slide blade on to an unthreaded portion
of the steel bolt or pin and hold the
bolt or pin parallel with the ground. If
blade is bal anced, it should remain in a
horizontal po si tion. If either end of the
blade moves downward, sharpen the
heavy end until the blade is balanced.
Center hole
5/8" bolt or pin
13
Blade
Belt
retainer
Hardened
washer
Blade bolt

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