Lubrication; Spark Plug; Muffler; Clean Engine - Craftsman 247.288841 Operator's Manual

Spark Plug
1. Cleanareaaroundthe spark plug base.Do notsandblastspark
plug,Sparkplug shouldbe cleanedby scrapingor wire brushing
and washingwith a commercialsolvent
Removeand inspect t he spark plug.Checkgap to makesureit is
set at .030".See Figure13.
Electrode Porcelain
_.030 (.76 mm) gap
\
Figure13
3. Replacethespark plug (Champion®RC12YC) o nce a season.
Muffler
Temperature of mufflerand nearbyengineareasmayexceed 150 ° F
(65°0).Avoidcontactwith these areas.
• inspectmufflerperiodically, a nd replaceif necessary.Replace-
ment partsfor the mufflermustbe the sameand installedin the
samepositionas the originalparts.
Clean Engine
• Dailyor beforeeveryuse, cleangrass,chaff or accumulated
debrisfromengine.Keeplinkage,spring,and controlsclean.
Keeparea aroundand behindmufflerfreeof any combustible
debris.
Keepingenginecleanallowsair movementaroundengine.
• Engineparts shouldbe keptcleanto reducethe risk of overheat-
ing and ignitionof accumulated debris.
Do notuse waterto cleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel
system.Use a brushor dry cloth.
Carburetor Adjustment
• Thecarburetoron this engineisnot adjustable.
LUBRICATION
Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting, a lwaysdisengagePTO
(Blade EngageLever),moveshift leverinto neutralposition,set
parkingbrake,stopengine and removekey to preventunintended
starting.
Pivot Points & Linkage
Lubricateall the pivot pointson the drivesystem,parkingbrakeand lift
linkageat leastonce a seasonwith lightoil.
Rear Wheels
The rear wheelsshouldbe removedfrom theaxles oncea season.
Lubricatetheaxles and the rims wellwith an all-purposegreasebefore
re-installing them.
Front Axles
Eachend of thetractor'sfront pivotbar maybe equippedwith a grease
fitting. Lubricatewith a greasegun after every 25 hoursof tractor
operation.
Battery
The batteryis sealedand is maintenance-free. Acidlevelscannot be
checked.
Alwayskeepthe batterycablesand terminalscleanand free of
corrosivebuild-up.
After cleaningthe batteryand terminals,applya lightcoat of
petroleum jelly 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.When re-installing the battery,alwaysconnectthe
POSITIVE (Red)wire to its terminalfirst, followedbythe NEGATIVE
(Black)wire. Be certainthat the wiresare connectedto the correct
terminals;reversingthemcouldchangethe polarityand result in
damageto yourengine'salternatingsystem.
Cleaning Battery
Cleanthe batteryby removingit from the tractorand washingwith
a bakingsodaand watersolution.If necessary,scrapethe battery
terminalswith a wirebrushto removedeposits.Coatterminalsand
exposedwiringwith greaseor petroleum jellyto preventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:
incorrectinitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corrodedconnections
These failuresare NOTcoveredbyyourtractor'swarranty.
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