Craftsman 917.270742 Owner's Manual page 19

TRACTOR
Alwaysobservesafety ruleswhen
performingany maintenance..
BRAKE OPERATION
If tractorrequiresmorethan six (6) feet
stoppingdistanceat high speed in
highestgear,then brakemustbe
adjusted°(See"TOADJUST BRAKE"in
the Serviceand Adjustmentssectionof
this manual).
TIRES
o Maintainproperair pressurein all tires
(See"PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS"
sectionof this manual),
o Keeptires free of gasoline,oil, or
insect contro!chemicalswhich can
harm rubber.
° Avoidstumps,stones,deep ruts, sharp
objectsandother hazardsthat may
causetire damage.
NOTE:Toseat tire puncturesand
preventflat tires dueto slow leaks,tire
sealant may be purchasedfrom your
local parts dealenTire sealantalso
preventstire dry rot and corrosion.
OPERATORPRESENCESYSTEM
Be sure operatorpresenceand interlock
systemsare workingproperly° If your
tractordoes not functionas described,
repair the problemimmediately_
o The engineshouldnot start unlessthe
clutch/brakepedal is fully depressed
and attachementclutchcontrol is in
the disengagedposition.
o Whenthe engineis running,any
attemptby the operatorto leavethe
seat withoutfirst settingthe parking
brakeshouldshut off the engine.
° Whenthe engineis runningand the
attachment c lutch is engaged,any
attemptby the operatorto leave the
seatshouldshut off the engine°
o The attachmentclutch should never
operateunlessthe operatoris in the
seat.
BLADE CARE
For best resultsmowerblades mustbe
kept sharp.. Replacebent or damaged
blades°
BLADE REMOVAL
o Raisemowerto highestpositionto
allow accessto blades..
o Removehex bolt, lockwasher and flat
washer securing blade.
° Installnew or resharpenedblade with
trailingedge up towardsdeck as
shown,
IMPORTANT: T oensure properassem-
bly, centerhole in blademust alignwith
star on mandrelassembly°
o Reassemble hex bolt, lock washer and
flat washerin exact orderas shown,
,, Tightenbolt securely(27-35 Ft. Lbs.
torque)
IMPORTANT:Bladebolt is Grade8 heat
treated.
Mandrel Assembly
Trailing Edge Up
Blade Center
Hole
Flat
Lock Washer
(_2---Hex Bolt (Grade)
*A Grade 8 heat treated bolt can be identified
by six lines on the bolt head°
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharpen-
ing blade - but if you do, be sure the
blade is balanced.
Care should be taken to keep the blade
balanced_ An unbalanced blade will
cause excessive vibration and eventual
damage to mower and engine.
• The blade can be sharpened with a
file 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 balancer. (When using a cone
balancer, follow the instructions
supplied with balancer,)
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 balanced, it should remain
in a horizontal position if either end of
the blade moves downward, sharpen
the heavy end until the blade is
balanced,
5/8" Bolt o ade
Center Hole
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