Storage - Craftsman 917.273012 Owner's Manual

Immediately prepare your tractor for stor-
age at the end of the season or if the trac-
tor will not be used for 30 days or more.
_,CAUTION: Never store the tractor with
gasoline in the tank inside a building
where fumes may reach an open flame or
spark. Allow the engine to cool before stor-
- ing in any enclosure.
TRACTOR
Remove mower from tractor for winter
storage. This will allow you to clean it thor-
oughly. Remove all dirt, grease, leaves,
etc. Store in a clean, dry area.
• Clean entire tractor (See "CLEANING"
in the Maintenance section of this man-
ual).
• Inspect and replace belts, if necessary
(See belt replacement instructionsin the
Service and Adjustments section of this
manual).
• Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
• Be sure that all nuts, bolts and screws
are securely fastened. Inspect moving
parts for damage, breakage and wear.
Replace if necessary.
• Touch up all rusted or chipped paint sur-
faces; sand lightly before painting.
BATTERY
• Fully charge the battery for storage.
• After a period of time in storage, battery
may require recharging.
• To help prevent corrosion and power
leakage during long periods of storage,
battery cables should be disconnected
and battery cleaned thoroughly (see
=TO CLEAN BA'I-rERY AND TERMI-
NALS" in the Maintenance section of
this manual).
• After cleaning, leave cables disconnect-
ed and place cables where they cannot
come in contact with battery terminals.
• If battery is removed from tractor for
storage, do not store battery directly on
concrete or damp surfaces.
ENGINE
FUEL SYSTEM
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent
gum deposits from forming in essential
fuel system parts such as carburetor, fuel
filter, fuel hose, or tank during storage.
Also, experience indicates that alcohol
blended fuels (called gasohol or using
ethanol or methanol) can attract moisture
which leads to separation and formation of
acids during storage. Acidic gas can dam-
age the fuel system of an engine while in
storage.
• Drain the fuel tank.
• Start the engine and let it run untilthe
fuel lines and carburetor are empty.
• Never use engine or carburetor cleaner
products in the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur.
• Use fresh fuel next season.
NOTE: Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable
altemative in minimizing the formation of
fuel gum deposits dudng storage. Add sta-
bilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or storage
container. Always follow the mix ratio
found on stabilizer container. Run engine
at least 10 minutes after adding stabilizer
to allow the stabilizer to reach the carbure-
tor. Do not drain the gas tank and carbure-
tor if using fuel stabilizer.
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace
with clean engine oil. (See =ENGINE" in
the Maintenance section of this manual).
CYUNDER(S)
• Remove spark plug(s).
• Pour one ounce of oil through spark plug
hole(s) into cylinder(s).
• Tum ignitionkey to "START" positionfor
a few seconds to distribute oil.
• Replace with new spark plug(s).
OTHER
• Do not store gasoline from one season
to another.
• Replace your gasoline can if it starts to
rust. Rust and/or dirt in your gasoline will
cause problems.
• If possible, store your tractor indoors
and cover it to give protection from dust
and dirt.
• Cover your tractor with a suitable protec-
tive cover that does not retain moisture.
Do not use plastic. Plastic cannot
breathe, which allows condensation to
form and cause your tractor to rust.
IMPORTANT: Never cover tractor while
engine and exhaust areas are still warm.
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