Before Starting The Engine - Craftsman 917.270824 Owner's Manual

BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
CHECK
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
o The engine in your tractor has been
shipped, from the factory, already filled
with summer weight oil
• Check engine oil with tractor on level
ground.
o Remove oil fill cap/dipstick and wipe
clean, reinsert the dipstick and screw
cap tight, wait for a few seconds, re-
move and read oil level. If necessary,
add oil until "FULL" mark on dipstick is
reached Do not overfill
o For cold weather operation you should
change oil for easier starting (See "OIL
VISCOSITY CHART" in the Mainte-
nance section of this manual)
o To change engine oil, see the Mainte-
nance section in this manual
ADD GASOLINE
. Fill fuel tank. Use fresh, clean, regular
unleaded gasoline with a minimum of
87 octane (Use of leaded gasoline will
increase carbon and lead oxide depos-
its and reduce'valve life). Do not mix oil
with gasoline Purchase fuel in quanti-
ties that can be used within 30 days to
assure fuel freshness.
IMPORTANT: When operating in tempera-
tures below 32 F(0 C), use fresh, clean
winter grade gasoline to help insure good
cold weather start; lg
&WARNING: 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 damage the fuel system of an
engine while in storage To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be
emptied before storage of 30 days or
longer Drain the gas tank, start the engine
and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty Use fresh fuel next
season See Storage Instructions for
additional information Never use engine
or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel
tank or permanent damage may occur.
CAUTION: Fill to bottom of gas tank
filler neck Do not overfill Wipe off any
spilled oil or fue! Do not store, spill or use
gasoline near an open flame
TO START ENGINE
When starting the engine for the first time
or if the engine has run out of fuel, it will
take extra cranking time to move fuel from
the tank to the engine.
o Be sure freewheel control is in the
transmission engaged position
o Sit on seat in operating position, de-
press clutch!brake pedal and set park-
ing brake.
• Place motion control lever in neutral (N)
position
o Move attachment clutch to "DISEN-
GAGED" position.
o Move throttle control to fast position
o Pull choke control out for a cold engine
start attempt. For a warm engine start at-
tempt the choke control may not be
needed
NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and
cold starting procedures below
o insert key into ignition and turn key
clockwise to "START" position and re-
lease key as soon as engine starts. Do
not run starter continuously for more
than fifteen seconds per minute If the
engine does not start after several at-
tempts, push choke control in, wait a
few minutes and try again If engine still
does not start, pull the choke control out
and retry
WARM WEATHER STARTING (50 ° F
AND ABOVE)
° When engine starts, slowly push choke
control in until the engine begins to run
smoothly. If the engine starts to run
roughly, pull the choke control out
slightly for a few seconds and then con-
tinue to push the control in slowly
= The attachments and ground drive can
now be used If the engine does not ac_
cept the load, restart the engine and al-
low it to warm up for one minute using
the choke as described above.
COLD WEATHER STARTING (50 ° FAND
BELOW)
o When engine starts, slowly push choke
control in until the engine begins to run
smoothly. Continue to push the choke
control in small steps allowing the en-
gine to accept small changes in speed
and load, until the choke control is fully
in If the engine starts to run roughly, pull
the choke control out slightly for a few
seconds and then continue to push the
control in slowly This may require an
engine warm_up period from several
seconds to several minutes, depending
on the temperature
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