Storage; Carburetor; Fuel System - Craftsman 917.388880 Owner's Manual

CARBURETOR
Your carburetor is not adjustable. If your
enginedoesnotoperateproperlyduetosus-
pectedcarburetorproblems,take your lawn
mowerto a Sears or other qualifiedservice
centerfor repair and/or adjustment.
IMPORTANT: Nevertamper with the
engine governor,which is factoryset
for proper engine speed. Overspeeding
the engine abovethe factory high speed
setting can be dangerous. If you think
the engine-governedhigh speed needs
adjusting,contact a Searsor other
qualifiedservice center,which has proper
equipmentand experienceto makeany
necessaryadjustments.
Immediatelyprepareyour lawn mowerfor
storage at the end of the season or if the
unit will not be used for 30 daysor more.
LAWN MOWER
When lawn mower is to be stored for a
period of time, clean it thoroughly, remove
all dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a
clean, dry area.
1. Clean entire lawn mower (See
"CLEANING" in the Maintenance sec-
tion of this manual).
2. Lubricate as shown in the Maintenance
section of this manual.
3. Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and
pins are securely fastened. Inspect
moving parts for damage, breakage
and wear. Replace if necessary.
4. Touch up all rusted or chipped paint
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
HANDLE
You can fold your lawn mower handle for
storage.
1. Squeeze the bottom ends of the lower
handle toward each other until the
lower handle clears the handle bracket,
then move handle forward.
2. Loosen upper handle mounting bolts
enough to allow upper handle to be
folded back.
IMPORTANT: When folding the handle for
storage or transportation, be sure to fold
the handle as shown or you may damage
the control cables.
• When setting up your handle from the
storage position, the lower handle will au-
tomatically lock into the mowing position.
SQUEEZE
TO FOLD
Lower handle -"'"-
Operator MOWING
I: POSITION
control bar
Lower handle
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.
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.
• Empty the fuel tank by starting the en-
gine and letting it run until the 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
alternative in minimizing the formation of
fuel gum deposits during storage. Add
stabilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or stor-
age 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 car-
buretor. Do not empty the gas tank and
carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
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