Craftsman EZ3 917.271071 Owner's Manual page 27

Immediately prepare your tractor for stor-
age at the end of the season or if the
tractor will not be used for 30 days or
more.
_I, 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
storing in any enclosure.
TRACTOR
Remove mower from tractor for winter
storage. This will allow you to clean it
thoroughly. Remove all dirt, grease,
leaves, etc. Store in a clean, dry area.
• Clean entire tractor (See "CLEANING"
in the Maintenance section of this
manual).
• Inspect and replace belts, if necessary
(See belt replacement instructions in
the Service and Adjustments section of
this manual).
• Lubricate as shown in the Mainte-
nance 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
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
BATTERY
• Fully charge the battery for storage.
• After a period of time in storage, bat-
tery may require recharging.
• To help prevent corrosion and power
leakage during long periods of stor-
age, battery cables should be discon-
nected and battery cleaned thoroughly
(see "TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TER-
MINALS" in the Maintenance section
of this manual).
• After cleaning, leave cables discon-
nected 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 a_cohol
blended fuels (called gasohol or using
ethanol or methanol) can attract mois-
ture which leads to separation and for-
mation of acids during storage. Acidic
gas can damage the fuel system of an
engine while in storage.
• Drain the fuel tank.
• Start the engine and let 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 ra-
tio found on stabilizer container. Run en-
g,ine at least 10 minutes after adding sta-
bilizer to allow the stabilizer to reach the
carburetor. Do not drain the gas tank and
carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
27
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and re-
place with clean engine oil (See "EN-
GINE" in the Maintenance section of this
manual).
CYLINDER(S)
• Remove spark plug(s).
• Pour one ounce of oil through spark
plug hole(s) into cylinder(s)
• Turn ignition key to "START" position
for a few seconds to distribute oil
• Replace with new spark plug(s).
OTHER
• Do not store gasoline from one sea-
son to another.
• Replace your gasoline can if it starts
to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your gaso-
line will cause problems.
• If possible, store your tractor indoo[s
and cover it to give protection from
dust and dirt.
• Cover your tractor with a suitable pro-
tective cover that does not retain mois-
ture. 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.