Tires; Drive Wheels; Blade Care; Grass Catcher/Gear Case - Craftsman 917.376460 Owner's Manual

LAWN MOWER
Always observe safety rules when per-
forming any maintenance.
TIRES
° Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect
control chemicals which can harm rubber.
° Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp
objects and other hazards that may
cause tire damage.
DRIVE WHEELS
Check front drive wheels each time before
you mow to be sure they move freely.
The wheels not turning freely means trash,
grass cuttings, etc. are in the drive wheel area
and must be cleaned to free drive wheels.
If necessary to clean the drive wheels, be
sure to clean both front wheels.
1. Remove hubcaps, Iocknuts & washers.
2. Remove wheels from wheel adjusters.
3. Remove any trash or grass cuttings
from inside the dust cover, pinion and/
or drive wheel gear teeth.
4. Put wheels back in place.
NOTE: If after cleaning, the drive wheels
do not turn freely, contact a Sears or other
qualified service center.
BLADE CARE
For best results, blade must be kept
sharp. Replace a bent or damaged blade.
& CAUTION: Use only a replacement blade
approved by the man ufacturer of you r mow-
er. Using a blade not approved bythe manu-
facturer of your mower is hazardous, could
damage your mower and void your warranty.
TO REMOVE BLADE
1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with plug.
2. Turn lawn mower on its side. Make
sure air filter and carburetor are up.
3. Use a wood block between blade and
mower housing to prevent blade from
turning when removing blade bolt.
NOTE: Protect your hands with gloves
and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.
4. Remove blade bolt by turning counter-
clockwise.
5. Remove blade and attaching hardware
(bolt, lock washer, hardened washer).
TO REPLACE BLADE
1. Position blade on the blade adapter
aligning the two (2) holes in the blade
with the raised lugs on the adapter.
2. Be sure the trailing edge of blade (oppo-
site sharp edge) is up toward the engine.
3. Install the blade bolt with the lock
washer and hardened washer into
blade adapter and crankshaft. 1 3
4. Use block of wood between blade and
lawn mower housing and tighten the
blade bolt, turning clockwise.
The recommended tightening torque is
35-40 ft. Ibs.
IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated.
If bolt needs replacing, replace only with
approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual.
Blade adapter
Lockwasher
_
bolt Hardened
washer
Key
Trailing'edge
Crankshaft
Crankshaft
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharp-
ening the blade- but if you do, be sure
the blade is balanced. An unbalanced
blade will cause eventual damage to
mower or 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, drive a nail into
a beam or wall. Leave about one inch of
the straight nail exposed. Place center
hole of blade over the head of the nail.
tf blade is balanced, it should remain in
a horizontal position. If either end of the
blade moves downward, sharpen the
hea W end until the blade is balanced.
GRASS CATCHER
The grass catcher may be hosed with
water, but must be dry when used.
. Check your grass catcher often for dam-
age or deterioration. Through normal use
it will wear. If catcher needs replacing,
replace only with approved replacement
catcher shown in the Repair Parts section
ofthis manual. Give the lawn mower model
number when ordering.
GEAR CASE
To keep your drive system work-
ing properly, the gear case and area
around the drive should be kept clean
and free of trash build-up. Clean under
the drive cover twice a season.
The gear case is filled with lubricant to the
proper level at the factory. The only time
the lubricant needs attention is if service
has been performed on the gear case.
If lubricant is required, use only Elf
Multis EP00. Do not substitute.