Craftsman 917.388861 Owner's Manual page 13

TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
NOTE: Before tipping lawn mower to drain
oil, empty fuel tank by running engine until
fuel tank is empty,
1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with plug,
2o Remove engine oil cap; lay aside on a
clean surface,
3. Tip lawn mower on its side as shown
and drain oil into a suitable container.
Rock lawn mower back and forth to re-
move any oil trapped inside of engine,
,&CAUTION: Petroleum solvents, such
as kerosene, are not to be used to clean
cartridge. They may cause deterioration
of the cartridge. Do not oil cartridge. Do
not use pressurized air to clean or dry
cartridge.
4o install cartridge, then replace cover
making sure the tabs are aligned with
the slots in the back plate° Fasten
screw securely.
Back
Cartridge
Cover
Cover tabs
4. Wipe off any spilled oil from lawn
mower or side of engine.
5. Slowly pour oil down the oil fill spout,
stopping every few ounces to check the
oil level with the dipstick.
6. Stop adding oil when you reach the
FULL mark on the dipstick. Wait a
minute to allow oil to settle.
7, Continue adding small amounts of oil,
rechecking the dipstick until oil level
settles at FULL DO NOT overfill, or
engine will smoke heavily from the muf-
fler on startup.
8. Always be sure to retighten oil dipstick
before starting engine,
9, Reconnect spark plug wire to spark
plug.
AIR FILTER
Your engine will not run properly and may
be damaged by using a dirty air filter_
Replace the air filter cartridge every 100
hours of operation or every season, which-
ever occurs first, Service air cleaner more
often under dusty conditions°
TO CLEAN AIR FILTER
1. Loosen screw and tilt cover to remove.
2. Carefully remove cartridge.
3. Clean by gently tapping on a flat sur-
face. If very dirty, replace cartridge.
13
MUFFLER
Inspect and replace corroded muffler as it
could create a fire hazard and/or damage.
SPARK PLUG
Replace spark plug at the beginning of
each mowing season or after every 100
hours of operation, whichever occurs
firsL Spark plug type and gap setting
are shown in the "PRODUCT SPECIFIC-
ATIONS" section of this manual.
CLEANING
IMPORTANT: For best performance,
keep mower housing free of built-grass
and trash_Clean the underside of your
mower after each user
_I=CAUTION: Disconnect spark plug wire
from spark plug and place wire where it
cannot come in contact with plug,
• Clean the underside of your lawn
mower by scraping to remove build-up
of grass and trash.
• Clean engine often to keep trash from
accumulating, A clogged engine runs
hotter and shortens engine life.
, Keep finished surfaces and wheels free
of all gasoline, oil, etc,
• We do not recommend using a garden
hose to clean lawn mower unless the
electrical system, muffler, air filter and
carburetor are covered to keep water
out° Water in engine can result in short-
ened engine life,