Craftsman 917.271743 Owner's Manual page 20

o Keep batteryand terminalsclean.
o Keepbatten/bolts tight,
o Keepsmallvent holes open°
• Rechargeat 6-10 amperesfor 1 hour,
NOTE:The originalequipmentbatteryon
your tractoris maintenance free, Do not
attemptto openor removecaps or covers,
Addingor checkinglevel of electrolyteis
not necessary,
TO CLEANBATTERY ANDTERMINALS
Corrosionand dirt on the batteryand
terminalscan causethe batten/to "leak"
power.
1, Open battery box door°
2. DisconnectBLACKbatten/cable first
then RED batterycable and remove
batteryfromtractor°
3, Rinsethe batterywith plainwater and
dry,
4o Clean terminalsand battery cable
ends with wire brushuntil bright.
5. Coat terminalswith grease or petro-
leum jelly.
6. Reinstallbatter,i (See "REPLACING
BATTERY"in the SERVICEAND
ADJUSTMENTS sectionof this
manual).
V-BELTS
CheckV-beltsfor deteriorationand wear
after 100hours of operationand replace
if necessary, T he beltsare not adjustable,
Replacebelts if they beginto slip from
wear.
TRANSAXLECOOLING
The transmissionfan and coolingfins
should be kept clean to assureproper
cooling,
Do not attemptto clean fan or transmis-
sion while engineis runningor while the
transmissionishot. To preventpossible
damageto seals, do not use high
pressurewater or steamto clean
transaxleo
, Inspectcoolingfan to be sure fan
bladesare intact and clean.
o Inspectcoolingfins for dirt,grass
clippingsand other materials, To
preventdamageto seals,do not use
compressedair or high pressure
sprayerto clean coolingfins,
TRANSAXLE PUMP FLUID
The transaxle was sealed at the factory
and fluid maintenance is not required for
the life of the transaxle, Should the
transaxle ever leak or require servicing,
contact your nearest authorized service
center/department.
ENGINE
LUBRICATION
Only use high quality detergent oil rated
with API service classification SF-SJ,
Select the oil's SAE viscosity grade
according to your expected operating
temperature_
SAE VISCOSITY GRADES
l
2O
NOTE: AIthough multi-viscosity oils
(5W30, 10W30 etc.) improve starting in
cold weather, these multi-viscosity oils
will result in increased oil consumption
when used above 32°E Check your
engine oil level more frequently to avoid
possible engine damage from running
Iow on oi!.
Change the oil after every 25 hours of
operation or at least once a year if the
tractor is not used for 25 hours in one
year,
Check the crankcase oil level before
starting the engine and after each eight
(8) hours of operation. Tighten oil fill cap/
dipstick securely each time you check the
oil level.
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
Determine temperature range expected
before oil change. All oil must meet API
sen,ice classification SF-SJ.
o Be sure tractor is on level surface,,
• Oil will drain more freely when warm.
o Catch oii in a suitable container.
1 Remove oil fill cap/dipstick. Be careful
not to allow dirt to enter the engine
when changing oilo
2. Remove yellow cap from end of drain
valve and install the drain tube onto
the fitting. Oil Drain Valve
Closed and _
Locked Position
Yellow Cap
Drain Tube
3. Unlock drain valve by pushing inward
slightly and turning counterclockwise.
4, To open, pull out on the drain valve.
5. After oil has drained completely, close
and lock the drain valve by pushing
inward and turning clockwise until the
pin is in the locked position as shown.
6. Remove the drain tube and replace
the cap onto to the end of the drain
valve,