Storage; Engine Oil - Craftsman 917.293401 Owner's Manual

Immediately prepare your tillerfor storage
at the end of the season or if the unit will
not be used for 30 days or more.
_CAUTION: Never store the tillerwith
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.
TILLER
o Clean entire tiller (See "CLEANING" in
the Customer Responsibilitiessection of
this manual).
o Inspect and replace belts, if necessary
(See belt replacement instructionsin the
Service and Adjustments section of this
manual).
o Lubricate as shown in the Customer
Responsibilities section of this manual.
o 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 sur-
faces; sand lightly before painting.
ENGINE
FUEL SYSTEM
IMPORTANT: it is importantto prevent
gum deposits from forming in essential fuel
system parts such as the carburetor, fuel
filter, fuel hose, or tank during storage.
also, experience indicates that 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 dam-
age the fuel system of an engine while in
storage.
o 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 sta-
bilizer to gaso!ine in fuel tank or storage
container. AlWays follow the mix ratio
found on stabiliZe;rcontainer. Run engine
at least 10 minutes after adding stabilizer
to allow the stabilizer to reach the carbure-
tor. Do not drain the gas tank and carbu-
retor if using fuel stabilizer.
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace
with clean oil. (See "ENGINE" in the
Customer Responsibilities section of this
manual).
CYLINDER
° Remove spark plug.
o Pour 1 ounce (29 ml) of oil through
spark plug hole into cylinder.
o Pull starter handle slowly several times
to distribute oil.
• Replace with new spark plug.
OTHER
o Do not store gasoline from one season
to another.
o Replace your gasoline can if your can
starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your
gasoline will cause problems.
• if possible, store your unit indoors and
cover it to give protection from dust and
dirt,
• Cover your unit witha suitable protective
coverthat does not retain m oisture. Do
not use plastic. Plastic cannot breathe
which allows condensation to form and
will cause your unit to Past.
IMPORTANT: Never cover tiller while
engine and exhaust areas are still warm.
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