Height Of Cut; Starting; Type; Engine - Craftsman 917.374670 Owner's Manual

OPEBATmO
TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT (See Fig. 8)
Raise wheels for low cut and lower wheels for high cuL
Wheels are set in low cut for shipping, Adjust cutting
height to suit your requirements_ Medium position is
best for most lawns.
To change cutting height, squeeze adjuster lever to-
ward wheel. Move wheel up or down to suit your
requirements. Be sure all wheels are in the same
setting_
BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
OIL (See Fig. 9)
A 20 oz. bottle of Pennzoil SAE 30 oil is included with your
new lawn mower.
Remove engine oil cap and fill to the FULL line on the
dipstick.
Use 20 ozs. of oil. For type and grade of oil, see
"ENGINE" in Customer Responsibilities section of this
manual.
POUR OIL SLOWLY. DO NOT OVERFILL.
Check oil level before each use. Add oil if needed. Fill
to FULL line on dipstick.
To read proper level, tighten engine oil cap each time.
Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten.
After the first two (2) hours of mowing, change the oil,
and every 25 hours thereafter. You may need to
change the oil more often under dusty, dirty conditions.
GAS
(See Fig. 9)
Fill gasoline tank with fresh, clean unleaded gasoline.
DO NOT USE PREMIUM GASOLINE BE CAREFUL
NOT TO OVERFILL TANK,
WARNING: 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 storager Acidic gas can damage the fuel
system of an engine while in storage,
To avoid engine problems, the fuel system should be
emptied before storage for 30 days or longer. Drain the gas
tank; start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty. Use fresh fuel next season See
Storage instructions for additional information.
Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel
tank or permanent damage may OcCUrr
TO START ENGINE
To start a cold engine, push primer three (3) times
before trying to start. Use a firm push. This step is not
usually necessary when starting an engine which has
already run for a few minutes.
Push engine speed control lever to "HIGH" (,,_) posi-
tion.
Hold operator presence control bar down to the handle
and pull starter handle quickly. DO NOT allow starter
rope to snap back.
To STOP engine, release operator presence control
bar.
NOTE: In cooler weather it may be necessary to repeat
priming steps. In warmerweather over priming may cause
flooding and engine will not start If you do flood engine,
wait a few minutes before a_empting to start and DO NOT
repeat priming steps.
LOWER WHEELS RAISE WHEELS
FOR HIGH CUT FOR LOW CUT
FIG. 8
ENGINE OIL CAP
W/DIPSTICK AIR CLEANER
GASOLINE FILLER CAP
FIG. 9
MOWING TIPS
Under certain conditions, such as very tall grass, it may
be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce
pushing effort and to keep from overloading the engine
and leaving clumps of grass clippings,
For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the width of cut
and raise the rear of the lawn mower housing one (1)
wheel adjuster setting higher than the front for better
discharge of grass.
For better grass bagging and most cutting conditions,
the engine speed should be set in the "HIGH" (,,_)
(FAST) position.
When using a rear discharge lawn mower in moist,
heavy grass, clumps of cut grass may not enter the
grass catcher. Reduce ground speed (pushing speed)
and/or run the lawn mower over the area a second
time.
If a trail of grass clippings is left on the right side of a rear
discharge lawn mower, mow in clockwise direction
with a small overlap to collect the clippings on the next
pass.
Keep top of engine around starter clear and clean of
grass clippings and chaff_ This will help engine airflow
and extend engine life.
Pores in cloth grass catchers can become filled with dirt
and dust with use and catcher will collect less grass. To
prevent this, regularly hose catcher off with water and
let dry before using.
9