MTD 546 Series Operator's Manual page 11

Blade Care
_i= ARNING:Whenremovingthe cutting
bladefor sharpeningor replacement,
protectyourhandswith a pairof heavy
gloves or use a heavy rag to hold the
blade.
Periodically inspect t he bladeadapterfor cracks,
especiallyif youstrikea foreignobject. Replacewhen
necessary.Followthe stepsbelowfor blade service.
1. Disconnectsparkplug wirefrom spark plug.Turn
moweron itsside makingsurethat the air filter and
the carburetorare facing up.
2. Removethe boltand the bladebell supportwhich
hold the bladeand the bladeadapterto the engine
crankshaft,Figure5-2.
3. Removebladeand adapterfromthe crankshaft,
Figure5-2.
4. The bladecan be sharpenedwith a fileor on a grind-
ingwheel.Do notattemptto sharpenthe blade whileit
is still on the mower.
Whensharpeningthe blade,followthe originalangle
of grind. Grindeachcuttingedge equallyto keepthe
blade balanced.
5. Totest for balance,removebladeand balanceon
a roundshaftscrewdriver. R emovemetalfrom the
heavy sideuntil itbalancesevenly.
f
J
Figure 5-2:Remove t hebolt,support, andadapter t oaccess
theblade.
_ WARNING:An unbalanced blade will
causeexcessivevibration when rotating
at high speeds. It may cause damage to
mower and could break causing personal
injury.
6. Lubricatetheenginecrankshaftand the inner surface
of the blade adapterwith lightoil. Slide the blade
adapteronto the enginecrankshaft.
7. Placethe bladeon the adaptersuch that the side
of the blade marked"Bottom"(or with part number)
facesthe groundwhenthe mowerisin theoperating
position.Makesurethat the blade isalignedand
seatedon the bladeadapterflanges.
8. Placeblade bell supporton the blade.Align notches
on the bladebell supportwith smallholesin blade.
9. Replacehex boltand tightenhex boltto torque:450
in.Ibs. rain.,600 in.Ibs.max.
Toensuresafe operationof yourmower,periodically
checkthe blade boltfor correcttorque.
Replacing Rear Flap
1. To removerear flap, lift reardoor,and pressflap in on
eitherside to removefrom hole. See Figure5-3.
2. Removeflap fromoppositehole and replacewith new
flap in theoppositeorder and mannerof removal.
Figure5-3:Removerearflap.
Off-Season Storage
Thefollowingstepsshouldbe takento prepareyour
lawnmowerfor storage.
• Cleanand lubricatemowerthoroughlyas described
inthe lubricationinstructions.
• Do not usea pressurewasheror garden hoseto
cleanyourunit.
Referto engine manualforcorrectengine
storageinstructions.
Coat mower'scuttingblade with chassisgreaseto
preventrusting.
Storemowerin a dry, cleanarea. Donot storenext
to corrosivematerials,suchas fertilizer.
Whenstoringanytype of powerequipmentin a poorly
ventilatedor metal storageshed, careshouldbe taken
to rust-prooftheequipment.Usinga lightoil or silicone,
coat theequipment,especiallycablesand all moving
parts of yourlawnmowerbeforestorage.
WARNING
When removing
the cutting blade
for sharpening or
replacement, protect
your hands with a pair
of heavy gloves or use
a heavy rag to hold
the blade.
An unbalanced blade
will cause excessive
vibration when rotat-
ing at high speeds. It
may cause damage
to mower and could
break causing per-
sonal injury.
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