MTD 11A-021G000 Operator's Manual page 12

WARNIN
Always stop engine,
disconnect spark
plug, and ground
against engine before
performing any type
of maintenance on
Never tip the mower
more than 90°in
any d irectio, and
not leavethe mower
i
tipped for any length
of time; Oil can drain
NOTE: Do not usea pres_
surewasher o r garden hose
to clean the mower.These
maycausedamageto the
engine, The useof waterwill
result inshortenedlifeand
Figure 5-1:Lubrication areasonthemower.
Lubrication
• Lubricatepivot pointson theblade controlat least once
a seasonwith lightoil. Theblade controlmustoperate
freelyin bothdirections.See Figure5-1.
• Lubricatethe wheelsat least oncea seasonwith light
oil (or motoroil). If wheelsare removed for any reason,
lubricatesurfaceof the axle boltand inner surfaceof
the wheelwith lightoil. See Figure5-1.
• Followtheaccompanying engine manualfor engine
lubricationscheduleand instructions.
Deck Care
Cleanundersideof the mowerdeck after eachuse to
preventbuild-upof grass clippingsor otherdebris. Follow
stepsbelowfor this job.
1. Disconnectsparkplug wire. Draingasolinefrom lawn
mower,or placea pieceof plasticunderthe gas cap.
2. Tip mowersothat it restson the housing.Keepthe
sidewith the air cleanerfacingup. Hold mowerfirmly.
General Recommendations
_ ARNING:Alwaysstop engine,disconnect
spark plug, and ground against engine
before cleaning, lubricating, or performingany kind
of maintenance on your machine.
Alwaysobservesafetyruleswhenperforming
maintenance work.
Thewarrantyon this lawnmowerdoesnot cover
itemsthat havebeensubjectedto operatorabuseor
negligence. T o receivefull valuefrom warranty,op-
eratormustmaintainthe lawnmoweras instructed
here.
• Changingof engine-governed speedwill voidengine
warranty.
• All adjustmentsshouldbe checkedat leastonce
eachseason.
_ ARNING:Never tip the mower more than 90
degrees in any directions and do not leave
the mower tipped for any lengthof time. Oil can drain
intothe upper part of the engine causing a starting
problem.
3. Scrapeand cleanthe undersideof the deck with a
suitabletool. Do notspraywith water.
4. Putthe mowerback on its wheelson the ground.If you
had put plasticunderthe gascap earlier,make sureto
removeit now.
Engine Care
A list of key enginemaintenance jobs requiredfor good
performanceby the moweris given below.Followthe
accompanying engine manualfor a detailedlist and
instructions.
1. Maintainoil levelas instructedin enginemanual.
2. Serviceair cleanerevery25 hoursundernormal
conditions.Cleaneveryfew hoursunderextremely
dustyconditions.Poorengineperformanceand
floodingusuallyindicatesthat the air cleanershouldbe
serviced.To servicethe air cleaner,referto the engine
manual.
3. Cleansparkplug and resetthegap once a season.
Sparkplug replacementis recommended at the startof
eachmowingseason.Checkenginemanualfor correct
plug type and gap specifications.
4. Cleanengineregularlywith a cloth or brush. Keep
the coolingsystem(blowerhousingarea) cleanto
permitproperair circulation.Removeall grass,dirt and
combustible debrisfrom mufflerarea.
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