MTD 24AA5DMK029 Operator's Manual page 22

Maintaining
Your
Engine
__.,,7"q _ 4. Checkthat thespark plug washeris in good condi-
Storage
E.q I [ f_ _ tionand threadthe spark plug inby handto prevent Enginesstoredover30 daysneed to be drainedof fuel
I I I I I I cross4hreading, to preventdeteriorationand gumfrom forminginfuel
I I \ kJ / 5. Afterthe sparkplug isseated,tightenwith a spark systemor on essentialcarburetorparts. If the gasolinein
L_J _ Dluawrenchto compressthe washer yourenginedeterioratesduringstorage,you mayneed to
" _ " ' havethe carburetor, a nd otherfuel systemcomponents,
NOTE:Wheninstallinga newspark plug,tighten 1/2 servicedor replaced.
turnafter the spark plug seatsto compressthewasher. 1. Removeall fuel fromtank by runningengineuntil it
Whenreinstallinga usedsparkplug,tighten 1/8-1/4turn stopsfrom lack of fuel.
after the sparkplug seatsto compressthe washer. 2. Changeoil. See Oil Changesection.
IMPORTANT: T he sparkplug mustbe securelytight-
ened.An improperlytightenedsparkplug can become
very hotand maydamagethe engine.
Clean Engine
If theengine hasbeen running,allowit to coolfor at
least halfan hour beforecleaning.Periodicallyremove
dirt build-upfrom engine.Cleanfingerguardand around
muffler.Cleanwith a brushor compressedair.
IMPORTANT:Donot sprayenginewith waterto clean
becausewatercould contaminate fuel. Usinga garden
hoseor pressurewashingequipmentcan alsoforce
waterintothe air cleaneror muffleropening.Water in
theair cleanerwill soak the paperelement,and water
that passesthroughtheelementor mufflercan enterthe
cylinder,causingdamage.
_ ARNING:Accumulation of debris
around muffler couldcausea fire.
Inspect and clean before everyuse.
3. Removesparkplug and pour about1/2 an ounceof
engineoil intocylinder.Replacespark plug and crank
slowlyto distributeoil.
4. Cleandebrisfromaroundengine,underfingerguard,
and under,aroundand behindmuffler.Touchup any
damagedpaint,and coat otherareasthat may rust with
a lightfilm of oil.
5. Storein a clean, dry and wellventilatedarea awayfrom
anyappliancethat operateswith a flame or pilotlight,
such as a furnace,waterheater,or clothesdryer.Also
avoidanyarea with a sparkproducingelectricmotor,
or wherepowertoolsare operated.
6. If possible,alsoavoidstorageareaswith high humidity,
becausethat promotesrustand corrosion.
7. Keepthe enginelevelin storage.Tiltingcan causefuel
or oil leakage.
Removing From Storage
1. Checkyourengineas describedin the Pre-Operation
Checksectionof this manual.
.
If the fuelwas drainedduringstoragepreparation, f ill
the tank with freshgasoline.If you keepa container
of gasolinefor refueling,makecertain it containsonly
freshfuel. Gasolineoxidizesand deterioratesover
time,causinghard starting.
3. If the cylinderwas coatedwith oil duringstorage
preparation, t he enginewill smokebrieflyat startup.
This is normal.
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