MTD series 540 Operator's Manual page 8

Attaching Rear W heels
• Remove hardware from rear pivot bars.
• Insert shoulder screw through flat washer, wave
washer, rear wheel, and spring washer.
• Secure shoulder screw with hardware to rear pivot
bar. See Figure 5.
Spring Washer
Flat Washer
\ Rear Wheel
Figure 5
AttachingStarter Rope
• The rope guide is attached to the right side of upper
handle. Loosen the wing nut which secures the
rope guide. See Figure 6.
Starter_ Upper Handle
Rope
jWing Nut
Rope
Guide
•Lower
Handle
Figure 6
With the spark plug wire disconnected and
grounded, hold the blade control handle against the
upper handle, and pull the starter rope out of the
engine. Release the blade control handle. Slip the
starter rope into the rope guide. Tighten the wing
nut.
Attaching GrassCatcherToMower
NOTE: The mulching baffle, if so equipped, is already
in place on the mower for shipping purposes. Your lawn
mower may be equipped with both a mulching baffle
and a mulching plug. While the mulching baffle is
located at the rear of the mower, the mulching plug is
located on the right side of the cutting deck. Do not
remove the mulching plug from the mower even when
you are not mulching the grass.
• To remove the mulching baffle, lift the rear dis-
charge door on the mower. Remove the mulching
baffle. See Figure 7.
Rear Mulching
Baffle
Figure 7
IMPORTANT: Make sure cables are routed to the
outside of the handle so they are not in the way when
attaching the grass catcher.
Lift the rear discharge door on the mower.
Place the hooks, found on both sides of the grass
catcher frame, over the chute door pivot rod at the
rear of the mower. Release the rear discharge door.
See Figure 8.
Discharge Door
Grass Bag _
Figure 8
To remove the grass catcher, lift the rear discharge
door on the mower, lift the grass catcher up and off
the pivot rod. Reinstall the mulching baffle and
release the rear discharge door.
WARNING: Never operate the mower
unless the hooks on the grass catcher are
firmly seated on the chute pivot rod, and
the rear discharge door rests firmly
against the top of the grass catcher.
ConvertingToSideDischarge
If your unit is equipped with a side discharge chute, you
can convert to a side discharge mower as follows:
• Lift the rear discharge door and install the mulching
baffle. See Figure 7.
• On the side of the mower, lift the mulching plug and
slide the two hooks of the side discharge chute
under the hinge pin on the mulching plug assembly.
Lower the side mulching plug.
• Do not remove the side mulching plug at any time,
even when you are not mulching.