Cutting Deck Removal - Craftsman 247.288870 Operator's Manual

Sideto Side
If the cuttingdeck appears to bemowingunevenly, asideto sideadjustment c anbe
performed. A djustif necessary a sfollows:
1. With thetractorparkedona firm, levelsurface, p lace the decklift leverin
the second from thetop notch(second highestposition)androtateboth
bladessothatthey areperpendicular with thetractor.
2. Measure the distance from the outside of the left bladetip to the ground
andthe distance fromthe outsideofthe right bladetip to the ground.Both
measurements takenshouldbeequal.If they'renot,proceed to the next
step.
3. Loosen, but do NOT remove, t he hexcapscrew on the left deckhanger
bracket. S eeFigure 21.
4. Balance t he deckby usingawrenchto turnthe adjustmentgear(found
immediately b ehindthe hexcapscrew just loosened) c lockwise/up or
counterclockwise/down. Thedeckisproperly balanced whenbothbladetip
measurements takenearlierareequal.
5. Retighten the hexcapscrewonthe left deckhangerbracket w hen proper
adjustment i sachieved.
Hex Cap Screw
Figure21
SeatAdjustment
Referto the Assembly s ectionofthis manual f orseatadjustmentinstructions.
Parking BrakeAdjustment
Neverattempt to adjustthe brakeswhile the engine isrunning. A lways
disengagePTO (bladeengage)lever,moveshift leverintoneutral position,
stop engine andremovekeyto prevent unintendedstarting.
Cutting Deck Removal
To removethe cutting deck, proceedasfollows:
1. Place the PTO (BladeEngage)lever i n the disengaged (OFF) p ositionand
engage the parkingbrake.
2. Lowerthe deckbymovingthe decklift leverintothe bottom notchon the
right fender.
3. Remove t he self-tapping screwCA) that secures t he belt-keeper r odfrom
aroundthe tractor'sPTO pulley,thenremove the belt keeper r od(B). See
Figure 22.
Note: Makea mental n otewhatholethe otherendofthe belt-keeper r odisinserted
inforreinstallation purposes.
4. Remove t he belt (C)fromaroundthe tractor'sPTO pulley.SeeFigure 22.
Avoid pinching injuries.Neverplaceyour fingers on the idler springor
between the belt and apulley while removing the belt.
f
J
Figure 22
Movethe decklift leverintothe top notchonthe right fenderto raisethe
decklift armsupandout ofthe way.
If the tractordoesnotcometoa complete stopwhenthe brake pedaliscompletely
depressed, or if thetractor'srearwheelscanrollwith the parkingbrake applied,
the brakeisin needofadjustment.Contact t he nearest S ears Service Center t o have
yourbrakes properlyadjusted.
Tolocate the nearest Parts& RepairService (enter or to schedule service,
contact 1-800-659-5917.
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