Preparing The Engine; Drainingthe Fuel - Craftsman 247.288890 Operator's Manual

Neverstore lawn tractor with fuel intank indoors or in poorlyventilated
areaswhere fuel fumes may reachan openflame, spark,or pilot light ason
afurnace,water heater,clothesdryer,or gasappliance.
PreparingTheEngine
IMPORTANT: Fuel l eft inthe fuel tankduringwarmweatherdeteriorates a nd
will cause serious startingproblems.
Toprevent g umdeposits fromforminginside the engine's carburetor a ndcausing
possible malfunctionofthe engine,the fuelsystemmustbeeithercompletely
emptied,or the gasoline mustbetreatedwith astabilizerto preventdeterioration.
I. Ifusinga fuelstabilizer:
a. Read the productmanufacturer's i nstructions andrecommendations.
b. Addto clean,freshgasoline the correct a mountofstabilizerforthe
capacity of the fuel system.
c. Fillthe fueltank with treatedfuel andrunthe enginefor 2-3minutesto
get stabilizedfuelinto the carburetor.
2. Ifemptylngthe fuelsystem:
a. Donot drainfuelwhen theengineishot.Allowthe engineadequate
time to cool.Drain fuel into anapproved container o utdoors, a wayfrom
openflame.
b. Drain anylargevolumeof fuelfrom the tank bydisconnecting t he
fuel linefrom the in-linefuel filter nearthe engine.See the complete
instructionsforDraining TheFuellaterin thissection.
Gasolineisextremely flammable and canbe explosiveundercertain
conditions. Draingasolinebeforestoring the equipment for extended
periods.Drainfuel only into an approvedcontaineroutdoors,awayfrom
an open flame. Allow engine to cool.Extinguish cigarettes, cigars,pipes,
and other sources of ignitionprior to draining fuel. Store gasolinein an
approvedcontainerin safe location.
c. Reconnect the fuel lineandrunthe engineuntil it startsto falter,then
usethe choketo keepthe enginerunninguntilall fuel in the carburetor
hasbeen exhausted.
d. Disconnect the fuel lineanddrainanyremaining gasoline from the
system.
DrainingThe Fuel
1. Locate the fuel filter,whichis located onthe left sideofthe engine,andmay
be attached to theenginewitha tiestrap.
2. Cutthe tie strap,if present, t henpinchthe in-lineclamponthe fuel filter
with a pairof pliers,slidethe clampupthe fuel line.
3. Pullthe fuellinefreefrom the filter andplace the openendofthe lineinto
an approved container t o drainthe fuel.
PreparingThelawn tractor
Clean a nd lubricate t ractor t horoughly asdescribed inthelubrication
instructions.
2. Donot usea pressure washer or garden hoseto cleanyourunit.
3. Storemowerin adry,cleanarea.Donot storenextto corrosive materials,
suchasfertilizer.
Gasolineisa toxicsubstance.Dispose o f gasolineproperly. C ontactyour
localauthorities for approveddisposalmethods.
3. Remove t he sparkplugandpourone(1)ounceof engine oil throughthe spark
plug holeinto the cylinder. C rank the engineseveral timesto distributethe
oil. Replace t he sparkplug.
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