Lubrication; Cleaning The Engine And Deck; Muffler; Carburetor Adjustment - Craftsman 247.288852 Operator's Manual

Electrode
Porcelain
Muffler
i. _ .030 (.76 mm) gap
Figure13
J
Temperature of mufflerand nearbyengine areasmayexceed 150 ° F
(65°0).Avoidcontact with theseareas.
• inspectmufflerperiodically, a nd replaceif necessary.Replace-
ment partsfor the mufflermustbe the sameand installedin the
same positionas the originalparts.
Clean Engine
• Dailyor beforeevery use, cleangrass,chaffor accumulated
debrisfromengine.Keeplinkage,spring,and controlsclean.
• Keepareaaround and behindmufflerfreeofanycombustible debris.
• Keepingenginecleanallows air movement a roundengine.
• Engineparts shouldbe keptcleanto reducethe risk of overheat-
ing and ignitionof accumulated debris.
Do notuse waterto cleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminate fuel
system.Usea brushor dry cloth.
Carburetor Adjustment
• Thecarburetoron this engineis not adjustable.
LUBRICATION
Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO
(Blade EngageLever),moveshift leverintoneutralposition,set
parkingbrake,stop engineand removekeyto preventunintended
starting.
Pivot Points & Linkage
Lubricateall thepivot pointson the drivesystem,parkingbrakeand lift
linkageat least oncea seasonwith light oil.
Rear Wheels
Battery
The batteryis sealedand is maintenance-free. Acidlevelscannotbe
checked.
• Alwayskeepthe batterycablesand terminalscleanand free of
corrosivebuild-up.
• After cleaningthe batteryand terminals,applya lightcoat of
petroleumjelly or greaseto bothterminals.
• Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthe positiveterminal
to preventshorting.
iMPORTANT: if removingthe batteryfor any reason,disconnectthe
NEGATIVE (Black) wirefrom its terminalfirst, followedby the POSi-
TIVE (Red)wire. Whenre-installing the battery,alwaysconnectthe
POSITIVE(Red)wireto its terminalfirst, followedbythe NEGATIVE
(Black) wire. Be certainthat the wiresare connectedto the correct
terminals;reversingthemcouldchangethe polarityand result in
damageto your engine'salternatingsystem.
Cleaning Battery
Cleanthe batteryby removingit from the tractorand washingwith
a bakingsodaand watersolution.If necessary,scrape thebattery
terminalswith a wirebrushto removedeposits.Coat terminalsand
exposedwiringwith greaseor petroleum jelly to preventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:
incorrectinitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corrodedconnections
Thesefailuresare NOTcoveredby yourtractor'swarranty.
CLEANING THE ENGINE AND DECK
Any fuelor oil spilledon the machineshouldbe wipedoff promptly.Do
NOTallowdebristo accumulate aroundthe coolingfins of theengine
or on any otherpart of the machine.
IMPORTANT: Theuse of a pressurewasherto cleanyourtractoris
NOTrecommended, i t may causedamageto electricalcomponents,
spindles,pulleys,bearingsor the engine.
Deck Wash System
Yourtractor'sdeck is equippedwith a waterport on its surfaceas part
of its deck washsystem.
Usethe deck washto rinsegrass clippingsfrom thedeck'sunderside
and preventthe buildupof corrosivechemicals.Completethefollowing
stepsAFTEREACHMOWING:
1. Drivethetractorto a level,clear spot on yourlawn, nearenough
for yourgarden hoseto reach.
The rearwheelsshouldbe removed from the axles oncea season.
Lubricatethe axles and the rimswell with an all-purposegreasebefore
re-installingthem.
Front Axles
Eachendof thetractor's frontpivotbar maybe equipped witha grease
fitting.Lubricate witha greasegunafterevery25 hoursoftractoroperation.
Makecertain the tractor'sdischargechute is directedAWAYfrom you
house,garage,parkedcars,etc.
2. Disengage the PTO(Blade Engage),set the parkingbrakeand
stop the engine.
2O