Maintaining Your Lawn Mower - Troy-Bilt 466 Operator's Manual

by the mower in any direction and cause serious
personal injury to the operator and others.
• For best results, do not cut wet grass because it
tends to stick to the underside of the mower,
preventing proper discharge of grass clippings,
poor mulching conditions, and could cause you to
slip and fall. New grass, thick grass, or wet grass
may require a narrower cut.
• For a healthy lawn, always cut off one-third or less
of the total length of the grass. Lawn should be
trimmed in fall as long as there is growth.
_k WARNING:
If you strike a foreign object,
stop the engine. Remove spark plug wire from
spark plug, thoroughly inspect the mower for
any damage. Repair the damage before
restarting and operating the mower. Extensive
vibration of the mower during operation is an
indication of damage. The unit should be
promptly inspected and repaired.
Adjusting CuttingHeight
Refer to page 13 for instruction on how to adjust the
cutting height and the handle height.
• For best results in mowing, keep the cutting height
position high until you have determined which
cutting height is preferred.
Bagging GrassClippings
You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clippings
while you are operating the mower.
• Attach the grass catcher following instructions on
page 8 of this manual. The grass clippings will
automatically collect in the bag as you run the
mower.
• Operate the mower till the grass bag is full. Refer to
page 10 for description of bag-fill indicator.
• Stop the engine completely by releasing the control
handle.
• Make sure that the unit has come to a complete
stop.
• Lift discharge door and pull grass bag up and away
from the mower to dispose of the grass clippings.
SECTION 6: MAINTAINING YOUR LAWNMOWER
_lb WARNING:
Always stop the engine and
disconnect the spark plug wire before
performing any maintenance work or
adjustments on your lawn mower.
Cleaningthe Mower
• Clean the underside of the mower deck after each
use to prevent any build-up of grass clippings. If this
debris is allowed to accumulate, it will result in rust
and corrosion.
NOTE: We do not recommend the use of pressure
washers or garden hose to clean your unit. These may
cause damage to electric components, spindles,
pulleys, bearings or the engine. The use of water will
result in shortened life and reduced serviceability.
• Disconnect spark plug wire.
• Drain the gasoline from the lawn mower, or place a
piece of plastic under the gas cap.
• Tilt the mower so that the side with the air cleaner is
facing up. Hold the mower firmly.
• Scrape and clean the underside of the deck with a
suitable toot. Do not spray with water.
• Put the mower back on its wheels. If you had put
_ WARNING:
Never tip the mower more than
90 degrees in any direction and do not leave
the mower tipped for any length of time. Oil can
drain into the upper part of the engine causing
a starting problem.
EngineMaintenance
A list of key maintenance jobs required for good
performance by the mower is given below. Follow the
accompanying engine manual for detailed list and
instructions.
• Change engine oil after the first two operating
hours and every 25 operating hours thereafter.
Check oil level before starting engine every time.
• Service foam filter in the air cleaner every 25 hours
of use and replace the paper filter component every
100 hours. You may have to service the air filter
more frequently if you are operating the mower
under extremely dusty conditions.
• Clean engine periodically with a cloth or brush.
• Clean the spark plug and reset the gap to.030" at
least once a season or every 50 hours of operation.
Spark plug replacement is recommended at the
start of each season.
11