Craftsman 917.27581 Owner's Manual page 19

• The blade can be sharpened with a fi le
or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt
to sharpen while on the mower.
• To check blade balance, you will need a
5/8" diameter steel bolt, pin, or a cone
balancer. (When using a cone bal anc er,
follow the in struc tions supplied with
bal anc er.)
NOTE: Do not use a nail for balancing
blade. The lobes of the center hole may
appear to be centered, but are not.
• Slide blade on to an unthreaded portion
of the steel bolt or pin and hold the
bolt or pin parallel with the ground. If
blade is balanced, it should remain in a
horizontal po si tion. If either end of the
blade moves downward, sharpen the
heavy end until the blade is balanced.
5/8" Bolt or Pin
Center Hole
BATTERY
Your tractor has a battery charging sys tem
which is suf fi cient for normal use. How-
ev er, periodic charging of the battery with
an automotive charger will extend its life.
• Keep battery and terminals clean.
• Keep battery bolts tight.
• Keep small vent holes open.
• Recharge at 6-10 amperes for 1 hour.
NOTE: The original equipment battery on
your tractor is maintenance free. Do not
attempt to open or remove caps or cov ers.
Adding or checking level of elec tro lyte is
not necessary.
TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TER MI NALS
Corrosion and dirt on the battery and
terminals can cause the battery to "leak"
power.
1. Remove terminal guard.
2. Disconnect BLACK battery cable fi rst
then RED bat tery cable and remove
battery from tractor.
3. Rinse the battery with plain water and
dry.
4. Clean terminals and battery cable ends
with wire brush until bright.
5. Coat terminals with grease or pe tro -
leum jelly.
6. Reinstall battery (See "REPLACING
BATTERY" in the SERVICE AND AD-
JUST MENTS section of this manual).
TRANSAXLE COOLING
Keep transaxle free from build-up of dirt
and chaff which can restrict cooling.
V-BELTS
Check V-belts for deterioration and wear
after 100 hours of operation and replace
if necessary. The belts are not ad just able.
Re place belts if they begin to slip from
wear.
ENGINE
LUBRICATION
Only use high quality detergent oil rated
with API service classifi cation SG-SL.
Select the oil's SAE viscosity grade
according to your expected operating
temperature.
-20
F
C -30
TEMPERATURE RANGE ANTICIPATED BEFORE NEXT OIL CHANGE
Blade
NOTE: Al though multi-vis cos i ty oils
(5W30, 10W30 etc.) im prove start ing in
cold weather, they will result in increased
oil consumption when used above 32°F.
Check your engine oil level more frequent-
ly to avoid possible engine damage from
running low on oil.
Change the oil after every 50 hours of op-
eration or at least once a year if the tractor
is not used for 50 hours in one year.
Check the crankcase oil level before start-
ing the engine and after each eight (8)
hours of operation. Tighten oil fi ll cap/
dipstick securely each time you check the
oil level.
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
Determine temperature range expected
before oil change. All oil must meet API
service classifi cation SG-SL.
• Be sure tractor is on level surface.
• Oil will drain more freely when warm.
• Catch oil in a suitable container.
1. Remove oil fi ll cap/dipstick. Be careful
not to allow dirt to enter the engine
when changing oil.
2. Remove yellow cap from end of drain
valve and install the drain tube onto the
fi tting.
Closed and
Locked
Position
Yellow
Cap
19
SAE VISCOSITY GRADES
SAE 30
5W-30
0 30 32 40 60
-20 -10 0 10 20
Oil Drain Valve
80 100
30 40
oil_visc_chart1_e
Drain
Tube