Craftsman 247.372180 Operator's Manual page 14

Engine Care f
Referto the Engine Operator's Manual p acked with yourmowerforadetailed
description of all engine-related service specifications.
CleanEngine
Daily orbefore e very use, c lean grass, chafforaccumulated debris from
engine. Keep linkage, spring, and controls clean. K eep a rea around and
behind muffler f reeofanycombustible debris.
Keeping engine clean allows a irmovement around engine.
Engine p arts should bekept c lean toreduce t herisk ofoverheating and
ignition ofaccumulated debris.
Donotusewater to clean engine parts. Watercould contaminatefuel
system.Usea brushor dry cloth.
Cleaning Deck
Clean underside of the mowerdeckonceaseason to prevent b uild-upofgrass
clippings or otherdebris.Followstepsbelowfor thisjob.
1. Runengineuntil itstopsfrom lackof fuel.Disconnect sparkplugwire.
2. Tipmowersothatit restsonthe housing, k eepingthe mufflersidedown.
Holdmowerfirmly.
Never tipthemower m orethan 900 inanydirection anddonotleave the
mower t ipped foranylength oftime. O ilcandrainintotheupper partof
theengine causing a startingproblem.
Scrape andcleanthe underside ofthe deckwith asuitabletool. Donot spray
with water.
4.
IMPORTANT: Donot useapressure washer or gardenhoseto cleanyourunit.
These maycause damage to bearings, o r the engine.Theuseofwaterwill
resultinshortenedlifeandreduce serviceability.
Putthe mowerbackon itswheels on the ground.
BladeCare
Whenremoving the cutting bladefor sharpeningor replacement, protect
your handswith apairof heavyglovesor usea heavyragto hold the blade.
Periodically i nspect the bladeadapterforcracks, especially if youstrikeaforeign
object.Replace w hennecessary. Followthe stepsbelowfor bladeservice.
1. Disconnect sparkplugbootfrom sparkplug.Turnmoweron itssidemaking
surethat the airfilter andthe carburetor a refacingup.
2. Remove t he bolt andthe bladebellsupportwhichholdthe bladeandthe
bladeadapter t o the enginecrankshaft. S ee Figure12.
3.
4.
@_ ......... Bolt
Figure 12
Remove b ladeandadapter f rom the crankshaft.
Remove b ladefromthe adapterfortestingbalance. B alance the bladeon a
roundshaftscrewdriver to check.Remove m etalfromthe heavysideuntil
it balances e venly. W hensharpening the blade, f ollowthe originalangleof
grind. Grindeachcuttingedgeequallyto keepthe bladebalanced.
Anunbalancedbladewill causeexcessive vibration whenrotating at high
speeds.It may causedamageto mower andcould breakcausingpersonal
injury.
5. Lubricate the enginecrankshaft a ndthe inner s urface of the bladeadapter
with light oil.Slidethe bladeadapter o ntothe enginecrankshaft. P lace the
bladeon theadaptersuchthatthe sideof the blademarked "Bottom"(or
with part number) faces the groundwhen the mowerisin the operating
position. M akesurethatthe bladeisalignedandseatedonthe bladeadapter
flanges.SeeFigure 12inset.
6. Place bladebellsupportonthe blade.Alignnotches on the bladebell
supportwith smallholesin blade.
7. Replace h exbolt andtighten hexbolt to torque:450in. Ibs.min.,600in.Ibs.
max.
Toensure s afe operation ofyourmower, periodically check t heblade boltforcorrect
torque.
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