Craftsman 917.383223 User Manual
SEARS
®
MODELNUMBER917.383223
.AssemWy
*Operation
-Maintenance
-Service
*Adjustments
OWNER'SMANUAL
.Repair Parts
Caution:
Readand Follow
all SafetyRules
and Instructions
BeforeOperating
ThisEquipment
_ " '"""'" '"'"" 'lll"l' ...........:T
SAFETYRULES
CAUTION: ALWAYS DISCONNECT SPARK PLUG WIRE AND PLACE WIRE
A WHERE IT CANNOT CONTACT SPARK PLUG TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL _,
, R+INGWHEN T ANSPOR+,NG.AD+US+,NG
+OYOURLAWNMOWER
IMPORTANT
FEDERAL REGULATIONS REQUIRE OPERATOR PRESENCE BLADE STOP CONTROLS TO MINIMIZE THE
RISK OF BLADE CONTACT INJURY. "(OUR LAWN MOWER IS EQUIPPED WITH SUCH CONTROLS° DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT THE FUNCTION OF THE OPERATOR PRESENCE CONTROL UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES.
o BE CAREFUL-WHEN THE ENGINE tS RUN-
NING THE BLADE IS TURNING.
+ Please read your owner's manual. Only allow
persons who know the safety rules to use your
lawn mower.
o DO NOT tie the operator presence control bar
to the handle. Control must be free to permit
brake engagement when handles and control
are released.
o DO NOT allow children to use your lawn
mower.
o Check your lawn mower over before each use.
Tighten any loose bolts, nuts, etc+
o Remove all sticks, stones, wires, cans, boards,
etc_from area to be mowed. These objects can
be thrown by the blade.
o DO NOT allow children, bystanders or pets in
the area while mowing.
Always wear shoes when mowing. DO NOT
operate lawn mower when barefoot or wear-
ing open sandals.
o Always wear safety glasses or eye shields
before starting your lawn mower and while
mowing.
o Always shut off engine before trying to adjust
whee/heights.
o When engine is running, DO NOT put hands
or feet under lawn mower or in the discharge
chute, nor make any adjustments.
o Stay clear of discharge opening at all times_
o Do no! fill gas tank when engine is running,
when indoors or when engine is hot. Allow
engine to cool for several minutes before fill-
ing gas tank. Clean off any spilled gasoline
before starting engine.
• Mow only in goodlight.
o Always stop blade when not cutting grass or
when crossing gravel drive, sidewalk, or
roadway.
LOOKFORTHISSYMBOLTOPOINTOUTIMPOR-J
TANTSAFETYPRECAUTIONS.ITMEANS--ATfEN-
TION!I_ BECOMEALERT!!!YOUR SAFETYIS
INVOLVED.
i i1,11 i,,,
• DO NOT continue to run your lawn mower if
you hit a foreign object. Stop the engine,
disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark
plug, inspectthe lawn mower for damage and
make repmrs as required+
+ DO NOT usea damaged lawn mower_Always
have damage repaired before mowing+
• DO NOT run your lawn mower if it vibrates
too much. Stop engine and make repairs°
Vibration is an indication of damage.
e Never use your lawn mower without proper
guards or deflectors in place.
o Always mow across a slope or inclined area.
DO NOT mow up or down a slope or inclined
area,
o DO NOT mow in wet grass. Be careful of
footing when mowing in wet grass, use shoes
with good traction.
e DO NOT run with the lawn mower.
= DO NOT run your lawn mower indoors. Ex...
haust gases are deadly poison.
• Always disconnect the spark plug wire from
spark plug to prevent acadental starting when
transporting or storing your lawn mower after
the mowing season.
• DO NOT attempt to raise enginespeed, above
!actory settings_Engine damage or personal
mtury may result.
• If a grasscatcher isused on your lawn mower,
check the catcher often for damage or
deterioration. It wdl wear through normal use°
Useonly a recommended replacement catcher.
• Always stop blade to remove or install catcher.
• DO NOT store your lawn mower or gasoline
where fumes may reach an open flame and
cause a fire. +
e DRAIN THE GASOLINE from your lawn
mower before transporting your lawn mower
inside your car or other vehicle+
, i, ,11,,11,i,,i ii ...............
t
383222 2
CONGRATULATIONSon your purchase of a Sears Craft-
sman Lawn Mower. It has been designed,
engineered and manufactured to give you the best
possible dependability and performance.
Should you experience any problem you cannot easi-
ly remedy, please contact your nearest Sears Ser-
vice Center/Department. We have competent, well-
trained technicians and the proper tools to service
or repair this unit.
Please read and retain this manual. The instructions
will enable you to assemble and maintain your lawn
mower properly. Always observe the "SAFETY
RULES"°
iii ii i1,11...........................
MODEL
NUMBER 9t7.383223
SERIAL
NUMBER
DATE OF
PURCHASE
THE MODEL AND SERIAL NUMBERS WILL BE
FOUND ON A DECALATTACHED TO THE REAR
OF THE LAWN MOWER HOUSING
PRODUCTSPECIFICATIONS
i_l ,111 iii ...................................
HORSE POWER: 3.5
DISPLACEMENT: 9.06 cu° im
GASOLINE CAPACITY: 1_5 quarts
lumeaaea_
I IIIIIII II I iii I,MI IIIIil11 II
OIL (21 oz. Capacity): SAE 30 or
(SAE10W30)
ii. i iii1,,11 ii1,1 ii IL
SPARK PLUG (GAP .030 in.): Champion
RJ19-LM or
Sears z_ 33312
or STD 361458
iii i ii ,111 i ii ii ,11 i
VALVE CLEARANCE: Intake: .008 in.
Exhaust: .008 im
SOLID STATE IGNITION
AIR GAP: .0125 in.
YOU SHOULD RECORD BOTH SERIAL NUMBER
AND DATE OF PURCHASEAND KEEPIN A SAFE
PLACEFOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
BLADE BOLT TORQUE: 35_40 ft.-Ibs,
MAINTENANCEAGREEMENT
A Sears Maintenance Agreement is available on this product° Contact your nearest Sears store for details.
CUSTOMERRESPONSIBILITIES
• Read and observe the safety rules°
• Follow a regular schedule in maintaining, caring for and using your lawn mower.
• Follow the instructionsunder "Maintenance" and "Storage" sections of this Owner's Manual.
ONEYEARLIMITEDWARRANTYONCRAFTSMANPOWERMOWER
For one year from the date of purchase, when this Craftsman Lawn Mower ismaintained, lubricated and tuned-up.
according to the instructionsi'n the owner's manual, Sears will repair, free of charge, any defect in material
and workmanship.
If this Craftsman Lawn Mower is used for commercial or rental purposes, this warranty applies for only 90
days from the dote of purchase.
This warranty does not cover:
Expendable items which became worn during normal use, such as rotary mower blades, blade adapters,
belts, air cleaners and spark plug.
Repairs necessary because of operator abuse or negligence, including bent crankshafts and the failure to
maintain the equlpment according to the instructionscontained in the owner:s manual
WARRANTY SERVICE IS AVAILABLE BY RETURNING THE CRAFTSMAN POWER MOWER TO THE
NEAREST SEARS SERVICE CENTER/DEPARTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES_THIS WARRANTY APPLIES
ONLY WHILE THIS PRODUCT tS IN USE IN THE UNITED STATES°
This warranty gives you specific bgal rights, and you may also have other rights which may vary from state
to state.
Sears, Roebuck and Company, D/73 ICR-W, Sears Tower, Chicago, IL 60684
383222 3
TABLEOFCONTENTS
SAFETY RULES ..................... 2
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS ...... 3
CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES .......... 3
WARRANTY ......................... 3
MOWER ACCESSORIES ................. 5
ASSEMBLY ..................... 5,6
OPERATION ....................... 7-10
MAINTENANCE ................ 11,12
INDEX
Adjustments:
Carburetor .
Handle Height
Height of Cut
Air Filter:
Replacement
Assembly:
GrassCatcher
Handle
Accessories
Blade:
Replacement 11
Sharpening 11
Controls:
EngineSpeed Control 8
EngineZoneControl . . 9
Operator PresenceControl Bar 7
CustomerResponsibilities 3
CuttingLevels 8
13
13
12
8
6
6
5
Handle:
Adjustment ...... 13
Assembly ........ 6
Height, Cutting 8
Lubrication:
Brake Spring Bracket t5
Engine ..... 15
Handle BracketMountingPin 15
Wheel Adjuster 15
Maintenance:
Agreement .3
Air Filter . . 12
Blade CarelReplacement 11
Engine .... 12
GrassCatcher 11
Lubrication 15
Spark Plugs 12
Mowing Tips 10
SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENT ........... 13
STORAGE ....................... 14
SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS .......... 15
REPAIR PARTS-MOWER ............... 16,17
REPAIR PARTS-ENGINE ............. t8-20
TROUBLE SHOOTING ............... 23
PARTS ORDERING/SERVICE Back Cover
Safety Rules 2
Service and Adjustments:
Carburetor t3
Engine Speed t3
Handle • t3
Rear Deflector 13
Service Recommendation 15
Spark Plug 12
Specifications 3
Speed Control:
Engine . 8
Starting the Engine:
Starter Handle .9
Storage 14
M
T
Trouble Shooting Chart
W
Warranty 3
Wheels:
Wheel Adjusters 8
23
Engine:
Oil Change 12
Oil Level 8
Oil Type 8
Starting _9
Storage 14
F
Fuel_
Type .9
Storage 14
383222
Oil:
Engine J 2
Storage t 4
Operation:
Operating Mower . 7-10
Operator PresenceControl Bar 7
Options:
Attachments 5
R
Repair/Replacement Parts 16,17
Responsibilities, Customer 3
ii iiiii J_
LAWNMOWERACCESSORIES
These accessories were available when this lawn mower was produced, They are also available at most Sears
retail outlets, cata!og and service centers, Most Sears stores can order repair parts for you, when you provide
the model number of your lawn mower_ Some of these accessories may not apply to your lawn mower.
ENGINE
ii
SPARKPLUG
MUFFLER
©
If lawn mower is an electric start
LAWNMOWERPERFORMANCE
REARBAG
OPTIONAL
REPLACEMENT
BAGFORREAR
DISCHARGE
LAWNMOWERS
..... _m.__.Ju. .............................................
DUSTSHIELD
FABRICBAG
AIR FILTER GASCAN ENGINEOIL STABILIZER
LEAFCATCHER
ii iUllULgL
PERMANEXCATCHER
CLIPPING DEFLECTOR
OPTIONAL
SIDEDISCHARGECATCHER
CATCHERFOR
S_DEDISCHARGE
LAWNMOWER
LAWNMOWERMAINTENANCE
BELT
BLADE BLADEADAPTER WHEELS LAWNMOWERCOVER
ASSEMBLY
Your lawn mower has been assembled at the fac-
tory except for the Grass Catcher Bag and the Grass
Catcher Frame°
TOREMOVELAWNMOWERFROMCARTON
• Cut down the corners of the carton and lay ends
and sides down flat.
• Cut the plastic wrapping and remove from over
Handles and lawn mower_
e Remove Catcher Frame, Fabric Bag and Oil Bot-
tle from top of lawn mower_
o Lift lawn mower off of shipping base and check
carton for loose parts.
HOWTOSET-UPYOURLAWNMOWER
TOUNFOLDHANDLE
Remove Handle Padding holding Operator
Presence Control Bar to Upper Handle.
• Raise Handles until Lower Handle section locks
into place in mowing position (See Fig. 1).
° Raise Upper Handle section into place on Lower
Handle and tighten one (t) Handle Knob.
° Your lawn mower has been shipped with Protec-
tive Handle Pads placed between the upper and
lower sections otthe Handle. For best lawn
mower performance these Pads need to be
discarded after the Handle isplaced in the mow-
ing position°
o Once the Handle is in the mowing position,
remove the Handle Knob, Handle Bo|t and Pro-
tective Pad from the side with the loose Handle
Knob. (Make sure the other side is tight to sup-
port the Upper Handle).
Q Discard the Pad and reinstall the Handle Bolt and
Knob-Tighten securely_
° Loosen and remove the Handle Knob, Handle
Bolt and Protective Pad from the other side and
discard the Pad.
° Reinstall the Handle Bolt and Knob-Tighten
securely_ Now your Handles should be clamped
together without the Protective Pads.
• Your Lawn Mower Handle can be adjusted for
your mowing comfort. Refer to "Adjust Handle"
in the Service and Adjustment Section of this
manuak
TOASSEMBLE& ATTACHGRASSCATCHER
o Put Grass Catcher Frame into Grass Bag with stiff
part of Bag on the bottom
° Slip vinyl bindings over Frame (See Fig_ 2).
NOTE: ff vinyl bindings are too stiff, hotd them in
warm water for a few minutes. If Bag gets wet, let
it dry before using_
383222
CATCHER FRAME
\
\
FRAME OPENING
FIG. 2
HINGE BRACKET / DOOR
FORMED UP TABS _"_',_'_.. "\%.
GRASS
• Lift the Rear Door on the Lawn Mower Housing
and place the Grass Catcher Frame onto the form-
ed up Tabs on the Rear Door Hinge Bracket (See
F,g. 3).
• The Grass Catcher is secured to the Lawn Mower
Housing when the Rear Door is lowered onto the
Grass Catcher Frame.
CAUTION: DO NOT RUNYOUR LAWN _OWER
WITHOUT CLIPPINGDEFLECTOROR APPROVE_
GRASSCATCHERIN PLACE. NEVER ATTEmPt
TO OPERATETHE LAWN MOWER WITH THE
............ REARDOORREMOVE!)ORPROPPEDOPEH,.,_
It
FIG.
i1,1111,11 i i,i,, i1,11,1,1 i
OPERATION
KNOWYOURLAWNMOWER
READ THIS OWNER'S MANUAL AND SAFETY RULES BEFORE OPERATING YOUR LAWN MOWER. Com-
pare the illustrations with your Lawn Mower to familiarize yourself with the location of various controls
and adjustments. Save this manual for future reference.
-_----OPERATOR PRESENCE CONTROL BAR
ENGINE ZONE
CONTROL CABLE
HANDLE
HANDLE KNOB
GRASS CATCHER
ENGINE OIL CAP WITH DIPSTICK
ENGINE SPEED
CONTROL LEVER
PRIMER
AIR FILl
WHEEL
(ON EACH WHEEL)
FIG. 4
IASOLfNE FILLER CAP
MOWER HOUSING
MEETSCPSCSAFETYREQUIREMENTS
Sears Rotary Walk-Behind Power Lawn Mowers conform to the safety standards of the American National
Standards Institute and the U.S, Consumer Product Safety Commission_ The blade turns when the engine
is running,
OPERATOR PRESENCE CONTROL BAR - must be PRIMER - pumps additional fuel from the carburetor
held down to the handle to start the engine, Release to the cylinder for use when starting a cold engine,
to stop the engine°
ENGINE SPEED CONTROL - located on the right
side of the engine which allows you to select either
"HIGH" or "LOW" engine speed.
383222 7
STARTER HANDLE - used for starting the engine.
hOWTOUSEYOURLAWNMOWER .................................. ............,....
ENGINESPI_EDCONTROL
The engine speed is controlled by a lever (red knob)
located on the rightsideofthe engine. "HIGH" posi-
tion is for starting engine, normal cutting and better
grass bagging. "LOW" poslhon isfor light cuffing,
trimming and fuel economy (See F_g.5)°
TOEMPTYGRASSCATCHER
o To remove Grass Catcher, release Operator
Presence Control Bar to stop engine.
a Lift up Rear Door and remove the Grass Catcher
by the Handle (See Fig. 6).
e Lift up Rear Door and remove the Grass Catcher
by the Handle (See Fig. 6)°
e Do not drag the Bag when emptying; it will cause
unnecessary wear°
TOADJUSTCUTrlNGHEIGHT
o Raise Wheels for low cut and lower Wheels for
high cut.
o Wheels are setin low cutfor shipping. Adjust cut-
ting height to suit your requirements. Medium
position is best for most lawns°
o To change cuffing height, squeeze Adjuster Lever
toward Wheel. Move Wheel up or down to suit
your requirements. Besureall Wheels are in the
same setting (See Fig. 7).
ENGINE SPEED CONTR
FIG. 5
! t_, _
* I *
FiG. 6
BEFORESTARTINGENGINE
OIL:
A 20 oz. bottle of Pennzoil SAE 30 Oil is included
with your new lawn mower.
o Remove Engine Oil Cap (See Fig. 8) and fill to
the FULL line on the dipstick.
o Use 20 ozs. of SAE 30 oil. SAE 10W 30 oil can
also be used_
DO NOT use SAE 10W 40 oil.
. . POUR OIL SLOWLY. DO NOT OVERFILL
• Check oil level before each use. Add oil if need-
ed. Fill to FULL line on dipstick.
To read proper level, tighten EngineOil Cap each
time.
o Reinstall Engine Oil Cap and tighten.
o After the first two (2) hours of mowing, change
the oil, and every 25 hours thereafter° You may
need to change the oil more often under dusty,
dirty conditions.
383222 8
/
t
FIG. 7
Loading...