Craftsman 917387290 Owner’s Manual

Owner's Manual

®

5.5 HORSEPOWER
20" REAR DISCHARGE

ROTARY LAWN MOWER

Model No.

917.387290

o Safety

o Assembly
o Operation

• Maintenance
° Espa_ol

= Repair Parts

CAUTION:

Read and follow all
Safety Rules and Instructions

before operating this equipment
Sears, Roebuck and Co. Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

Warranty" 2 Product Specifications 11
Safety Rules 2 Service and Adjustments 13

Assembly 4 Storage 14
Operation 6 Troubleshooting 15

Maintenance Schedule 10 Repair Parts 32
Maintenance 10 Parts Ordering Back Cover

LIMITED "P_'OYEAR WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN POWER MOWER
For two years from date of purchase, when this Craftsman Lawn Mower is maintained,
lubricated, and tuned up according to the operating and maintenance instructions in the

owner's manual, Sears will repair free of charge any defect in material or workmanship°
if this Craftsman Lawn Mower is used for commercial or rental purposes, this warranty

applies for only 90 days from the date of purchase.
This Warranty does not cover:

• Expendable items which become 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 crank-
shafts and the failure to maintain the equipment according to the instructions corn

tained in the owner's manual.

Warranty service is available by returning the Craftsman power mower to the nearest
Sears Service CentedDepartment in the United State& This warranty applies only while
this product is in use in the United States,.

This Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which
vary from state to state.
SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO., D/817 WA, HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS 60179

TRAINING:

• Readthis operator'smanual carefutly_
Become familiar withthecontrolsand

knowhow to operate yourmower

properly. Learn howto quick3ystop

mower,

• Do notallowchildrentouseyour mower,

Never allowadultsto use mowerwithout
properinstructions_

• Keep the area of operationclearof all

persons, especially smal! children and
pets°

• Use mower only as the manufacturer
intended and as described in this manual,.

° Do not operate mower if ithas been

dropped or damaged inany manner
Always have damage repaired before

using your mower.

• Do not use accessory attachments that
are not recommended by the manufac-

turer. Use of such attachments may be

hazardous.

• The blade turns when the engine is

running.

PREPARATION."

• Always thoroughly check the area to be
mowed and clear it of all stones, sticks,

wires, bones, and otherforeign objects.
These objects will be thrown by the blade

and can cause severe injury.

• Always wear safety gtasses or eye
shieldswhen startingand while using

your mower_

° Dress properly.Do not operate mower

when barefoot or wearing open sandals.
Wear only solid shoes with good traction

when mowing_

° Check fuel tank before starting engine.

Do not fill gas tank indoors,when the
engine is nmningor when the engine is

hot.Allowtheenginetocoolforseveral
minutesbeforetiffingthegastank.Clean

offanyspilledgasolinebeforestartingthe

engine_

, Alwaysmakewheelheightadjustments

beforestartingyourmower..Never
attempttodothiswhiletheengineis

running,

• Mow only in daylight or good artificial

_ght,

OPERATION:

• Keep youreyes and mind on yourmower
and the area being cut. Do not let other

interests distract you.

, Do not mow wet or slippery grass. Never

run whiteoperating your mower,.Always
be sureof your footing -- keep a firm

hold on the handles and walk.

• Do r}ot put hands or feet near or under
rotating parts. Keep clear of the discharge

opening at afl times.,

• Always stop the engine whenever you
leave or are not using your mower, or

before crossing driveways, walks, roads,
and any gravel--covered areas.

• Never direct discharge of material toward
bystanders nor'allow anyone near the

mower while you areoperating it.

• Before cleaning, inspecting, or repairing
your mower, stop the engine and make

absolutely sure the blade and all moving
parts have stopped, Then disconnect the

spark plug wireandkeep it away from the
spark plug to prevent accidental starting.

• Do not continue to runyour mower if you
hit a foreign objecL Follow the procedure

outlined above, then repair any damage

before restarting and operating you
mower°

• Do not change the governor settings or

overspeed Ihe engine. Engine damage or
personal injury may result.

° Do not operate your mower if Itvibrates

abnormally,.Excessive vibration is an
indication of damage; stop the engine,

safely check for lhe cause of vibration
and repair as required.

, Do not run the engine indoors. Exhaust

fumes are dangerous..

• Never'cut grass by pulling the mower
towardsyou. Mow across the face of

slopes, never up and down or you might
lose your footing. Do not mow exces-

si'¢e;ysteep slopesoUsecaution when
operating the mower on uneven terrain

orwhen changing directions -- maintain
good footing.

. Never operate your mower without

proper guards, plates, grass catcheror
other safety devices in pIaceo

MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE:

. Check the blade and the engine mount-

ing bolls often to be sure they are
tightened propedy_

- Check all bolts, nuts and screws at
frequent intervals for proper tightness to
be sure mower is in safe working

condition.

. Keep all safety devices in place and

working°

• To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine

free of grass, leaves or excessive grease

and oil,

. Check grass catcher often for deledora-

lion and wear and replace worn bags,
Use only replacement bags that are

recommended by and comply with
specifications of the manufacturer of your
mower,.

° Afways keep a sharp blade on your

mower.

° Aftowengine to coot before storing in any

enclosure..

° Never store mower with fuel in the tank

insidea building where fumes may reach
an open flame or an ignition source such

as a hot water healer, space heater,

clothes dryer, etc_
CAUTION: Always disconnect spark
plug wire and place wire where it

cannot contact spark plug in order to
prevent accidental starting when
setting up, transporting, adjusting or
making repairs.

WARNING

The engine exhaust from this product
contains chemicals known to the State

of California to cause cancer, birth
defects, or other reproductive harm.

Theseaccessorieswere available when this

lawn mower was produced They are also
available at most Sears retail outlets and

service centers. Most Sears stores can also

LAWN MOWER PERFORMANCE

CLIPPING DEFLECTOR

FOR REAR DISCHARGE LAWN MOWERS

GRASS CATCHERS

FOR

REAR DISCHARGE

LAWN MOWERS

LAWN MOWER MAINTENANCE

MUFFLERS

order repair partsfor you, when you provide
the model number of your lawn mower

Some of these accessories may not apply
to your _awnmower,

MULCHERK_S

StDE DfSCHARGE

GRASS CATCHERS

FOR

LAWNMOWERS

STABILrZER

GAS CANS

+

AIR FILTERS

SPARK PLUGS

BLADES

BLADE ADAPTERS WHEELS

IMPORTANT: This cuttingmachine is

capabre of amputating hands and feet and
throwing objects, Failure to observe the
following safety Instructions could result in
serious injury or death.

Safety standards require operatorpres+
ence controls to minimize the risk of injury+
Your unit isequipped with such controls.

Do not attempt to defeat the function of the
operator presence controls under any

circumstances.

Read these instructionsand this manual in
its entirety before you attempt to assemble

or operate your new lawn mower. Your new
lawn mower has been assembled at the

factory with the exception of those partsleft

unassembled for shipping purposes, All
parts such as nuts, washers, bolts, etco,
necessary to complete the assembly have

been placed in the parts bag_Toensure
safe and proper operation of your lawn

mower, all parts and hardware you as-

ENGINE OIL

semble must be tightened securely. Use the
correct toolsas necessary to ensure proper

tightness+

TO REMOVE LAWN MOWER FROM
CARTON

• Remove loose parts includedwith
mower,+

• Cut down two endcomers of carton
and lay endpanel down fiat,

• Removeall packing materialsexcept

adding between upper and lower
andleandpadding holding operator

presencecontrolbartoupperhandleo

• Roll lawn mower out of carton and
checkcarton thoroughlyforadditional

loose parts+

HOW TO SET UP YOUR LAWN
MOWER

TO UNFOLD HANDLE

IMPORTANT: Unfoldhandlescarefullyso

as not to pinch or damage control cables_

• Raise handles until lower handle section
locksinto place in mowing position,

• Remove protectivepadding, raise upper

handle section into place on lower
handles and tighten both handle knobs°

• Remove handle padding holding
operator presence control bar to upper

handle,_

- Your lawn mower handte can be

adjusted for your mowing comfort. Refer

to "Adjust Handle" in the Sen/ice and
Adjustment section of this manual

ky! Mowing
Y position

)

TO INSTALL ATTACHMENTS

Your lawn mower was shipped ready to be

used as a mulcher,,To convert to bagging
or discharging:

* Open rear door and removemuicher

p[ug,_Store muicher plug in a safe place_

, You can now instatl catcher or optional

clipping deflector,

, To return to mulching operation, install

mulcher plug into discharge opening of
mower_

Mo,o.o.p,o0

CAUTION: Do not run yourlawn mower

without mulcher plug in place or approved
clipping deflector or grass catcher in

place,, Never attempt to operate the lawn

mower wffh the rear door removed or
propped open,

KNOW YOUR LAWN MOWER " '
READ THIS OWNER'S MANUALANDSAFETY RULES BEFOREOPERATINGYOUR LAWN

MOWER, Comparetheiilustralionswithyourlawnmower tofamiliarizeyourselfwiththe

location0tvariouscontrolsandadjusth]ents, Save thismanualforfuture,,re!erenee. ,.............

These symbols may appearon your lawn mower or inliteraturesupplied with the
producL Learn and understand their meaning_

CAUTION ENGINE ENGINE FAST SLOW CHOKE FUEL OIL DANGER, KEEP HANDS

OR WARNING ON OFF At_le FEET AWAY

Operator presence control bar

Sta_erhand cable

Handle

Grass

cap

Air filter

Mulcher' ltug

Engine oil cap

withdipstick

Lawn mower housing

Wheel adjuster
(on each wheel)

IlUlILJLJL/IIJI/III : 1/11I/III IlJl/JlIIIJl// 1111111

MEETS CPSC SAFET'( REQUIREMENTS
Searsrotarywalk-behindpowerlawnmowersconformtothesafety standardsofthe American

Nationa!Standardsinstituteandthe U.S,Consumer Product SafetyCommission.The blade
turnswhen the engine{srunning.

Operator Presence ControlBar- must be Starter Handle- used forstarting the engine,
held down to the handletostarttheengine, MulcherPlug- located at the discharge

Releaseto stop theengine, openingmustbe removedwhenconvertingto
Primer- pumps additiona!fuel fromthe bagging ordischargingoperation,

carburetorto thecylinderfor usewhenstarting
a coldengine,

The operationof anylawnmowercan resultin

foreignobjectsthrownintotheeyes,which can
resultin severe eyedamage. Alwayswear

safetyglassesor eye shieldswhileoperating
yourlawn moweror performinganyadjust-

mentsor repairs. We recommendawide
visior_safetymaskoverthespectaclesor

standardsafetyglasses.
HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER

ENGINE SPEED CONTROL

The engine speed was set at the factory

for optimum pefformance,. Speed ts not
adjustable,

ENGINE ZONE CONTROL
CAUTION: Federal regulations require

an engine control to be ins_led on this
Iawn mower in order to minimize the risk

of blade contact injury. Do not under any
circumstances attempt to defeat the

function of the operator control The blade

turns when the engine is running.

- Your lawnmower is equippedwithan
operatorpresence controlbarwhich
requirestheoperatortobepos'_oned
behind thelawn mowerhandletostartand

operate the lawn mower,

TO ADJUST CUTRNG HEIGHT

• Raisewheelslorlowcutandlowerwheels
forhighcut,

• Adjustcuttingheighttosuityourrequire-
ments. Mediumpositionisbest formost

tawns_

- To changecuWngheight,squeezeadjuster
levertowardwheel Move wheelup or down
to suityour requirements_Be sure allwheels
arein the same setting.,

NOTE: Adjuster is properlypositionedwhen
platetab insertsintoholein lever.Also,9-

positionadjusters(ifso equipped)allowlever
to be positionedbetweentheplatetabs,.

TO ATTACH GRASSCATCHER

• Closethe flip lid,Fliplidmust beclosed
while operatingtawnmower.

• Liftthereardoor on themower'housingand
placethe grasscatcherframeonto the
formedtabson the'reardoor'hingebracket,

, The grasscatcherissecuredto the lawn

mower housingwhenthe reardoor is
loweredonto thegrasscatcherframe

CAUTION: Do notran yourlawnmower
withoutclippingdeflectoror approvedgrass
catcher in place_Neverattemptto operatethe

fawn mowerw'rththe reardoorremovedor

proppedopen.

Hinge door

bracket

Formed

tabs

Grass catcher
frame

TO EMPTY GRASS CATCHER

• Toremove grasscatcher,releaseoperator
presencecontrolbar tostopengine,

° LiftupreardoSr_andremove thegrass

catcherbythehandle,

NOTE: Donot drag thebagwber}emptying;

it willcause unnecessaiywear_

LowerWheelsforHighCut

Raise Wheels for Low Cut

Rate Tab

BEFORE STARTING ENGINE

OIL
Yourlawnmower is shippedwithout oil inthe

engine,

• Besure mower isleveland areaaround011
flitisclean

• Remove engineoilcap w/dipstickand fillto
the rut{lineon the dipstick

• Use20 ozs of oil Fortypeand gradeof oil
to use,see"ENGINE' inCustomer

Responsibilitiessecfionofthismanual

• Pouroil slowly Do notoverfilL

• Check oillevelbeforeeachuse Add oil if

needed Filltofull line ondipstJc!c

• Toread properlevel,tightenengine oilcap
eachtime.

• Reinstallengine oilcapandtighten

• Change the oftafterevery25 hours of
operationor eachseason° You may need

to changethe oilmoreoften underdust:/,
dirty"conditions°

GAS

• Fill fuel tank Use fresh, clean, regular
unleaded gasoline witha minimum of 87

octane (Use of leaded gasoline will
increase carbon and lead oxide deposits
and reduce valve life) Do not mix oil
with gasoline Purchase fuel in quanti

ties that can be used within 30 days to
assure fuel freshness

IMPORTANT: WHEN OPERATING IN

TEMPERATURES BELOW 32°F(0°C), use
fresh, clean winter grade gasoline to help

insure good cold weather starting°

WARNING: Experience indicates that

alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol or
using ethanol or methanol) can attract
moisture which leads to separation and

formation of acids during storage Acidic

gas can damage the fuel system of an
engine while in storage To avoid engine

problems, the fuel system should be
emptied before storage of 30 days or

longer Drain the gas tank, start the
engine and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty Use fresh fuel next

season See Storage Instructions for
additional information Never use engine

or carburetor c{e_ner products in the fuel
tank or permanent damage may occur
CAUTION: FIlEto bottom of gas tank filler
neck Do not overfill. Wipe off any spilled

oil or fuel Do not store, spill or use
gasoline near an open flame

TO START ENGINE

• To starta coldengine,push primerfive (5)
times before tryingto start Use a firmpush

This step is not usuallynecessarywhen

startinganenginewhich hasalready run for
afew minutes

• Holdoperatorpresencecontrol bar down to

the handleand pull starter handlequickly
Do not allow starter ropeto snap back

• To stop engine,releaseoperatorpresence
controlbar

NOTE: Incoolerweatheritmay benecessary
torepeatpriming steps°Inwarmerweather

overprimingmaycause flooding and engine
willnotstart If you doflood engine,waita few

minutesbefore attemptingtostart and do not
repeatprimingsteps

MOWINGTIPS

• Under certain conditions such asvery tail
grass,it may be necessaryto raisethe

heightofcut to reducepushing effortandto
keepfrom overloadingtheengineand

leavingclumps ofgrass clippings

• For extremelyheavy cutting,reducethe
widthof cutand raisethe rearof the lawn

mower housingone (1)wheel adjuster
se_ng higherthan thefront for better

dischargeof grass

• When using areardischarge lawnmowerin
moist,heavy grass,clumpsofcutgrass
may not enter the grasscatcher Reduce

ground speed (pushingspeed) and/orrun
the lawn mower over the area a second

time.

• if atraiiofgrassclippingsis left onthe right
side ofarear dischargelawn mower, mow

in a c_ockwisedirection with asmalloverlap
to collecttheclippingson the nextpass

° Keeptop ofengine around starterclearand

clean of grass clippingsand chaff.This will

helpengineairflow and extendengine life

• Poresinclothgrass catchers can become
filledwith dirtand dustwith useand

catcherswillcoUectlessgrass To prevent
this, regularlyhose catchersoffwith water

andlet dry beforeusing

MULCHING MOWINGTIPS
IMPORTANT: For best performance,

keep mower housing free of built-up grass
and trash,. Clean UNDERSIDE OF

MOWER HOUSING after each use..See
"Cleaning" in CUSTOMER

RESPONSIBILITIES sec_on ofthis
manual.

• The specialmulchingbladewill recurthe
grassclippingsmanytimesandreduce

them insizesothat astheyfall ontothe
lawntheywilldisperseintothegrassand

not benoticed.Also,themulchedgrass will
blodegradequicklytoprovide nutrientsfor

the lawn. Alwaysmulchwith yourhighest
engine (blade)speedasthisv_llprovidethe

best recuttingactionoftheblades.

° Avoidcuttingyourlawnwhen itiswet..Wet

grasstendstoformclumps andinterferes
with themulchingaction.The best timeto

mow yourlawnistheearly afternoon,At this
time the grasshasdriedand the newlycut

area willnot be exposedtothedirectsun_

• For best results,adjustthelawnmower
cuttingheightsothatthelawn mowercuts

off onlythetopone-thirdof thegrassblades.

Ifthelawnis overgrownitwillbenecessap]

to raisetheheightol cutto reducepushing
effort and tokeepfromoverloadingthe

engine andleavingclumps ofmulched
grass_Forextreme_jheavy mulching,

reduceyourwidth of cut, mowstowiyand
raisethe rearof thelawnmower onewheel

adjustersettinghigherthanthe front,

, Certaintypes ofgrassandgrassconditions

may require that an areabe rnulcheda
second timetocomplelelyhidethe

clippings.When doinga secondcut,mow
acrossor perpendiculartothe firstculpath..

, Change yourcuttingpattem fromweekto

week. Mownorthtosouthone week then
change to east towestthe nextweek,This

will helppreventmattingandgrainingof the
fawn.

MAX 1t3

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE _, _ _._ _ _,o

AS YOU COMPLETE

REGULAR SERVICE E DATES

,,,Chock for,Loose Fe, stener'3 ................... if • - If i : ...........: : :

C{emdlnspe_t Grass Catcher
(H EQuipped) ill" ti V' . ,

M c_eenLawnMower ...... V* : V" ............. i ' , _ .

(Power-Propelled Mowers )

V_ Clean Under Ddva Cover

Ch0c_ d_a belt/puUays , =j ........

_ _Power-PropelledMowDrs! ............ .

Chec_Sha.m.Qrmep_,m_e_ - " - v',

LubricationChart

cle_n e atle_/Reche_je

(E!ectd¢ SteJt Mowem) ......................... b,_

E Check Engine Oil Levet _ ................

N Change Engine Oil .... = : . . i_#i,_

v'+

G ,Ct_,a,nAir Fillet ..jp,+.....

I ,,!nspect Muit_er : : ip_

N Cleen ¢,_RopJece Sp_,fk PIug ............ V*

E Rcp!_ce Air F{Iter P_per C_rb_dge V"2

1 + _ga rrmm 0_Ian ",ettt,_ _em_t_g _dJ t= h_Vy Io=d ot h_ htgh mmb_l_ t_m_i_turm=.

2 ,. So.ice room_ftanwhen opemt_ tnd_y ot _,_y t_+llon=,

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The warrantyon_is lawnmowerdoes not

coveritemsthathavebeensubjectedto

LUBRICATION CHART

+Wheel

adjusters

operatorabuseornegligence,Toreceivefurl
valuefromthe warranty;,operatormust

maintain moweras instructed inthis manual
Some adjustmentswillneedto be made
periodicallytoproperlymaintainyour unit.
All adjustmentsinthe ServiceandAdjustments

sectionofthis manualshouldbe checkedat
leastonceeach season.

• Oncea year,replacethe sparkplug,rep{ace
airfilterelementandcheckb_adefor wear.A

newsparkplug andclean!newair filter
elementassures properair-fuelmixture and

helpsyourengine runbetterandlast longer_

• Followthe maintenanceschedule inthis
manual..

BEFORE EACH USE

• Checkengine oil{eveL

• Checkforloose fasteners,.

LUBRICATION
Keepunit welllubricated(See "LUBRICATION

CHART"). ,

!_ Rear

(_) Handle bracket

door
hfnge mountingpin

(_ SPRAYLUBRICANT

(_) SAE30 MOTORO1LREFERTO

ENGINE- CUSTOMER

RESPONS[B_UTIESSECTION_

IMPORTANT: Do not oil or grease plastic
wheel beings. V_scous lubricants will

attract dust and dirt that will shorten the
I_feof the self lubricating bearings. If you

feel they must be lubricated, use only a
dry,powdered graphite type lubricant
sparingly,.

Brake spring

bracket

Engine oil

10

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL NUMBER 9t7_387290
SERIAL NUMBER

DATEOF PURCHASE
HORSEPOWER: 5,5

DISPLACEMENT: 11.5 CU. IN.
GASOLINE CAPACITY/TYPE: 15 QUARTS

UNLEADED REGULAR

OiL TYPE (API-SF/SGISH): SAE 30 (ABOVE 32_F)

SAE 5W-30 (BELOW 32°F)

OIL CAPACITY: 20 OZS
SPARK PLUG(GAP: .030") CHAMPION J19LM

VALVECLEARANCE: INTAKE: 004 - .008

EXHAUST: .004 - ,008

SOLID STATE IGNITION

AIR GAP: ,0125 IN.

BLADE BOLTTORQUE: 35-40 FT. LBS.

The model and serial numbers will be found on a decal attached to the rear of the
lawn mower housing,Record both serial number and date of purchase in space

provided above

LAWN MOWER

Alwaysobservesafety ruleswhenperforming
anymaintenance.

TIRES

• Keep tiresfree of gasoline,oil, orinsect
controlchemicalswhichcan harm rubber,

o Avoidstumps,stones,deep ruts,sharp

objectsand other hazards thatmay cause
tire damage,

BLADE CARE

Forbest results,mower blade mustbe kept

sharp_Replacebent ordamaged blades.
TO REMOVE BLADE
o Disconnectspark plug wirefrom sparkplug

and placewire where itcannot come in
contactwithsparkplug.

. Turn lawn mower on itsside, Makesureair

filterandcarburetor are up

* Use awoodblock between bladeand

mowerhousingto prevent blade from
turningwhen removingbladebolt

. Protectyour handswith gloves and/orwrap

bladewithheavy cloth

* Removebladebolt byturning counter-

cIockwiseoUse a9/16" box or open-end
wrench

• Remove blade and attachinghardware
(bolt,lock washerandhardenedwasher).

NOTE: Remove the bladeadapter and
checkthekey insidehubof bladeadapter

The keymust be in goodconditiontowork

properly.Replaceadapterif damaged°

TO REPLACE BLADE

• Positiontheblade adapteron the engine
crankshaft.Be sure keyin adapter and

keywayin crankshaftare aligned.

• Positionblade ontheblade adapter
aligningthe two (2)holesinthe bladewith

the raised lugs on theadapter.

. Be surethe t_ling edge is uptoward the

engine.

- installthe bladeboltwiththe lockwasher

andhardenedwasherinto blade adapter
andcrankshaft.

° Use blockofwood between bladeand

lawnmower housingandtighten the btade
bott,turning clockwise.

* The recommendedtighteningtorqueis 35-

40 ft,lbs,

tMPORTAN'£ Blade bolt is grade 8 heat

treated°

11

NOTE:Wedonotrecommendsharpening
blade-but ifyou do, besurethe blade is

balanced.

TO SHARPEN BLADE

Careshould betaken tokeeptheblade
balanced An unbalancedbladewil_cause

eventualdamageto lawn moweror engine

• The bladecan be sharpenedwith afile or
on agrindingwheel Donot attemptto

sharpenwhileon the mower

• Tocheck btadebalance,d_e a nailIntoa
beam orwall LeaveaboutoneInchofthe

straight nail exposed Placecenterholeof
blade overthe headofthenai! If bladeIs

balanced it shouldremain{na horizonta!
position ifeitherend of the blademoves
downward,sharpen theheavyend unt_ithe

blade isbalanced

GRASS CATCHER

• The grass catcher may be hosedwith

water but must bednjwhen used

• Check your grasscatcheroftenfor damage
or deterioration°Throughnormaluse itwill

wear Ifcatcher needs replacing,replace
onlywith a manufacturerapproved
replacementcatcher.Givethe lawnmower

model numberwhen ordering

Blade
adaptor _

Blade Kay_ 1_'%

Blade_
Bolt I \ '_

Lockwasher Hardened

washer Trailing adaptor

edge

ENGINE
LUBRICATION

Use ontyhigh quality detergent oit rated
withAPI service classificationSF, SH or

SG_Selectthe oi!'sSAE vtscos{tygrade

according to yourexpected operating
temperature,

Crankshaft

NOTE: Although multi--viscosity oils
(5W30, 10W30 etc.) improve starting in

cold weather, these mu_ti--viscosity oils
wifl result in increased oil consumption

when used above 32°F Check your
engine ell level more frequently to avoid

possibleengine damage from running low
on oi!

Change the otlafter every 25 hours of opera*

tionor at least once a year if the lawn mower

isnot used for 25 hours in one year

Check the crankcase oil level before

starting the engine and after each five (5)
hours of continuous use° Tighten oil plug
securely each time you check the oil level

TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL

NOTE: Before tipping lawn mower to drain
oil, drain fuel tank by running engine until

fuel tank is empty

• Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot

come in contact with spark plugo

° Remove engine oil cap; lay aside on a

clean surface°

• Tip lawn mower on its side and drain oil
Into a suitable container Rock lawn

mower back and forth to remove any oil
trapped inside of engine

° Wipe off any sptlfed oil on lawn mower

and on side of engine

• Fill engine with oil Fill only to the "FULL"
line on the dipstick DO NOT OVER

FILLo

• Replace engine oil cap

° Reconnect spark plug wire to spark

plug. _

Container

AIR FILTER

Your engine willnotrun properly and may
be damaged by using a dirty air filter
Replace the alr filter every year, more

often ifyou mow in very dusty, dirty
conditions Do not wash air filter

TO CHANGE AIR FILTER

• Remove the air tiltercover by turning
counterclockwise to the stop and pull
away from collar

• Remove filter from inside of cover

- Clean the insideof the cover and the

12