MTD 312-980I000 User Manual

OWWirS GUIDE

• ASSEMBLY • OPERATION • MAINTENANCE • PARTS •

33" SNOW

THROWER

$1.00

Model Number

312-980I000

IMPORTANT!

Record the Model No. and Mfg. Code which

appear on your unit in the space below. You

must have these numbers, along with the date

of purchase, in order to receive warranty or ser vice.

MEETS ANSI SAFETY STANDARDS

MODEL NO. MFG. CODE

Important:

Made ^ in AMERICA

Read Safety Rules and Instructions Carefully

FORM NO. 770-5901G

IMPORTANT

THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY I^STRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND CTHERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE

AHEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR SNOWTHROWEIL FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PER SONAL INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL— A HEED ITS WARNING.

Your snow thrower was t uilt to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual.

DANGER; As with any type of power equipment, careiessness or error on the part of the operator can result in

serious injury. If you violi ite any of these rules, you may cause serious injury to yourself or others.

SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES

TRAINING

1. Read this owner’s guide carefully. Be thorc ughly famil

2. Never allow children to operate equipment. Never allow

3. No one should operate this unit while in oxicated or

4. Keep the area of operation clear of all peisons, espe

5. Exercise caution to avoid slipping or fallinn, especially

PREPARATION

1. Thoroughly inspect the area where the eqt ipment is to

2. Disengage all clutches and shift into ne Jtral before

3. Do not operate equipment without wearing adequate

4. Check the fuel before starting the engine. Gasoline is

5. Use a grounded three wire plug-in for all un ts with elec

6. Adjust collector housing height to clear gravel or

7. Never attempt to make any adjustments wh He engine is

8. Let engine and machine adjust to outdoor :emperature

9. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields Juring oper

OPERATION

1. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts. Keep clear

2. Exercise extreme caution when operating in or cross

3. After striking a foreign object, stop the enc ine, remove

4. If the snow thrower should start to vibrate abnormally,

iar with the controls and proper use of the equipment. Know how to stop the unit and disengage the controls quickly.

adults to operate equipment without proper nstructions.

while taking medication that impairs the senses or reac

tions.

cially small children and pets.

when operating in reverse.

be used and remove all door mats, sleds, bDards, wires and other foreign objects.

starting engine.

winter outer garments. Wear footwear which will improve footing on slippery surfaces.

an extremely flammable fuel. Do not fill tie gasoline tank indoors, while the engine is running, or while the engine is still hot. Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe off any spilled gasoline before startinci the engine as it may cause a fire or explosion.

tric drive motors or electric starting motors.

crushed rock surface.

running (except where specifically recorr mended by

manufacturer).

before starting to clear snow.

ation or while performing an adjustment or repair, to protect eyes from foreign objects that ma r be thrown from the machine in any direction.

of discharge opening at all times.

ing gravel drives, walks, or roads. Stay ale 1 for hidden hazards or traffic. Do not carry passengers.

wire from spark plug, and thoroughly inspect the snow thrower for any damage. Repair the damage before

restarting and operating the snow thrower.

stop the engine and check immediately fo ■ the cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.

5. Stop engine whenever you leave the operating position, before unclogging the collector/impeller housing or dis charge guide, and making any repairs, adjustments, or inspections.

6. Take all possible precautions when leaving the unit unattended. Disengage the collector/impeller, shift into neutral, stop the engine, and remove the key.

7. When cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain collector/impeller and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect spark plug wire and keep away from plug to prevent accidental starting.

8. Do not run engine indoors, except when starting engine and transporting snow thrower in or out of building. Open doors. Exhaust fumes are dangerous.

9. Do not clear snow across the face of slopes. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes. Do not attempt to clear steep slopes.

10. Never operate snow thrower without guards, plates, or other safety protection devices in place.

11. Never operate snow thrower near glass enclosure, automobiles, window wells, drop off, etc., without prop er adjustments of snow thrower discharge angle. Keep children and pets away.

12. Do not overload machine capacity by attempting to clear snow at too fast a rate.

13. Never operate the machine at high transport speeds on slippery surfaces. Look behind and use care when backing.

14. Never direct discharge at bystanders or allow anyone in

front of unit.

15. Disengage power to collector/impeller when transport

ing or not in use.

16. Use only attachments and accessories approved by the

manufacturer of snow thrower (such as wheel weights, counter weights, cabs, etc.).

17. Never operate the snow thrower without good visibility

or light. Always be sure of your footing and keep a firm hold on the handles. Walk, never run.

MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE

1. Check shear bolts, engine mounting bolts, etc., at fre

quent intervals for proper tightness to be sure equip ment is in safe working condition.

2. Never store the machine with fuel in the fuel tank inside a building where ignition sources are present, such as hot water and space heaters, clothes dryers, and the

like. Allow engine to cool before storing in any enclo

sure.

3. Always refer to owner’s guide instructions for important details if snow thrower is to be stored for an extended period.

4. Run machine a few minutes after throwing snow to pre vent freeze up of collector/impeller.

ASSEMBLY

NOTE: This unit is shipped WITHOUT GAS-

OLiNE or OIL After assembly, see separate engine manual for proper fuel and engine oil recommenda tions.

Lockout Rod

Chute Crank Assembly

FIGURE 1.

--------

FIGURE 2.

Tools Required for Assembly:

Screwdriver 9/16” Wrench

1/2” Wrench

7/16” Wrench 3/8” Wrench or One Adjustable Wrench

Loose Parts in Carton (see figure 1):

(1) Upper Handle Assembly—L.H. (1) Lower Handle—L.H. (1) Upper Handle Assembly—R.H. (1) Lower Handle—R.H. (1) Handle Panel (1) Chute Assembly

“(1) Parts taped together which include;

(1) Right Hand Lockout Rod (1) Left Hand Lockout Rod (1) Shift Rod (1) Chute Crank Assembly

Contents of Hardware Pack (see figure 2):

(Hardware pack may contain extra items which are not used on your unit.) A (2) Hex Bolts 3/8-16x2” Long B (2) Belleville Washers 3/8” I.D. C (7) Hex Nuts 5/16-18 Thread

D (6) Belleville Washers 5/16” I.D. F (2) Flat Washers 5/16” I.D.

G (1) Hairpin Clip

H (2) Flat Washers 3/8” I.D. X 5/8” O.D. I (2) Carriage Bolts 5/16-18 X 3/4” Long

J (1) Chute Crank Bracket

K (1) Cotter Pin L (1) Compression Spring M (1) Hex Insert Lock Nut 5/16-18 Thread N (3) Chute Flange Keepers O (6) Truss Machine Screws 1/4-20 x 3/4” Long

P (6) Flat Washers 1/4” I.D.

Q (6) Hex Lock Nuts 1/4-20 Thread

“R (1) Shift Lever

S (3) Carriage Bolts 5/16-18 x 2” Long T (2) Hex Bolts 5/16-18x13/4” Long*

U (2) Hex Insert Lock Nuts 5/16-18 Thread*

V (2) Ignition Keys (May be Attached to Engine) W (2) Carriage Bolts 5/16-18 X 5/8” Longt X (2) Lock Washers 5/16” I.D.t

Y (2) Hex Nuts 5/16-18 Threadt Z (1) Shift Knob

tOptional Parts *The augers are secured to the spiral shaft with two

hex bolts and hex insert lock nuts (see ref. nos. 40 and 50 on page 22). If you hit a foreign object or ice jam, the snow thrower is designed so that the hex

bolts will shear. Two replacement hex bolts and nuts

are provided in the hardware pack for your conve

nience. Store in a safe place until needed.

FIGURE 3.

Remove snow thrower and all parts from the car ton. Check all carton inserts to be certain that all loose parts and literature have been removed before the carton is discarded.

Attach the shift rod to the shifting mechanism, located inside the snow thrower frame, as follows.

■See figure 3.

a. Place the threaded end of shift rod into the

hole in the back cover.

b. Thread the shift rod into the ferrule which is

attached to the shifting mechanism until the ferrule is approximately halfway down the threaded end of the rod. Adjustment of shift rod will be made in step 17.

NOTE: The shift mechanism is a movabie assembly.

It may be helpful to pull the linkage (and ferrule) clos er to the opening in the back cover when assembling the shift rod.

Hex Nut

Belleville

Washer (D)

Right

Hand

Upper

Handle

FIGURE 4.

(C)

Carriage

Bolt (S)

Left Hand

Upper Handle

Right Hand

Lower Handle

Carriage Bolts (S)

Leave Open

Left I-land

Lower Handle

Preassemble the handles to the handle panel as

follows. See figure 4.

a. Place two carriage bolts (S) through the right

hand upper and lower handles (both carriage bolts go through both handles).

Attach right hand handles to handle panel by

placing carriage bolts through the holes in the handle panel.

Secure with two belleville washers (D) (cupped

side of washer against the handle panel) and hex nuts (C). Do not tighten at this time.

Attach the left hand upper and lower handles

-d.

in the same manner, using only one carriage bolt, belleville washer and hex nut in the upper

hole on the handle panel. Leave bottom hole

open.

FIGURE 5.

4. To attach the handle assembly to the unit, loosen one self-tapping screw and belleville washer on each side of the unit. See figure 5. A 9/16” wrench or adjustable wrench is required.

Hex Bolt (A)

Belleville

Washer (B)

FIGURE 6.

Slide the slotted end of the handles under the belleville washers on the self-tapping screws which were loosened in step 4.

Secure the upper hole in the handles with belle ville washers (B) (cupped side against the han

dles) and hex bolts (A). See figure 6. Do not tight en at this time.

7. Thread one hex nut (C) onto the eyebolt on the chute crank assembly until there is approximately

1-1/4" of threads showing between the nut and

—the head of the eyebolt. See figure 7.

8. Place the eyebolt into the lower hole in the left

handle and handle panel. See figure 7. Secure with belleville washer (D) (cupped side against the handle panel) and hex nut (C). Do not tighten

until after attaching the other end of the chute

crank (step 14).

9. Tighten securely all bolts and nuts on the handle panel and all four bolts which secure the handles to the frame.

10. Grease the chute opening using a multi-purpose

automotive grease or equivalent.

11. Place chute assembly over chute opening, with the opening in the chute assembly facing the front of the unit. Place chute flange keepers (N) beneath lip of chute assembly. Secure with truss machine screws (O), flat washers (P) and hex

-------

lock nuts (Q) as shown in figure 8. Tighten with a

7/16" wrench, then back off 1/4 turn to allow easier movement.

Flat

Washers

Attach chute crank bracket to the extension on

12.

the left side of the chute opening (bracket goes beneath the extension) as shown in figure 9. Secure with carriage bolts (I), belleville washers (D) (cupped side of washers goes against the bracket) and hex nuts (C). Tighten finger tight only at this time.

13. Place one flat washer (H) on the end of the chute crank, then insert the end of the crank into the hole in the plastic bushing in the chute crank

------

bracket. See figure 10. Place the other flat wash

er (H) on the end of the chute crank, and insert cotter pin (K) into hole in the end of crank. Secure by bending the ends of cotter pin in opposite directions.

14. Adjust the chute bracket so that the spiral on the chute crank fully engages the teeth on the chute assembly. Tighten the nuts on the chute crank bracket securely. Tighten the hex nuts on the eyebolt at the handle panel.

15. Thread shift knob (Z) onto the shift lever (R).

16. Place one flat washer (F) over the weld bolt on

the handle panel. Place shift lever (R) through slot in handle panel, with the flat side of shift lever against bracket on handle panel. Place the hole

in the end of the shift lever over the handle panel

------

weld bolt. See figure 11.

17. Place the shift lever in the fastest forward position (5th speed). Push the shift rod all the way forward (assembled to the ferrule in step 3). Thread the shift rod in or out of the ferrule as necessary until

the end of the rod lines up with the hole in the

shift lever. Insert end of rod into hole in shift lever and secure with hairpin clip (G). See figure 11.

FIGURE 12.

18. Secure with flat washer (F), compression spring

--------(L) and hex insert lock nut (M). See figure 12.

Tighten lock nut until compression spring returns the shift lever into detent slots on handle panel.

NOTE: The adjustment of the shift rod must be

checked as described in step 23 before the unit is operated.

Left Hand

Lockout

Rod

1-1/2"

Thread

FIGURE 13.

' Right Hand

Lockout

Rod

} 1/4” of

Thread

19. There is a left and a right hand lockout rod. The

left hand lockout rod is label “L”.

Approximate initial settings for the lockout rods

are as follows: The left hand lockout rod for the drive clutch should have approximately 1-1/2

inches of thread showing below the nut. The right hand lockout rod for the auger clutch should have approximately 1/4 inch of thread showing below

------

the nut. See figure 13.

FINAL ADJUSTMENT MUST BE MADE AS DESCRIBED IN STEPS 21 AND 22. If the left

hand lockout rod is not adjusted correctly, the shift lever cannot be shifted past neutral. If the

right hand lockout rod is not adjusted correctly,

the augers will not stop rotating.

20. Hook the right hand lockout rod into the top hole

provided in the right hand clutch grip (auger

-------clutch). See figure 14. Hook the left hand lockout

rod (labeled “L”) into the top hole in the left hand

clutch grip (drive clutch). The hook is to the out side of the unit.

FIGURE 15.

Drive

Bracket

FIGURE 16.

FIGURE 17.

Left Hand

Lockout Rod

Drive Brncket

Auger <

Bracket

Hook i ri

Sprint I

Hole: n

Hich

Middle

Low

21. Swing the left hand lockout rod down and simply hold it beside the drive bracket. Do not pull on spring. Do not move bracket. The hook on the end of the spring must line up with the center of the hole in the drive bracket. See figure 15.

If it does not, adjust the nut on the lockout rod by sliding the spring up and using a 7/16” wrench to move the nut on the end of the rod up or down as necessary until the hook on the spring aligns with the center of the hole in the bracket as shown in

-------

figure 15.

Hook spring into drive bracket. See figure 16.

22. Adjust the right hand lockout rod in the same manner as the left hand lockout rod. Refer to Step 21. When adjustment is correct, hook the

-------

spring into the auger bracket. See figure 16.

WARNING: There must not be any ten

sion on either clutch rod spring with the

drive or auger clutch grip in the disen gaged (up) position. These clutches are a safety feature, and their function can be overridden if there is tension on either spring with the clutches disengaged.

23. Check for correct adjustment of the shift rod as

follows.

a. Disconnect and ground the spark plug wire

against the engine.

b. Place the shift lever in the neutral position.

Push the unit back and forth. It should move

freely.

c. Engage the drive clutch grip (located on the

left handle) by squeezing the clutch grip against the handle. Push the unit back and forth. It should still move freely. If the wheels tend to lock up, adjustment is necessary.

To adjust the shift lever, place the shift lever in the fastest forward position (5th speed). Remove the hair pin clip which secures the shift rod to the shift lever (refer to figure 11), and remove the rod from the lever.

Push the shift rod all the way forward. Thread the shift rod in or out of the ferrule one or two turns as neces

sary, until the end of the rod lines up with the hole in the shift lever. Insert end of rod into hole in shift lever and secure with hairpin clip. Recheck the adjustment.

24. The space between the shave plate and the ground can be adjusted. For close snow removal, place skid shoes in the low position. Use middle or high position when area to be cleared is

-------

uneven. See figure 17.

Adjust skid shoes by loosening the four hex nuts

and carriage bolts and moving skid shoes to desired position. Make certain the entire bottom surface of skid shoe is against the ground to avoid uneven wear on the skid shoes. Retighten nuts and bolts securely.

Ridge

FIGURE 18.

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT

If your unit is equipped with optional drift cutters,

use a 1/2" wrench to remove the carriage bolts,

lock washers and hex nuts holding the drift cut

ters to the auger housing. See figure 18. Turn and place the drift cutters in position (ridges on drift cutters go toward the outside of the unit).

Secure with the hardware just removed, carriage bolts (W) (heads of bolts are to the inside of the housing), lock washers (X) and hex nuts (Y).

Tighten securely.

If your unit is equipped with an optional electric starter which has not been installed at the factory, install at this time. Follow the instructions packed

with the electric starter for installation.

TIRE PRESSURE (Pneumatic Tires)

The tires are over-inflated for shipping purposes. Check tire pressure and reduce to 15 to 20 psi.

NOTE: If the tire pressure is not equal in both tires,

the unit may pull to one side or the other.

CONTROLS

SHIFT LEVER (See figures 19 and 20)

The shift lever is located on the right hand side of the handle panel. The shift lever may be moved into one of eight positions. Run engine with throttle in the fast position. Use the shift lever to determine ground speed. A. Center Position (N)—NEUTRAL. B. Forward Position—one of five speeds. Position

number one (1) is the slowest. Position number five (5) is the fastest.

C. Rear Position—Two REVERSE (R) speeds. “R”

nearest the neutral (N) position is the slower of the two.

♦ 5

Fs a

□ p

Rp 3

A« 2

DS T

FAST

FIGURE 20.

DRIVE CLUTCH (See figure 19)

The drive clutch is located on the left handle.

Squeeze the clutch grip to engage drive. Release to stop.

AUGER CLUTCH (See figure 19)

The auger clutch is located on the right handle. Squeeze the clutch grip to engage the augers. Release to stop the snow throwing action.

CHUTE CRANK (See figure 19)

The chute crank is located on left hand side of the snow thrower.

+ 19 hidden pages