LAWN MOWER
Alwaysobservesafetyruleswhen per-
formingany maintenance.
TIRES
o Keeptires free of gasoline,oil, or insect
controlchemicalswhichcanharmrubber°
° Avoid stumps,
stones, deep ruts, sharp
objects
and other hazards that may
cause tire damage_
DRIVE WHEELS
Check rear drive wheels
each time you
mow to be sure they move freely.
The
wheels not turning
freely means trash,
grass cuttings,
etc., may be inside the
drive wheel and dust cover area and must
be cleaned
out to free drive wheels.
If necessary
to clean the drive wheels,
check both rear wheels°
BLADE
CARE
For best results, mower blade must be kept
sharp.
Replace a bent or damaged
blade.
TO REMOVE
BLADE
1, Disconnect
spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact
with plug.
2,
Turn lawn mower on its side° Make
sure air filter and carburetor
are up,
3o Use a wood block between
blade and
mower housing
to prevent blade from
turning
when removing
blade bolt,
NOTE:
Protect your hands with gloves
andtor wrap blade with heavy cloth.
4.
Remove
blade bolt by turning
counter-
clockwise.
5,
Remove
blade and attaching
hardware
(bolt, lock washer,
hardened
washer).
NOTE:
Remove
the blade adapter
and
check the key inside hub of blade adapter,
The key must be in good condition
to work
properly.
Replace
adapter
if damaged,
TO REPLACE
BLADE
I,
Position the blade adapter
on the en-
gine crankshaft.
Be sure key in adapter
and crankshaft
keyway are aligned,
2.
Position
blade on the blade adapter
aligning
the two (2) holes in the blade
with the raised lugs on the adapter.
3.
Be sure the trailing edge of blade (oppo-
site sharp edge) is up toward the engine.
4o Install the blade bolt with the lock
washer
and hardened
washer
into
blade adapter
and crankshaft,
5,
Use block of wood between
blade and
lawn mower housing
and tighten the
blade bolt, turning
clockwise.
* The recommended
tightening
torque
is
35-40 ft. Ibs_
IMPORTANT:
Blade bolt is heat treated.
If bolt needs replacing,
replace
only with
approved
bolt shown in ttle Repair
Parts
section
of this manual,
Blade adapter
Crankshaft
keyway
Key -....
kwasher
Blade
Blade
Crank
bolt
shaft
washer
Trailing edge
Blade adapter
TO SHARPEN
BLADE
NOTE:
We do not recommend
sharpening
blade - but if you do, be sure the blade
is balanced,
balanced.
An unbalanced
blade will cause eventual
damage
to lawn
mower or engine,
° The blade can be sharpened
with a fife
or on a grinding
wheel, Do not attempt
to sharpen
while on the mower.
• To check blade balance,
drive a nail into
a beam or wall. Leave about one inch of
the straight
nail exposed.
Place center
hole of blade over the head of the nail.
If blade is balanced,
it should
remain
in
a horizontal
position,
if either end of the
blade moves downward,
sharpen
the
heavy end until the blade is balanced.
GRASS
CATCHER
• The grass catcher
may be hosed with
water, but must be dry when used.
• Check your grass catcher
often for dam-
age or deterioration.
Through
normal
use it will wear,
tf catcher
needs replac-
ing, replace
only with approved
replace-
ment catcher
shown in the Repair Parts
section
of this manual.
Give the lawn
mower model
number
when ordering.
GEAR CASE
• To keep your drive system
working
properly, the gear case and area around
the drive should be kept clean and free
of trash build-up,
Clean under the drive
cover twice a season.
• The gear case is filled with lubricant
to the
proper level at the factory°
The only time
the lubricant
needs attention
is if service
has been performed
on the gear case,
- If lubricant
is required,
use only Texaco
Starplex
Premium
1 Grease,
Part Noo
750369.
Do not substitute,
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