BEFORE
STARTING
THE
ENGINE
CHECK
ENGINE
OIL LEVEL
The engine in your tractor has been shipped,
from the factory,
already
filled with summer
weight oil.
1. Check
engine
oil with tractor
on level
ground.
2.
Remove
oil fill cap/dipstick
and wipe
clean, reinsert the dipstick and screw cap
tight, wait for a few seconds,
remove and
read oil level, If necessary,
add oil until
"FULf2 mark on dipstick
is reached.
Do
not overfill,
• For cold
weather
operation
you should
change
oil for easier starting
(See the oil
viscosity
chart in the Maintenance
section
of this manual),
• To change engine oil, see the Maintenance
section
in this manual°
ADD GASOLINE
,
Fill fuel tank to bottom offilier neck. Do not
overfill. Use fresh, clean, regular unleaded
gasoline
with a minimum
of 87 octane.
(Use of leaded gasoline
will increase
car-
bon and lead oxide deposits
and reduce
valve life) oDo not mix oilwith gasoline° Pur-
chase fuel in quantities
that can be used
within 30 days to ensure fuel freshness.
,&CAUTION:
Wipe off any spilled oil or fuel,
Do not store,
spi!l or use gasoline
near an
open flame,
IMPORTANT:
When operating
in tempera-
tures
below
32°F
(0°C),
use fresh,
clean
winter grade gasoline
to help ensure
good
cold weather
starting.
CAUTION:
Alcohol
blended
fuels
(called
gasohol
or using ethanol
or methanol)
can
attract
moisture
which
leads to separation
and formation
of acids d uring 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
cleaner products in the fuel tank
or permanent
damage
may occur.
TO START
ENGINE
When starting the engine for the first time or
if the engine has run out of fuel, it will take
extra cranking
time to move fuel from the
tank to the engine.
1. Be sure freewheel
control is in the trans-
mission
engaged
position_
2.
Siton seat in operating
position,
depress
clutchlbrake
pedal and set parking brake,
3.
Place
motion
control
lever
in neutral
position.
4.
Move attachment
clutch
to disengaged
position.
5.
Move throttle control to choke position,
NOTE:
Before starting,
read the warm and
cold starting
procedures
below.
6.
Insert
key into
ignition
and turn
key
clockwise
to start position
and release
key as soon as engine starts. Do not run
starter continuously
for more than fifteen
seconds
per minute,
If the engine
does
not start after several
attempts,
move
throttle
control
to fast
position,
wait a
few minutes
and try again.
If engine still
does not start, move the throttle
control
back to the choke position and retry.
WARM
WEATHER
STARTING
(50 ° F / 10 C ° and above)
7. When
engine
starts,
move the throttle
control to the fast position.
. The attachments
and ground
drive
can
now be used. If the engine does not accept
the toad, restart the engine and allow it to
warm up for one minute
using the choke
as described
above.
COLD WEATHER
STARTING
(50 ° F / 10 C ° and below)
7, When engine starts, leave throttle control
in choke position until engine warms
up
and begins
to run roughly.
Once rough
running
begins,
immediately
move the
throttle control to the fast position. Engine
warm-up may take from several seconds
to several
minutes
(the colder the tern-
perature,
the longer the warm-up).
16