LAWN MOWER
Alwaysobservesafety ruleswhenper-
formingany maintenance.
TIRES
• Keep tiresfree of gasoline,oil, or insect
controlchemicalswhichcan harmrubber.
• Avoid stumps,stones,deep ruts,sharp
objectsand other hazardsthat may
causetire damage.
DRIVEWHEELS
Checkfront drivewheels eachtime before
you mow to be sure theymovefreely.
The wheelsnot turningfreely meanstrash,
grasscuttings,etc.areinthedrivewheelarea
and mustbe cleanedto free drivewheels.
If necessaryto clean thedrive wheels,be
sure to clean bothfrontwheels.
1. Removehubcaps,Iocknuts& washers.
2. Removewheelsfrom wheel adjusters.
3. Removeanytrash or grass cuttings
from insidethe dust cover,pinionand/
or drive wheelgear teeth.
4. Putwheels back in place.
NOTE: Ifafter cleaning,the drivewheels
do notturn freely,contacta Sears or other
qualifiedservicecenter.
BLADE CARE
For best results,blade mustbe kept sharp.
Replacea bent or damagedblade.
A CAUTION:Useonlya replacementblade
approvedbythemanufacturerofyourmower.
Usinga bladenot approvedby the manu-
facturerof your mowerishazardous,could
damageyourmowerandvoidyourwarranty.
TO REMOVEBLADE
1. Disconnectspark plugwire fromspark
plug and placewire where it cannot
come in contactwith plug.
2. Turnlawn moweron its side. Make
sure air filter andcarburetorare up.
3. Usea wood blockbetweenbladeand
mowerhousingto preventbladefrom
turningwhen removingbladebolt.
NOTE: Protectyour handswith gloves
and/orwrap bladewith heavycloth.
4. Removeblade bolt byturningcounter-
clockwise.
5. Removeblade& attachinghardware
(bolt, lockwasher& hardenedwasher).
TO REPLACEBLADE
1. Positionbladeon the bladeadapter
aligningthe two (2) holes inthe blade
with the raisedlugs on the adapter.
2. Besure thetrailingedge of blade(oppo-
sitesharpedge)isuptowardthe engine.
3. Installthe blade boltwith the lock
washerand hardenedwasherinto
blade adapterand crankshaft.
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4. Use blockof wood betweenbladeand
lawnmowerhousingand tightenthe
blade bolt,turningclockwise.
Recommendedtighteningtorque:35-40ft.lbs.
IMPORTANT: Blade boltis heat treated.
If bolt needsreplacing,replaceonly with
approvedbolt shownin the RepairParts
sectionof this manual.
Bladeadapter Key Crankshaft
Lockwasher / /
bolt Hardened
washer Trailing edge Crankshaft
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharpening
the blade - but if you do, be sure the blade
is balanced. Care should be taken to keep
the blade balanced. An unbalanced bladewill
cause eventual damage to mower or engine.
• The blade can be sharpened with a file
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. If 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 No.
750369. Do not substitute.
