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16

SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS

 WARNING:

  To avoid serious injury, 

before per form ing any service or ad just -
ments:
1.   Release control bar and stop engine.
2.   Make sure the blade and all moving 

parts have completely stopped.

3.   Disconnect spark plug wire from spark 

plug and place wire where it cannot 
come in contact with plug.

LAWN MOWER

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

See “TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT” in 
the Operation sec tion of this manual.

REAR DEFLECTOR

The rear defl ector, attached between the rear 
wheels of your mower, is provided to minimize 
the possibility that objects will be thrown out 
of the rear of the mower into the operator 
mowing position. If the defl ector becomes 
dam aged, it should be replaced.

TO REMOVE DRIVE BELT

1.   Disconnect spark plug wire from spark 

plug and place wire where it cannot 
come in contact with plug.

2.   Remove screws retaining drive cover 

(not shown); and remove drive cover 
from lawn mower housing.

3.   Remove drive cable from anchor, then 

detach it and return spring from idler 
arm assembly.

CLEANING

IMPORTANT:

  For best performance, keep 

mower housing free of built-up grass and 
trash. Clean the underside of your mower 
after each use.

 CAUTION:  

Disconnect spark plug wire 

from spark plug and place wire where it 
cannot come in contact with plug.
•  Clean underside of mower by scraping 

to remove build-up of grass and trash.

•   Clean engine often to keep trash from 

accumulating.  A clogged engine runs 
hotter and shortens engine life.

•   Keep fi nished surfaces and wheels free 

of all gasoline, oil, etc.

•   We do not recommend using a garden 

hose to clean lawn mower unless the 
electrical system, muffl er, air fi lter and 
carburetor are covered to keep water 
out.  Water in engine can result in short-
ened engine life.

CLEAN UNDER DRIVE COVER

Clean under drive cover at least twice a sea-
son. Scrape underside of cover with putty 
knife or similar tool to remove any build-up 
of trash or grass on underside of drive cover.

4.   Remove idler arm assembly from 

housing by removing hex nut; then 
remove drive belt from drive pulley, belt 
keepers and idler arm assembly.

5.   Turn lawn mower on its side. Make 

sure air fi lter and carburetor are up.

6.   Remove screw securing debris shield.  

Note that the debris shield has a tab 
which fi ts into a gap in the housing.

7.   Use a wood block between blade and 

mower hous ing to prevent blade from 
turning when re mov ing blade bolt.

NOTE:

 Protect your hands with gloves 

and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.
8.   Remove blade bolt. 
9.   Remove blade, attaching hardware 

(bolt, lock wash er, hardened wash er), 
blade adapter and debris shield.  Note 
that the debris shield has a tab which 
fi ts into the housing hole.

10. Remove drive belt from engine pulley; 

discard old belt.

TO REPLACE DRIVE BELT

1.   Place new drive belt on engine pulley. 
2.   Route the other end of the new drive 

belt through hole in housing.

Trailing edge 

Crankshaft

Debris shield

Blade 

adapter

Hardened 

washer

Lock-washer

Blade 

bolt

Tab

Housing hole

Drive cable anchor

Drive pulley

Housing holes

Drive belt

Idler arm 

assembly

Belt 
keepers

Hex nut

Return 
spring

Summary of Contents for 917.37707

Page 1: ...ll Safety Rules and Instructions before operating this equipment Owner s Manual ROTARY LAWN MOWER 6 5 Horsepower Power Propelled 21 Multi Cut Sears Roebuck and Co Hoffman Estates IL 60179 U S A Visit our Craftsman website www sears com craftsman ...

Page 2: ...Wash hands after handling CAUTION Muffler and other engine parts become extremely hot during operation and remain hot after engine has stopped To avoid severe burns on contact stay away from these areas LIMITED TWO YEAR 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 maintenanc...

Page 3: ...ch anism or drive clutch on mowers so equipped before starting the engine If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally stop the engine motor and check immediately for the cause Vibra tion is generally a warning of trouble Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields when oper ating mower II SLOPE OPERATION Slopes are a major factor related to slip fall accidents which can ...

Page 4: ...subject to wear damage and deterioration which could expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown Frequently check components and replace with manufacturer s recommended parts when necessary Mower blades are sharp and can cut Wrap the blade s or wear gloves and use extra caution when servicing them Do not change the engine governor set ting or overspeed the engine Maintain or replace safety a...

Page 5: ...be fixed Discount of 10 from regular price of service and service related parts not covered by the agreement also 10 off regular price of preventive mainte nance check Fast help by phone phone support from a Sears technician on products requiring in home repair plus conve nient repair scheduling Once you purchase the Agreement a simple phone call is all that it takes for you to schedule service Yo...

Page 6: ...TON 1 Remove loose parts included with mower 2 Cut down two end corners of carton and lay end panel down flat 3 Remove all packing materials except padding between upper and lower handle and padding holding operator presence control bar to upper handle 4 Roll mower out of carton and check carton thoroughly for additional loose parts HOW TO SET UP YOUR MOWER TO UNFOLD HANDLE IMPORTANT Unfold handle...

Page 7: ...charging disconnect harness connector female from battery char ger connector male Connect your battery charger to charge battery after each use IMPORTANT The engine will not re charge your battery At the end of the mowing season the battery should be charged for 48 hours to protect the battery during winter storage CAUTION Always disconnect the engine connector male from the battery connector fema...

Page 8: ...op the engine Drive control bar used to engage power propelled forward motion of mower Auxiliary starter handle used for start ing engine These symbols may appear on your lawn mower or in literature supplied with the product Learn and understand their meaning IMPORTANT This lawn mower is shipped WITHOUT OIL OR GASOLINE in the engine Key start switch used for starting engine Mulcher door allows con...

Page 9: ...disengagedrivewheels DRIVE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT Over time the drive control system may be come loose resulting in decreased speed There is a turnbuckle on the underside of the drive control housing to increase tension on the drive cable Proceed as follows 1 Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug 2 Turn nut on underside of drive control to increase drive speed 3 Operate mower to...

Page 10: ...NVERTING YOUR LAWN MOWER FOR MULCHING 1 Rear mulcher plug installed 2 Mulcher door closed FOR REAR BAGGING 1 Rear mulcher plug removed 2 Grass catcher installed 3 Mulcher door closed FOR SIDE DISCHARGING 1 Rear mulcher plug installed 2 Discharge deflector installed CAUTION Do not run your lawn mower without mulcher plug or approved grass catcher in place Never attempt to operate the lawn mower wit...

Page 11: ...o 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 Empty 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 ...

Page 12: ...and mow slowly Certain types of grass and grass conditions may require that an area be mulched a second time to completely hide the clippings When doing a sec ond cut mow across perpendicular to the first cut path Change your cutting pattern from week to week Mow north to south one week then change to east to west the next week This will help prevent matting and graining of the lawn MAX 1 3 MOWING...

Page 13: ...erator abuse or negligence To receive full value from the warranty operator must maintain unit as instructed in this manual Some adjustments will need to be made periodically to properly maintain your unit At least once a season check to see if you should make any of the adjustments described in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual At least once a year replace the spark plug clean or...

Page 14: ... Be sure the trailing edge of blade oppo site sharp edge is up toward the engine 4 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 lbs 47 54 N m IMPORTANT Blade bolt is heat treated If bolt needs replac...

Page 15: ...tabs are aligned with the slots in the back plate Fasten screw securely NOTE Although multi viscosity oils 5W30 10W30 etc improve starting in cold weather these multi viscosity oils will result in increased oil consumption when used above 32 F Check your engine oil level more frequently to avoid possible engine damage from running low on oil Change the oil after every 25 hours of operation or at l...

Page 16: ... shortens engine life Keep finished surfaces and wheels free of all gasoline oil etc We do not recommend using a garden hose to clean lawn mower unless the electrical system muffler air filter and carburetor are covered to keep water out Water in engine can result in short ened engine life CLEAN UNDER DRIVE COVER Clean under drive cover at least twice a sea son Scrape underside of cover with putty...

Page 17: ...bolt with the lock washer and hardened washer into blade adapter and crankshaft 11 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 lbs IMPORTANT Blade bolt is heat treated If bolt needs replacing replace only with approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts section of this manual 12 Return mower to uprigh...

Page 18: ...of acids during storage Acidic gas can damage the fuel system of an engine while in storage Empty the fuel tank by starting the en gine and letting it run until the fuel lines and carburetor are empty Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur Use fresh fuel next season NOTE Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable alternative in minimizing the formation...

Page 19: ... Control bar in released 8 Depress control bar to position handle 9 Control bar defective 9 Replace control bar 10 Fuel valve lever if so 10 Turn fuel valve lever equipped in OFF position to the ON position 11 Weak battery if equipped 11 Charge battery 12 Disconnected battery 12 Connect battery to engine connector if equipped PROBLEM CAUSE CORRECTION TROUBLESHOOTING See appropriate section in manu...

Page 20: ... before pulling starter rope 2 Bent engine crankshaft 2 Contact a Sears or other qualified service center 3 Blade adapter broken 3 Replace blade adapter 4 Blade dragging in grass 4 Move lawn mower to cut grass or to hard surface Grass catcher 1 Cutting height too low 1 Raise cutting height not filling 2 Lift on blade worn off 2 Replace blade If so equipped 3 Catcher not venting air 3 Clean grass c...

Page 21: ...21 ...

Page 22: ...ht U S A only www sears com Your Home For repair in your home of all major brand appliances lawn and garden equipment or heating and cooling systems no matter who made it no matter who sold it For the replacement parts accessories and owner s manuals that you need to do it yourself For Sears professional installation of home appliances and items like garage door openers and water heaters 1 800 4 M...

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