background image

12

SECTION 6:  MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

Cutting Height 

Your mower is shipped with the cutting height in the 
lowest position. The cutting height adjustment lever is 
located above the left rear wheel. To adjust the cutting 
height, proceed as follows:

Pull the lever out and away from the mower and 
then move it forward or backward to another slot. 
See Figure 11.

NOTE: 

For rough or uneven lawns, move the height

adjustment lever to a higher position. This will help stop
scalping.

Figure 11

Handle Height 

Your mower is shipped with the handle in the higher 
height position. To lower the height, proceed as follows:

Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.

Remove the wing nuts and carriage bolts securing 
the upper handle. Remove and lay the upper 
handle out of the way, being careful not to bend or 
kink the cables.

Remove the hairpin clips from the weld pins on the 
handle brackets and remove the wing nuts and 
carriage bolts from the upper hole on the handle 
mounting bracket.  

Press out on the legs of the lower handle and 
remove lower handle from the mower.

Turn lower handle around so the notch on the 
bottom of the lower handle is facing forward.
See Figure 12

Figure 12

Reassemble the handles, placing the bottom holes 
in the handle over the weld pins in the handle 
mounting bracket.

Place the hairpin clips in the inner holes in the weld 
pins and  insert the carriage bolts through the upper 
hole on the handle mounting bracket and secure 
with plastic wing nuts.

Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle.

Attach the starter rope as instructed on page 8. 

Drive Clutch Control 

The adjustment wheel is located in the drive clutch 
control handle housing and is used to tighten or loosen 
the drive belt. You will have to adjust the drive clutch 
control if any of the following happens:

1.

The mower does not propel itself with the drive 
clutch engaged.

2.

The mower’s drive wheels hesitate with the drive 
clutch engaged.

To resolve the above problems, rotate the 
adjustment wheel with your fingers: clockwise to 
tighten the cable and counter-clockwise to loosen 
the cable. See Figure 13.

Figure 13

NOTE: 

For some people the drive clutch control may

not be in a comfortable position. You can adjust the
handle out by tightening the adjustment wheel.

WARNING: 

Do not at any time make any 

adjustments without first stopping engine and 
disconnecting spark plug wire.

Cutting Height
Adjustment Lever

Lower

Higher

Notch

Lower Handle

Adjustment

Bottom View

Wheel

Drive Clutch
Control

Upper

Handle

Shift Lever

Summary of Contents for S979

Page 1: ...m is equipped with a spark arrester meeting applicable local or state laws if any If a spark arrester is used it should be maintained in effective working order by the operator In the State of California the above is required by law Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code Other states may have similar laws Federal laws apply on federal lands A spark arrester for the muffler is availab...

Page 2: ...re reference please copy the model number and the serial number of the equipment in the space below ENGINE INFORMATION The engine manufacturer is responsible for all engine related issues with regards to performance power rating specifications warranty and service Please refer to the engine manufacturer s Owner s Operator s Manual packed separately with your unit for more information CALLING CUSTO...

Page 3: ... rotating parts or under the cutting deck Contact with the blade can amputate hands and feet 9 A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade contact or thrown object injuries 10 Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being pulled over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping Do not hold on to the mower if you are falling release the handle immediately 11 Never pull the mo...

Page 4: ...footing or balance 2 Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on the slope gauge 3 Do not mow on wet grass Unstable footing could cause slipping Children Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the presence of children Children are often attracted to the mower and the mowing activity They do not understand the dangers Never assume that children will remain where you la...

Page 5: ...r wear gloves and use extra caution when servicing them 5 Keep all nuts bolts and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition 6 Never tamper with safety devices Check their proper operation regularly 7 After striking a foreign object stop the engine disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine Thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage Repair the damage befo...

Page 6: ... N T I N G A 1 5 S L O P E WARNING Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees a rise of approximately 2 1 2 feet every 10 feet A riding mower could overturn and cause serious injury If operating a walk behind mower on such a slope it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip resulting in serious injury Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes never across ...

Page 7: ...Up Your Lawn Mower Assembling Handle Lift up and pull back on the upper handle to raise the handle into the operating position See Figure 3 Make certain the lower handle is seated securely into the handle bracket assemblies Figure 3 Tighten wing nuts on each side of the handle making sure that the carriage bolts are seated properly into the handle See Figure 3 Remove hairpin clip from the outer ho...

Page 8: ... as you want to mulch the grass clippings For bagging purposes you will have to attach the grass bag and its adapter in place of the mulching baffle Remove three wing nuts holding the mulching baffle or side discharge chute in place and remove the accessory from the unit Replace with grass bag adapter while making sure the front lip of adapter goes under the edge of the deck Secure with wing nuts ...

Page 9: ...er with the Smart Touch starter or recoil starter system Safety Key The safety key located on the engine is used to activate deactivate the Smart Touch starter system This key must be in the run position to start the mower for both the Smart Touch starter and the recoil starter See your engine manual for more information Drive Clutch Control The drive clutch control is located on the upper handle ...

Page 10: ...your left hand pull the blade control handle all the way toward the upper handle 11 Release the button 12 Grasp the recoil rope starter handle with your right hand and slowly pull towards you until you feel a slight resistance then pull firmly until your arm is fully extended 13 If engine does not start by second pull repeat steps 8 9 10 11 and 12 Starting second time onwards Follow these instruct...

Page 11: ...ld cause you to slip and fall New grass or thick grass may require a narrower cut For a healthy lawn always cut off one third or less of the total length of the grass Lawn should be trimmed in fall as long as there is growth IMPORTANT Move the shift lever only when the engine is running Changing the shift lever setting with the engine off can cause damage to the mower Mulching For effective mulchi...

Page 12: ...Figure 12 Figure 12 Reassemble the handles placing the bottom holes in the handle over the weld pins in the handle mounting bracket Place the hairpin clips in the inner holes in the weld pins and insert the carriage bolts through the upper hole on the handle mounting bracket and secure with plastic wing nuts Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle Attach the starter rope as instructed on p...

Page 13: ... its wheels on the ground If you had put plastic under the gas cap make sure to remove it now Engine Care A list of key maintenance jobs required for good performance by the mower is given below Follow the accompanying engine manual for detailed list and instructions Change engine oil regularly as instructed in the engine manual Check oil level before starting engine every time Service foam filter...

Page 14: ...pter when testing for balance Installing the Blade Before reinstalling the blade and the blade adapter to the unit lubricate the engine crankshaft and the inner surface of the blade adapter with light oil Be sure to install the blade with the side of the blade marked Bottom or with part number facing the ground when the mower is in the operating position Slide the blade adapter onto the engine cra...

Page 15: ...control arm down away from the pulley and belt Lift off the lower pulley assembly and remove the old belt from around the crankshaft Place the new belt over the transmission pulley Start the belt in the pulley groove and rotate the pulley until the belt is seated in the transmission pulley Place the belt between the idler pulley and the belt keeper bracket Using pliers rotate the belt keeper brack...

Page 16: ...ff the flat end of the wire rod which secures it to the deck Attach the new flap and new rod to deck bending the ends of the new rod over to secure to deck SECTION 9 OFF SEASON STORAGE Storing Your Lawn Mower The following steps should be taken to prepare your lawn mower for storage Clean and lubricate mower thoroughly as described in the lubrication instructions IMPORTANT We do not recommend the ...

Page 17: ...ngine overheats 1 Engine oil level low 2 Air flow restricted 3 Carburetor not adjusted properly 1 Fill crankcase with proper oil 2 Remove blower housing and clean 3 Adjust carburetor Occasional skip hesitates at high speed 1 Spark plug gap too close 1 Adjust gap to 030 Idles poorly 1 Spark plug fouled faulty or gap too wide 2 Carburetor improperly adjusted 3 Dirty air cleaner 1 Reset gap to 030 or...

Page 18: ...18 YOUR NOTES Date Comments ...

Page 19: ...ED REPLACE IMMEDIATELY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY DO NOT OPERATE UNLESS DISCHARGE COVER OR GRASS CATCHER IS IN ITS PROPER PLACE IF DAMAGED REPLACE IMMEDIATELY SLOW 6 SPEED POWER PROPELLED DRIVE DISENGAGE DRIVE WHEN CHANGING SPEEDS SHIFT ONLY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO ENGAGE SQUEEZE DRIVE LEVER TO HANDLE TO DISENGAGE RELEASE DRIVE LEVER N NEUTRAL FORWARD MODEL PLATE ON RIGHT SIDE 21 CUT 6 75HP D...

Page 20: ...y A substitute non OEM V Belt can be dangerous by not disengaging completely 11 17 18 19 20 21 27 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 45 51 50 52 53 54 56 55 57 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 33 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 68 28 29 88 89 90 91 92 30 94 A A 13 18 12 23 25 24 26 98 96 95 1 22 15 8 9 10 6 7 5 3 4 2 16 ...

Page 21: ...Washer 47 782 0565 Single Lever Control Arm 48 734 2044 Wheel 9 x 2 49 712 0414 Top Lock Tab Weld Nut 1 4 20 50 16855 Ratchet Pawl Plate 51 10622B Plastic Spring Ratchet 52 748 0381 Pawl RH 748 0188B Pawl LH 53 738 0137A Shld Screw 340 ID x 285 OD 54 748 0318 Wheel Rachet 55 736 0270 Bell Washer 265 ID x 75 OD 56 710 0751 Hex Cap Screw 1 4 20 x 620 57 731 0981A Hubcap 58 738 0102 Shoulder Screw 49...

Page 22: ...2 Model S979 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 7 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 63 62 61 ...

Page 23: ...7 710 1652 Screw 1 4 14 x 825 28 714 0474 Cotter Pin 29 712 3025 Hex Jam Nut 5 16 24 30 736 0425 Bell Washer 325 ID x 930 OD 31 756 0656 Pulley 32 736 3084 Flat Washer 510 ID x 1 120 OD 33 712 0896 Hex Jam Nut 1 4 28 34 782 7598 Belt Keeper 35 741 0600 Bearing 36 732 0849A Extension Spring 37 750 1050 Flange Spacer 38 682 0027A Idler Bracket Assembly 39 710 0299 Hex Cap Screw 1 4 28 x 1 0 40 741 0...

Page 24: ...as lubricants filters blade sharpening tune ups brake adjustments clutch adjustments deck adjustments and normal deterioration of the exterior finish due to use or exposure d Troy Bilt LLC does not extend any warranty for products sold or exported outside of the United States its possesions and territories except those sold through Troy Bilt LLC s authorized channels of export distribution e Parts...

Reviews: