39
G000552
1
Figure 38
1. Blade
2. Sail area of blade
3. Bushing
4. Spring disk washers
5. Blade bolt
#
Orientation of washers
Sharpening the Blades
1. Use a file to sharpen the cutting edge at
both ends of the blade (
Figure 39
).
Maintain the original angle. The blade
retains its balance if the same amount of
material is removed from both cutting
edges.
Figure 39
1. Sharpen at original angle
2. Check the balance of the blade by putting
it on a blade balancer (
Figure 40
). If the
blade stays in a horizontal position, the
blade is balanced and can be used. If the
blade is not balanced, file some metal off
the end of the sail area only (
Figure 39
).
Repeat this procedure until the blade is
balanced.
Figure 40
1. Blade
2. Balancer
Installing the Blades
1. Install the blade onto the spindle shaft
(
Figure 38
).
Important: The curved part of the blade
must be pointing upward toward the
inside of the mower to ensure proper
cutting.
2. Hold the blade end using a rag or thickly-
padded glove (or place a wrench on the
top sheave nut). Install the bushing, two
spring disk washers (cupped side toward
the blade) and blade bolt (
Figure 38
).
3. Torque the blade bolt to 45-55 ft-lbs
(61-75 N-m).
Incorrect installation of the blade or
components used to retain the blade
cause the blade to come loose and
could seriously injure or kill you or
bystanders.
•
Always install the original Exmark
blades, blade bushing, spring disk
washers and blade bolts as shown.
Leveling the Mower Deck
The mower blades must be level from side to
side. Check the side-to-side level any time
you install the mower or when you see an
uneven cut on your lawn.
1. Park the machine on a level surface and
disengage the blade control switch.
2. Move the motion control levers outward to
the neutral position, engage parking
brake, stop the engine, remove the key,
and wait for all moving parts to stop
before leaving the operating position.
3. Check the air pressure of all four tires. If
needed, adjust to the recommended
inflation; refer to Checking the Tire
Pressure in
Drive System Maintenance
. If
either one is out of range then follow
adjustment procedure.
4. Carefully rotate the blades side to side
(
Figure 41
).
#
