If the blade edge is dull or nicked, have it sharpened or
replace it.
WARNING
The blade is sharp; contacting the blade can result
in serious personal injury.
•
Disconnect the wire from the spark plug.
•
Wear gloves when servicing the blade.
1. Disconnect the spark-plug wire from the spark plug.
Refer to Preparing for Maintenance.
2. Tip the mower onto its side, with the air filter up.
3. Use a block of wood to hold the blade steady.
4. Remove the blade (turn the blade bolt
counterclockwise), saving all the mounting hardware.
5. Install the new blade (turn the blade bolt clockwise)
and all mounting hardware (Figure 26).
Figure 26
Important:
Position the curved ends of the
blade to point toward the mower housing.
6.
Use a torque wrench to tighten the blade bolt to
60 ft-lb (82 N-m).
Important:
A bolt torqued to 60 ft-lb (82 N-m)
is very tight. While holding the blade with a
block of wood, put your weight behind the
ratchet or wrench and tighten the bolt securely.
This bolt is very difficult to overtighten.
Cleaning the Mower
Service Interval:
Before each use or daily
WARNING
The mower may dislodge material from under the
mower housing.
•
Wear eye protection.
•
Stay in the operating position (behind the
handle).
•
Do not allow bystanders in the area.
1. With the engine running on a flat paved surface,
spray a stream of water in front of the
right
rear
wheel (Figure 27).
The water will splash into the path of the blade,
cleaning out the clippings.
Figure 27
2. When no more clippings come out, stop the water
and move the mower to a dry area.
3. Run the engine for a few minutes to dry the housing
to prevent it from rusting.
Storage
Store the mower in a cool, clean, dry place.
Preparing the Mower for
Storage
WARNING
Gasoline vapors can explode.
•
Do not store gasoline more than 30 days.
•
Do not store the mower in an enclosure near an
open flame.
•
Allow the engine to cool before storing it.
1. On the last refueling of the year, add fuel stabilizer
to the fuel as directed by the engine manufacturer.
2. Run the mower until the engine stops from running
out of fuel.
3. Start the engine again.
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