B23
Maintenance Instructions
Checking and Servicing
57
using a rag or a thick, padded glove, while
loosening and removing the nut, lock washer,
and flat washer that mount the blade.
5. Grind cutting edge at the same bevel as the
original. Sharpen only the top of the cutting
edge to maintain sharpness.
NOTE:
Blades can be sharpened with an
electric blade sharpener, conventional electric
grinder, or a hand file.
CAUTION
ALWAYS wear eye protection and gloves
when sharpening a blade.
Wing
Tip
Do Not Grind or
Sharpen on Underside
Intersection
Wear Area
Sharpen at
Original 30° Angle
30°
Mower Blade Profile for Sharpening
6. Check blade balance by positioning the blade
horizontally
on a blade balancer or use a nail
or shaft through the center hole. If either end
of the blade rotates downward, grind (remove)
metal on that end until the blade will balance.
The blade is properly balanced when neither
end drops. Balance of a blade is generally
maintained by removing an equal amount of
material from each end of the blade when
sharpening.
Blade Balancer
Blade Balanced on Magnetic
Wall-Mounted Balancer
7. Mount the blade with wing tips pointing up into
the housing. For
gear-driven decks
reinstall
the blade, washer, lock washer, and nut.
Tighten the nut to 60 lb·ft (81 N·m).
For
belt-driven decks
reinstall the spacer (if ap-
plicable), blade, washer, and bolt.
Tighten
the bolt to 70 lb·ft (95 N·m).
Drive Belts
Raise the seat panel and inspect the condition of
the two (2) drive belts after
every 25 hours
of
operation—engine/PTO drive and ground drive. If
the belts show
signs of cracking or deteriorat-
ing,
the belts should be
replaced.
Refer to
Drive
Belts on page 60.
Mower Deck Gearbox Oil Seals
The mower deck gearbox seals should be inspect-
ed
every 25 hours
for evidence of oil leaking;
particularly the lower oil seal on the blade drive
gearbox.
This seal is protected by the trash guard
on the blade hub and seal protector plate on the
housing, but is still vulnerable to seal damage due
to operating in an adverse environment. The mow-
er blade must be removed for inspection of the
seal, so it is recommended to
inspect the gear-
box seals when blades are removed for sharp-
ening.
If an oil leak is noted, the seal should be
replaced and the gearbox assembly relubricated.
Refer to
Mower Deck Gearbox Lubrication on page
45.
