H24d
Maintenance Instructions
Checking and Servicing
63
CAUTION
Important Battery Service, Installation, and
Charging Tips:
●
Do not allow the battery cables to touch
opposing terminals. When connecting
battery cables attach the positive (+)
cable to positive (+) battery terminal
first, followed by negative (-) cable to
negative (-) battery terminal.
●
Never start the engine when the cables
are loose or poorly connected to the
battery terminals.
●
Never disconnect battery while engine
is running.
●
Never use a quick battery charger to
start the engine.
Cleaning the Terminals
If battery terminals are corroded,
remove the
battery
from the mower. Using a wire brush,
remove corro sion with a solution of
one part bak-
ing soda and four parts water.
Rinse with clean
water. Coat the terminals with petroleum jelly or
terminal protector spray to retard further corrosion.
Charging the Battery
DANGER
BATTERIES PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE GASES
●
Charge the battery in a well-ventilated
area, so that gases produced while
charg ing can dissipate.
●
Keep sparks, flames, and smoking ma
-
terials away from the battery at all
times.
●
Make sure the battery charger is un-
plugged before connecting or discon-
necting cables to the battery.
1. Disconnect the battery terminals–negative (-)
first.
2. Charge the battery at 15 amps for 10 minutes.
DO NOT
exceed 20 amps maximum recom-
mended charging rate. Total charging time
should not exceed one (1) hour.
3. Reconnect the battery terminals starting with
the positive (+) terminal.
Tire Pressure
Inflate tires to pressures shown below:
Deck Caster Wheel
=
20 PSI (137 kPa)
Drive
=
15 PSI (103 kPa)
Tailwheel
=
20 PSI (137 kPa)
Wheel Nut Torque
Check the eight (8) nuts that mount the drive tires.
Every 100 hours
they should be torqued to 75 to
85 lb·ft (102 to 115 N·m).
Sharpen Mower Blades
Check mower blade(s)
for straightness, sharp-
ness, condition of the cutting edge,
and
bal-
ance every 10 hours
of operation (or more often
when mowing abrasive type grass or operating on
sandy soils).
Replace blades if worn, bent,
cracked, or otherwise damaged
(refer to
Mower
Blades on page 71
). Use the following proce-
dure to check and sharpen blades:
NOTE:
Keep blades sharp
—cutting with dull
blades not only yields a poor mowing job but slows
the cutting speed of the mower and causes extra
wear on the engine and blade drive by pulling
hard.
1. Stop the engine, remove ignition key, and
dis connect the electrical plug on the fuel shut-
off solenoid
before
raising the mower deck to
service blades.
2. Raise the deck and
secure
it in the
TILT-UP
posi tion. Refer to
Grass Buildup in Mower
Deck Housing on page 59
for deck raising
instructions.
