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Safety • Assembly • Operation • Tips & Techniques • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Parts Lists • Warranty

Warning: 

This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-covered, brush-

covered or grass-covered land unless the engine’s exhaust system 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 available through your nearest engine authorized service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 361131 Cleveland, 
Ohio 44136-0019.

MTD LLC, P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019

PRINTED IN U.S.A

READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION

IMPORTANT

OPERATOR’S MANUAL

21-inch Rotary Lawn Mower — Model 54M

3/3/2006

FORM NO. 769-02396

Summary of Contents for 54M Series

Page 1: ...ned 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 available through your nearest engine authorized service dealer or contact the service department P O Box 361131 Cleveland Ohio 44136 001...

Page 2: ...Outdoor dealer or retailer visit www whiteoutdoor com or phone our Dealer Locator line at 1 800 949 4483 Safety 4 Setup and Adjustments 6 Operation 8 Maintenance 10 Troubleshooting 12 Safety Labels 13 Engine Appendix Engine Safety 14 Engine Operation 16 Engine Maintenance 18 Part Lists 24 Warranty back cover BEFORE ASSEMBLING YOUR NEW EQUIPMENT please locate the model plate on the equipment and co...

Page 3: ...alk 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 the face of slopes Operate WALK BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes never up and down slopes Use this page as a guide to determine slopes where you may not operate safely Do not operate your lawn mower on such s...

Page 4: ...d shirts Shirts and pants that cover the arms and legs and steel toed shoes are recommended Never operate this machine in bare feet sandals slippery or light weight e g canvas shoes 8 Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under cutting deck Contact with blade can amputate hands and feet 9 A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade contact or thrown object injuries 10 Many injur...

Page 5: ...el while engine is hot or running Allow engine to cool at least two minutes before refueling 10 Never over fill fuel tank Fill tank to no more than inch below bottom of filler neck to provide for fuel expansion 11 Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely 12 If gasoline is spilled wipe it off the engine and equipment Move unit to another area Wait 5 minutes before starting engine 13 Never store th...

Page 6: ... arm Figure 3 1 d Secure with lock nut removed earlier e Assemble the other side in the same manner Remove blocks and lower deck when complete 2 Follow the steps below to setup the handle a Pull up and back on upper handle as shown in Figure 3 2 Make certain the lower handle is seated securely into the handle mounting brackets Do not crimp cable while lifting the handle up b Tighten star knobs to ...

Page 7: ...op of bag from inside of bag 7 Follow the steps below to attach the grass catcher a Lift rear discharge door Figure 3 6 b Place grass catcher on the pivot rod Let go of discharge door so that it rests on the grass catcher WARNING Never operate mower unless the hooks on the grass catcher are firmly seated on the pivot rod and the rear discharge door rests firmly against top of the grass catcher Whe...

Page 8: ...n the grass catcher your mower has the option of recirculating the clippings back to the lawn Make sure that the rear discharge door is closed and the grass catcher is removed from unit while mulching Gas and Oil Fill Up Refer to the engine section in this manual for engine information 1 Add oil provided before starting unit for the first time out of the box 2 Service the engine with gasoline as i...

Page 9: ...isconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and ground against the engine WARNING Wait for the blade to stop completely before performing any work on the mower or to remove the grass catcher Using Your Lawn Mower Be sure the lawn is clear of stones sticks wire or other objects which could damage the lawn mower or the engine Such objects could be accidently thrown by the mower in any direction and ca...

Page 10: ...harge door and side mulch plug periodically with light oil to prevent rust Figure 5 1 Deck Care Clean underside of the mower deck after each use to prevent build up of grass clippings or other debris Follow steps below for this job 1 Disconnect spark plug wire Drain gasoline from lawn mower or place a piece of plastic under the gas cap 2 Tip mower so that it rests on the housing Keep the side with...

Page 11: ...n when rotating at high speeds It may cause damage to mower and could break causing personal injury 5 Lubricate the engine crankshaft and the inner surface of the blade adapter with light oil Slide the blade adapter onto the engine crankshaft Place the blade on the adapter such that the side of the blade marked Bottom or with part number faces the ground when the mower is in the operating position...

Page 12: ...boot loose 2 Blocked fuel line or stale fuel 3 Vent in gas cap plugged 4 Water or dirt in fuel system 5 Dirty air cleaner 6 Unit running with CHOKE applied Engine overheats 1 Fill crankcase with proper oil 2 Remove blower housing and clean 1 Engine oil level low 2 Air flow restricted Occasional skips hesitates at high speed 1 Adjust gap to 030 1 Spark plug gap too close Idles poorly 1 Reset gap to...

Page 13: ...safety or any labels from mower for any reason Read and follow Operating Instructions before running engine Gasoline is flammable Allow engine to cool at least 2 minutes before refueling Engines emit carbon monoxide DO NOT run in enclosed area ...

Page 14: ...ipment at angle which causes gasoline to spill Do not choke carburetor to stop engine When transporting equipment transport with fuel tank EMPTY When storing gasoline or equipment with fuel in tank store away from furnaces stoves water heaters or other appliances that have pilot light or other ignition source because they can ignite gasoline vapors Starting engine creates spark ing Sparking can ig...

Page 15: ...arting engine pull cord slowly until resis tance is felt then pull rapidly Remove all external equipment engine loads before starting engine Direct coupled equipment components such as but not limited to blades impellers pulleys sprockets etc must be securely attached Safety Label Location This label warns you of potential hazards that can cause serious injury Read it carefully Refer to Figure 8 1...

Page 16: ...iate viscosity for the average temperature in your area from the chart to the right Know Your Engine 1 Single Viscosity 2 Multi Viscosity IMPORTANT Using nondetergent oil or 2 stroke engine oil could shorten the engine s service life Read this section before starting your lawn mower engine Compare the illustrations in Figure 9 1 with your lawn mower engine to familiarize yourself with the location...

Page 17: ...ed contact with skin or breathing of vapor Check Fuel Level 1 Clean around fuel fill before removing cap to fuel 2 Fill tank to approximately one inch below lowest portion of neck to allow for fuel expansion Be careful not to overfill IMPORTANT Before refueling allow engine to cool two minutes Starting The Engine WARNING Always keep hands and feet clear of equipment moving parts Do not use a press...

Page 18: ... or oil saturation of air cleaner Periodic inspection and adjustment of the engine is essential if high level performance is to be maintained Regular maintenance will also ensure a long service life The required service intervals and the kind of mainte nance to be performed are described in the table below Follow the hourly or calendar intervals whichever occur first More frequent service is requi...

Page 19: ...ore frequently when operating the engine in extremely dusty areas WARNING Never use gasoline or low flash point solvents for cleaning the air cleaner element A fire or explosion could result IMPORTANT Never run the engine without the air cleaner Rapid engine wear will result 1 Remove the wing bolt and the air cleaner cover Remove the elements and separate them Figure 10 2 Carefully check both elem...

Page 20: ...ed or replaced 1 Remove all fuel from tank by running engine until it stops from lack of fuel 2 Change oil See Oil Change section 3 Remove spark plug and pour about 1 2 an ounce of engine oil into cylinder Replace spark plug and crank slowly to distribute oil 4 Clean grass and debris from around engine under finger guard and under around and behind muffler Touch up any damaged paint and coat other...

Page 21: ...NOTES 21 ...

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

Page 23: ...ulder Screw 5D x 434 29 732 0404 Front Spring Lever 30 720 0426 Height Adjust Knob 31 710 0599 TT Screw 1 4 20 x 500 32 736 0270 Bell Washer 33 710 0654A TT Screw 3 8 16 x 1 0 34 710 0216 Hex Screw 3 8 16 x 75 35 710 1652 TT Screw 1 4 20 x 625 36 720 0312 Foam Grip 37 734 04127 Rear Wheel 12 x 2 125 S Wave 38 736 0182 Spring Washer 39 732 0866 Rear Hi Wheel Spring Lever 40 687 02039A Rear Pivot Ar...

Page 24: ...24 Engine 1P65 ...

Page 25: ...0307 Flywheel Key 16 951 10405 Air Cleaner Housing Assembly Complete 17 951 10304 Muffler Stud Assembly 18 951 10363 Fuel Line Kit Inc hoses clamps filter 19 951 10358 Fuel Filter 20 951 10300 Fuel Cap Assembly 21 951 10299 Recoil Starter Assembly 22 951 10298 Air Cleaner Kit 23 951 10297 Air Cleaner Thumb Screw 24 951 10404 Muffler Guard 25 951 10403 Muffler 26 951 10402 Muffler Gasket Heat Shiel...

Page 26: ...s Warranty Coverage MTD must warrant to the ultimate purchaser and each subsequent purchaser that the engine is 1 Designed built and equipped so as to conform with all applicable regulations adopted by the Air Resources Board pursuant to its authority in Chapters 1 and 2 Part 5 Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code and 2 Free from defects in materials and workmanship that cause the failure of ...

Page 27: ...use of any non exempted add on or modified parts shall be grounds for disallowing a warranty claim made in accordance with this article The engine manufacturer shall not be liable under this article to warrant failures of warranted parts caused by the use of non exempted add on or modified part c MTD will include a copy of the following emission warranty parts list with each new engine using those...

Page 28: ...vice completed by someone other than an authorized service dealer d MTD does not extend any warranty for products sold or exported outside of the United States its possessions and territories except those sold through MTD s authorized channels of export distribution e Replacement parts that are not genuine MTD parts f Transportation charges and service calls No implied warranty including any impli...

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