LAWN MOWER
Alwaysobservesafety ruleswhenper-
forminganymaintenance.
TIRES
• Keep tiresfree of gasoline,oil, or insect
controlchemicalswhichcanharmrubber.
• Avoid stumps,stones,deepruts,sharp
objectsandother hazardsthat may
causetire damage.
DRIVEWHEELS
Checkfrontdrivewheelseachtime before
you mowtobe suretheymovefreely.
The wheelsnot turningfreelymeanstrash,
grasscuttings,etc.areinthedrivewheelarea
and mustbe cleanedtofree drivewheels.
If necessaryto cleanthedrive wheels,be
sureto cleanbothfrontwheels.
1. Removehubcaps,Iocknuts& washers.
2. Removewheelsfrom wheeladjusters.
3. Removeanytrash or grasscuttings
frominsidethe dust cover,pinionand/
or drivewheelgearteeth.
4. Putwheelsbackin place.
NOTE: Ifafter cleaning,the drivewheels
do notturnfreely,contacta Searsor other
qualifiedservicecenter.
BLADE CARE
Forbestresults,blademustbe keptsharp.
Replacea bentor damagedblade.
A CAUTION:Useonlyareplacementblade
approvedbythemanufacturerofyourmower.
Usinga bladenot approvedby the manu-
facturerof your mowerishazardous,could
damageyourmowerandvoidyourwarranty.
TO REMOVEBLADE
1. Disconnectsparkplugwire fromspark
plug andplacewirewhere itcannot
come incontactwith plug.
2. Turnlawn moweron its side.Make
sure airfilter andcarburetorareup.
3. Usea wood blockbetweenbladeand
mowerhousingto preventbladefrom
turningwhen removingbladebolt.
NOTE: Protectyour handswithgloves
and/orwrapbladewith heavycloth.
4. Removeblade boltbyturningcounter-
clockwise.
5. Removeblade& attachinghardware
(bolt, lockwasher& hardenedwasher).
TO REPLACEBLADE
1. Positionbladeon the bladeadapter
aligningthe two (2) holesinthe blade
withthe raisedlugs onthe adapter.
2. Besurethetrailingedgeofblade(oppo-
sitesharpedge)isuptowardtheengine.
3. Installthe bladeboltwith the lock
washerand hardenedwasherinto
bladeadapterand crankshaft.
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4. Useblockofwood betweenbladeand
lawnmowerhousingandtightenthe
bladebolt,turningclockwise.
Recommendedtighteningtorque:35-40ft.lbs.
IMPORTANT:Bladeboltis heattreated.
If boltneedsreplacing,replaceonly with
approvedboltshownin the RepairParts
sectionofthis manual.
Bladeadapter Key Crankshaft
Lockwasher_ _ _
o
bolt Hardened _ Crankshaft
TO SHARPEN BLADE
NOTE: We do not recommend sharpening
the blade - but if you do, be sure the blade
is balanced. Care should be taken to keep
the blade balanced. An unbalanced bladewill
cause eventual damage to mower or engine.
• The blade can be sharpened with a file
or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt
to sharpen while on the mower.
• To check blade balance, drive a nail into
a beam or wall. Leave about one inch of
the straight nail exposed. Place center
hole of blade over the head of the nail.
If blade is balanced, it should remain in
a horizontal position. If either end of the
blade moves downward, sharpen the
heavy end until the blade is balanced.
GRASS CATCHER
• The grass catcher may be hosed with
water, but must be dry when used.
• Check your grass catcher often for dam-
age or deterioration. Through normal
use it will wear. If catcher needs replac-
ing, replace only with approved replace-
ment catcher shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual. Give the lawn
mower model number when ordering.
GEAR CASE
• To keep your drive system working
properly, the gear case and area around
the drive should be kept clean and free
of trash build-up. Clean under the drive
cover twice a season.
The gear case is filled with lubricant to the
proper level at the factory. The only time
the lubricant needs attention is if service
has been performed on the gear case.
If lubricant is required, use only Texaco
Starplex Premium 1 Grease, Part No.
750369. Do not substitute.