Yard-Man 13875-9 - Page 10

If the shift lever will not move to the desired
position, release the foot pedal slightly until the
meshing gears can be felt. This permits the gears
to become aligned. Then move the shift lever to
the desired position.
If the shift lever will not move to the Reverse
position or to the first Forward position from
Neutral, release the foot pedal slightly until the
meshing gears can be felt. This permits the gears
to become aligned. Then move the shift lever to
Reverse or Forward speed.
To shift into Reverse or Forward when the rider is
moving in the opposite direction, fully depress the
foot pedal to stop the tractor and to disengage the
drive belt. Move the shift lever to Neutral, release
the foot pedal to the half-way position, move the
shift lever to the desired position and slowly
release the foot pedal.
CAUTION
A slow foot pedal release wilt give
you a smooth engagement of power.
A fast release will jerk the rider and
should be avoided.
A new rider may jerk when power is engaged until
the belt is fully seated in the pulley groove. This is
normal and to be expected.
The clutch/brake foot pedal gives you positive
control in tight places and when you want to stow
down momentarily through a difficult area without
moving the throttle control or down shifting.
ENGINE TIPS
1. If the engine won't start, check the fuel tank
to make sure it is full and check the spark
plug for spark.
2. Be sure the holes in the gas cap are open and
will allow air to enter the gas tank.
3. Be sure the air filter is kept in good condition.
Any dust which gets past the filter can
damage the engine. Also a dirty air filter will
reduce the engine's operating efficiency and
can cause hard starting.
4. Never use old gasoline in the engine. In
addition to bringing on problems with gum
and varnish, old gas makes for hard starting.
5. If the engine misses, check the spark plug
and plug wire. Dirty plugs should NOT be
cleaned. They should be replaced.
If the engine continues to misfire with a new
plug, the problem can be loose engine bolts,
a leaky hedd gasket, sticky valves, etc. For
these conditions it is suggested a certified
service center be contacted for advice.
6. If the engine overheats, the cooling fins may
be clogged. Also, a too-lean fuel mixture can
cause overheating.
7. Don’t put the engine under full power as soon
as it starts. Fast RPM before the engine
warms up can cause excessive engine wear.
8. Do not idle the engine at too slow a speed for
extended periods. Oil will not circulate
properly and excessive wear can result... also
the engine can overheat.
TO ENGAGE CUTTING BLADES
The cutting blades are powered directly off the
lower portion of the engine pulley via the mower
drive belt. Engine speed directly determines blade
speed. For fast blade rotation, move the engine
throttle to FAST. For slow rotation, move the
throttle to SLOW.
To engage the power to the cutting blades, the lift
disengagement lever should be moved out of the
OFF position and allowed to move forward by
Itself. DO NOT FORCE THE LEVER FORWARD.
The forward movement of the lever tightens the
drive belt across the mower deck pulleys and the
engine pulley and thus powers the blades. An
engagement spring in the mower assembly
applies proper pressure to the drive belt
automatically.
The shift lever should be used to control ground
speeds and the throttle lever should be kept at ^
to full speed for best cutting quality.
MOWING SUGGESTIONS
Mowing of lawns should be done frequently, on a
systematic basis. If grass is allowed to grow
excessively tall before cutting, the under part of
the grass, which has been protected from the sun,
will be exposed and possibly damaged. This grass
then tends to become coarse and often loses its
deep green color. Frequent cutting promotes new
more finely textured blade growth.
The root system of Kentucky Bluegrass renews
Itself every Spring. If mowing is done before the
roots have had a chance to grow, the root system
won’t develop fully and the quality of the grass
will suffer, as wilt Its ability to withstand the
demands of a tough summer. With this grass the
first mowing should not be done until new growth
is at least two inches.
A common error is to let grass grow longer in hot
weather to protect it from the sun and heat. When
long grass is finally cut, It will be brown or
gray.. .and the tender bottom growth will not be
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