Craftsman 917.385141 - Manual (Page 13)

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Change the oil after every 25 hours of op­
eration or at least once a year if the mower
is not used for 25 hours in one year.
Check the crankcase oil level before
starting the engine and after each five (5)
hours of continuous use. Tighten oil plug
securely each time you check the oil level.
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
NOTE: Before tipping lawn mower to drain
oil, empty fuel tank by running engine until
fuel tank is empty.
1.
2 .
3.
Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with plug.
Remove engine oil cap; lay aside on a
clean surface.
Tip lawn mower on its side as shown
and drain oil into a suitable container.
Rock lawn mower back and forth to re­
move any oil trapped inside of engine.
4.
5.
6
.
7.
8
.
9.
4. Wash element in liquid detergent and
water.
5. Wrap element in cloth and squeeze dry.
6. Lightly coat filter element with clean
engine oil. Squeeze in towel to remove
excess oil. Do not saturate.
7. Reassemble parts and put back on
carburetor.
Screw ASSEMBLE ONE OF THESE LOW POINTS
Wipe off any spilled oil from lawn
mower or side of engine.
Slowly pour oil down the oil fill spout,
stopping every few ounces to check the
oil level with the dipstick.
Stop adding oil when you reach the
FULL mark on the dipstick. Wait a
minute to allow oil to settle.
Continue adding small amounts of oil,
rechecking the dipstick until oil level
settles at FULL. DO NOT overfill, or
engine will smoke heavily from the muf­
fler on startup.
Always be sure to retighten oil dipstick
before starting engine.
Reconnect spark plug wire to plug.
AIR FILTER
Your engine will not run properly and may
be damaged by using a dirty air filter.
Clean the element after every 25 hours of
operation or every season. Replace the air
filter every 100 hours of operation or every
season, whichever occurs first. Service air
cleaner more often under dusty conditions.
TO CLEAN AIR FILTER ELEMENT
1. Remove screw.
2. Remove air cleaner carefully to prevent
dirt from entering carburetor.
3. Take air cleaner apart and clean element. 13
MUFFLER
Inspect and replace corroded muffler as it
could create a fire hazard and/or damage.
SPARK PLUG
Replace spark plug at the beginning of
each mowing season or after every 100
hours of operation, whichever occurs
first. Spark plug type and gap setting
are shown in the “PRODUCT SPECIFIC­
ATIONS" section of this manual.
CLEANING
IMPORTANT: For best performance,
keep mower housing free of built-grass
and trash. Clean the underside of your
mower after each use.
ACAUTION: Disconnect spark plug wire
from spark plug and place wire where it
cannot come in contact with plug.
• Clean the underside of your lawn
mower by scraping to remove build-up
of grass and trash.
• Clean engine often to keep trash from
accumulating. A clogged engine runs
hotter and shortens engine life.
• Keep finished surfaces and wheels free
of all gasoline, oil, etc.
• We do not recommend using a garden
hose to clean lawn mower unless the
electrical system, muffler, air filter and
carburetor are covered to keep water
out. Water in engine can result in short­
ened engine life.
3S5141-€S-412842 rO.indd 13 2/23/2007 10:58:15 AM