Craftsman 917.272247 - Manual (Page 13)

NOTE; To protect hood from damage
when transporting your tractor on a truck
or a trailer, be sure hood is closed and
secured to tractor. Use an appropriate
means of tying hood to tractor (rope, cord,
etc.).
TOWING CARTS AND OTHER ATTACH­
MENTS
Tow only the attachments that are
recommended by and comply with
specifications of the manufacturer of your
tractor. Use common sense when towing.
Too heavy of a load, while on a slope, is
dangerous. Tires can lose traction with
the ground and cause you to lose control
of your tractor.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL
The engine in your tractor has been
shipped, from the factory, already filled
with summer weight oil.
1. Check engine oil with tractor on level
ground.
2. Unthread and remove oil fill cap/
dipstick: wipe oil off. Reinsert the
dipstick into the tube and rest oil fill
cap on the tube. Do not thread the
cap onto the tube. Remove and read
oil level. If necessary, add oil until
“FULL" mark on dipstick is reached.
Do not overfill.
• For cold weather operation you should
change oil for easier starting (See the oil
viscosity chart in the Maintenance
section of this manual).
• To change engine oil, see the Mainte­
nance section in this manual.
ADD GASOLINE
• Fill fuel tank to bottom of tank filler
neck. Do not overfill. Use fresh, clean,
regular unleaded gasoline with a
minimum of 87 octane. (Use of leaded
gasoline will increase carbon and lead
oxide deposits and reduce valve life).
Do not mix oil with gasoline. Purchase
fuel in quantities that can be used
within 30 days to assure fuel freshness.
^CAUTION: Wipe off any spilled oil or
fuel. Do not store, spill or use gasoline
near an open flame.
IMPORTANT: When operating in tem­
peratures below 32°F{0°C), use fresh,
clean winter grade gasoline to help
insure good cold weather starting.
CAUTION; Alcohol blended fuels (called
gasohol or using ethanol or methanol)
can attract moisture which leads to
separation and formation of acids during
storage. Acidic gas can damage the fuel
system of an engine while in storage.
To avoid engine problems, the fuel
13
system should be emptied before storage
of 30 days or longer. Drain the gas tank,
start the engine and let it run until the fuel
lines and carburetor are empty. Use fresh
fuel next season. See Storage Instruc­
tions for additional information.
Never use engine or carburetor cleaner
products in the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur.
TO START ENGINE
When starting the engine for the first time
or if the engine has run out of fuel, it will
take extra cranking time to move fuel from
the tank to the engine.
1. Be sure freewheel control is in the
transmission engaged position.
2. Sit on seat in operating position,
depress brake pedal and set parking
brake.
3. Move attachment clutch to disen­
gaged position.
4. Move throttle control to fast position
5. Pull choke control out for a cold
engine start attempt. For a warm
engine start attempt the choke control
may not be needed.
NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and
cold starting procedures below.
6. Insert key into ignition and turn key
clockwise to start position and release
key as soon as engine starts. Do not
run starter continuously for more than
fifteen seconds per minute. If the
engine does not start after several
attempts, push choke control in, wait a
few minutes and try again. If engine
still does not start, pull the choke
control out and retry.
WARM WEATHER STARTING (50“ F and
above)
7. When engine starts, slowly push
choke control in until the engine
begins to run smoothly. If the engine
starts to run roughly, pull the choke
control out slightly for a few seconds
and then continue to push the control
in slowly.
• The attachments and ground drive can
now be used. If the engine does not
accept the load, restart the engine and
allow it to warm up for one minute
using the choke as described above.
COLD WEATHER STARTING (50° F and
below)
7. When engine starts, slowly push
choke control in until the engine
begins to run smoothly. Continue to
push the choke control in small steps
allowing the engine to accept small
changes in speed and load, until the
choke control is fully in.
If the engine starts to run roughly, pull