Craftsman 917.271023 - Manual (Page 21)

CLEAN AIR SCREEN
Air screen must be kept free of dirt and
chaff to prevent engine damage from over­
heating. Clean with a wire brush or com­
pressed air to remove dirt and stubborn
dried gum fibers.
AIR FILTER
Your engine will not run properly using a
dirty air filter. Clean the foam pre-cleaner
after every 25 hours of operation or every
season. Service paper cartridge every
100 hours of operation or every season,
whichever occurs first.
Service air cleaner more often under dusty
conditions.
• Remove knob and cover.
• Remove wing nut and air cleaner from
base.
TO SERVICE PRE-CLEANER
• Slide foam pre-cleaner off cartridge.
• Wash it in liquid detergent and water.
• Squeeze it dry in a clean cloth. Allow it
to dry.
• Saturate it in engine oil. Wrap it in
clean, absorbent cloth and squeeze to
remove excess oil.
TO SERVICE CARTRIDGE
• Replace a dirty, bent, or damaged car­
tridge.
NOTE: Do not wash the paper cartridge
or use pressurized air, as this will damage
the cartridge.
• Reinstall the pre-cleaner (cleaned and
oiled) over the paper cartridge.
• Reassemble air cleaner, wing nut, cover
and tighten knob securely.
CLEAN AIR INTAKE/COOLING AREAS
To insure proper cooling, make sure the
grass screen, cooling fins, and other
external surfaces of the engine are kept
clean at all times.
Every 100 hours of operation (more often
under extremely dustyydi^ conditions),
remove the blower housing and other
cooling shrouds. Clean the cooling fins
and external surfaces as necessary. Make
sure the cooling shrouds are reinstalled.
NOTE: Operating the engine with a
blocked grass screen, dirty or plugged
cooling fins, and/or cooling shrouds re­
moved will cause engine damage due to
overheating.
MUFFLER
Inspect and replace corroded muffler and
spark arrester (if equipped) as it could cre­
ate a fire hazard and/or damage.
SPARK PLUGS
Replace spark plugs at the beginning of
each mowing season or after every 100
hours of operation, whichever occurs first.
Spari< plug type and gap setting are
shown in “PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS”
section of this manual.
ENGINE OIL FILTER
Replace the engine oil filter every season
or every other oil change if the tractor is
used more than 100 hours in one year.
• Drain oil from engine crankcase (See
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL" in this sec­
tion of this manual, through step remove
drain plug).
• Remove oil filter and wipe off filter
adapter.
• Apply a thin coating of new engine oil to
the rubber gasket on replacement oil fil­
ter.
• Install replacement oil filter on filter
adapter. Turn oil filter clockwise until
rubber gasket contacts the filter adapter,
then tighten filter an additional 1/2 turn.
• Fill crankcase with new oil (See TO
CHANGE ENGINE OIL” in this section
of this manual). For approximate capac­
ity see “PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS”
section of this manual.
• Start the engine and check for oil leaks.
Correct any leaks before placing engine
into full operation.
Oil Filter
IN-LINE FUEL FILTER
The fuel fitter should be replaced once
each season. If fuel filter becomes
clogged, obstructing fuel flow to carbure­
tor, replacement is required.
• With engine cool, remove filter and plug
fuel line sections.
21