Safety • Assembly • Operation • Tips & Techniques • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Parts Lists • Warranty A OF O AL 21 =inch Rotary Lawn Mower- Model 54M iMPORTANT READ SAFETY RULES AND iNSTRUCTiONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION Warning: This unit is equippedwithan internalcombustionengineand shouldnot be usedon or nearany uniiprovedforest-covered,brushcoveredor grass-coveredland unlesstheengine'sexhaustsystemis equippedwith a sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(if any).
This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new lawn mower, it will help you assemble, prepare and maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says. Table of Contents Slope Gauge ........................................................ Safe Operation Practices ................................... Setup and Adjustment ....................................... Operating Your Lawn Mower .............................. Maintaining Your Lawn Mower .........................
!i!_i!il < Sight and hold this levelwith a vertical tree... _ z_ I I d_ o9 or a corner of a building...
WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to State of Californiato cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductiveharm. DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As with any type of powerequipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects.
19.Shutthe engine off and waituntil the bladecomesto a completestop beforeremovingthe grasscatcheror unclogging the chute. The cutting bladecontinuesto rotatefora few secondsafter the engine is shut off. Neverplace any partof the body in the bladearea until you are surethe bladehas stopped rotating. 20. Neveroperate mowerwithoutpropertrail shield, discharge cover,grasscatcher,bladecontrol handle or othersafety protectivedevices in placeand working.Neveroperate mowerwith damagedsafetydevices.
i _ 1. Removeanypackingmaterial.Thefirst step in assemblyis to attachthe rearwheels. a. Placerearof the mowerdeck on raisedblocks. b. Removelock nutand washer(if equipped)from pivotarm assembly,Figure3-1.(On selectmodels, these maybe includedseparatelyin a plasticbag). c. Slidewasher (if equipped)followedbythe wheel (bothwith hollowside in) ontopivot arm. See Figure3-1. d. Securewith lock nut removedearlier. e. Assemblethe other sidein the samemanner. Removeblocksand lowerdeck whencomplete. 2.
c. Slip starterropeinto ropeguide. d. Tightenwing nut. 5. To securecablesto the handle,insert postson cable ties intoholesprovidedon the lowerhandle.Pullcable ties tight andtrim excess. 6. Followstepsbelowto assemblethe grasscatcher. Makecertainbag is turned rightsideout before assembling(warninglabelwill be on the outside) a. Placebag overframe sothat its black plasticside is at the bottom. b. Slip plasticchannelof grass bagoverhooks on the frame,Figure3-5.
Know Your Lawn Mower Y _ Blade Control .g Choke Knob You r LaWn Recoil Starter Mower \ Fill Cutting Height AdjustmentLevers (one at eachwheel) WARNING MulchingPlug This blade control mechanism is a safety device. Do not bypass its operations, Use extreme care when handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely flammable and the vapors are explosive. Never fuel the machine indoors or while the engine is hot or running. Extinguish cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and other sources of ignition.
_ WARNING:The operationof any lawn mowercan result in foreign objectsbeing thrownintothe eyes,whichcan damageyoureyes severely.Nways wear safetyglasseswhileoperating the mower,or whileperformingany adjustmentsor repairson it. Starting Engine ,_ operatoris standingnear WARNING:Be sure no onethe otherthan lawn mower the whilestartingengineor operatingmower. Neverrun engine indoorsor in enclosed, poorly ventilatedareas. Engineexhaustcontainscarbon monoxide, an odorless and deadly gas.
Lubrication 1. Lubricatepivot pointson theblade controlat least oncea seasonwith lightoil. The bladecontrol must operatefreely in both directions.See Figure5-1. 2. Lubricatethe wheelsat least oncea seasonwith lightoil (or motoroil). If wheelsare removedfor any reason,lubricatesurfaceof the pivotarm and inner surfaceof thewheelwith light oil. See Figure5-1. Your LaWn MoWer 3. Lubricatethe torsionspringand pivot pointon the rear dischargedoor and side mulchplug periodicallywith lightoil to preventrust.
_, ARNING:Whenremovingthe cuttingblade for sharpening or replacement, protectyour hands with a pairof heavy gloves or use a heavy rag to hold the blade. Maintaining Periodicallyinspectthe bladeadapterfor cracks, especiallyif youstrikea foreignobject. Replacewhen necessary.Followthe stepsbelowfor blade service. 1. Disconnectsparkplug wirefrom spark plug.Turn moweron itsside makingsurethat the air filter and the carburetorare facing up. 2.
Problem Cause Remedy "Frouble Engineruns erratic 1. Sparkplug bootloose. 1. Connectand tightenspark plug boot. 2. Blockedfuel line or stale fuel. 2. Cleanfuel line; fill tank with clean, fresh gasoline. 3. Ventin gas cap plugged. 3. Clearvent. 4. Wateror dirt in fuel system. 4. Drainfueltank. Refillwith fresh fuel. 5. Dirtyair cleaner. 5. Referto enginemaintenance section. 6. Unit runningwith CHOKEapplied. 6. PushCHOKEknobin. 1.... Engne o eve Ow 1 F crankcasew th propero 2.
WARNIN DO NOT remove safety (or any)labels from mower for any reason. ii i _iI_ ii NOTE: Safety labels vary by model. Not all labels shown on this page are applicable to all Lawn Mower models.
WARNING: Gasoline and its vapors are extremely flammable and explosive. Fire or explosion can cause severe burns or death. If gasoline is spilled on yourself or your clothes, wash your skin and change clothes immediately. • Whenoperatingequipment,do not tip engineor equipmentat anglewhich causesgasolineto spill. Gasoline and its vapors are extremely flammable and explosive. Fire or explosion can cause severe burns or death, if • Do notchoke carburetorto stopengine.
Running engine produces heat. Engine parts, especially muffler, become extremely hot. Severe thermal burns can occur on • Tie up long hairand removejewelry. • Do notwear loose-fittingclothing,danglingdrawstringsor itemsthat couldbecomecaught. contact. Combustibledebris, such as leaves, grass, brush, etc., ,__ can catch fire. (kickback) will pull Rapid retraction of hand starterand cord arm toward engine faster than you can let go. Broken bones, fractures, bruises or sprains could result.
Know Your Engine f"- Fuel Cap -'_ Air Cleaner Starter Gri Oil Fiii Cap Oil Drain-----_ Muffler Spark Plug !%5Eng!n eSh°wn t IMPORTANT:This engine is shipped without gasoline or oil in the engine. Running the enginewith insufficient oil can cause serious engine damage andvoid the engine warranty. iMPORTANT: Using nondetergent oil or 2stroke engine oil could shorten the engine's service life. Be sure to check the engine on a level surface with the engine stopped.
Check Oil Level IMPORTANT:Be sureto checkthe engineon a level surfacewith the engine stopped. . Removethe oil fillercap and wipethe dipstickclean. See Figure9-2. 2. Insertthe dipstickintothe oil fillerneck, butdo not screwit in. 3. if the levelislow,slowlyadd oil to the upperlimit on thedipstick. 4. Tightendipstickfirmlybeforestartingengine. IMPORTANT:Donotoverfill.Overfillingwith oil may causesmoking,hardstarting,spark plug fouling,or oil saturationof air cleaner.
WARNING:Shut off the engine before performingany maintenance. To preventaccidental start-up, disconnect the spark plug boot. Periodicinspectionand adjustmentof theengine is essentialif high levelperformanceis to be maintained. Regularmaintenancewillalso ensurea long servicelife. The requiredserviceintervalsand the kindof maintenanceto be performedare describedin thetable below. Followthe hourlyor calendarintervals,whicheveroccur first. Morefrequentserviceis requiredwhenoperatingin adverseconditions.
IMPORTANT:Usedmotoroil may causeskin cancer if repeatedlyleft in contactwith the skin for prolonged periods.Althoughthis is unlikelyunlessyou handleused oil on a dailybasis,it is still advisableto thoroughlywash yourhandswith soapand wateras soon as possible after handlingusedoil. PaperElement NOTE:Pleasedisposeof usedmotoroil in a mannerthat is compatiblewith the environment.We suggestyoutake it in a sealedcontainerto yourlocal servicestationfor reclamation.
f Storage Electrode Maintaining Enginesstoredover30 daysneed to be drainedof fuel to preventdeteriorationand gumfrom formingin fuel systemor on essentialcarburetorparts. If the gasolinein yourenginedeterioratesduringstorage,you mayneed to havethe carburetor,and otherfuel systemcomponents, servicedor replaced. 1. Removeall fuel fromtank by runningengineuntil it stopsfrom lack of fuel. 2. Changeoil. See Oil Changesection. --,,- *-- 0.030 in. Figure10-4:Measurethepluggapwitha feelergauge. 3.
NOTES 21
Model 54M Wheel Treads Bar K2 Bar Zag 22
Re,. ]po,tNo.ooso,iptioo Re,. l po,tNo.[ooso,iptioo 2 731-048591- BaiIOover 28 738-0507B ShoulderScrew,.5D x .434 3 712-04064 FlangeLockNut 1/2-20 29 732-0404 FrontSpringLever 4 726-0240 CableTie 30 720-0426 HeightAdjust Knob 5 664-04027 GrassBag Assembly 31 710-0599 TT Screw,1/4-20x.500 6 747-04080 GrassBag Frame 32 736-0270 BellWasher 7 731-05401 EngineShroud 33 710-0654A TT Screw,3/8-16x 1.0 8 731-05642 Trailshield 34 710-0216 HexScrew,3/8-16x.
Engine 1 P65 21- --7 I 22 16 24
Ref. Part No. Description 1. 951-10337 FuelTank 2. 951-10336 FlywheelShroud 3. 951-10335 RubberFuelTankMountingWasher 4. 951-10334 Oil FillerTubeAssembly 5. 951-10333 DipstickAssembly 6. 951-10406 CylinderHeadComplete 7. 951-10407 Short BlockAssembly 8. 951-10320 Stop Switchand BrakeAssembly 9. 951-10319 RecoilSpringand PulleyAssembly 10. 951-10314 PushRod Kit 11. 951-10313 ValveKit 12. 951-10370 Oil DrainPlugand WasherAssembly 13. 951-10367 IgnitionCoil 14.
MTD LLC (MTD), The United States Environment Protection Agency (U. S. EPA) Emission Control System Warranty Statement (Owner's Defect Warranty Rights and Obligations) The U. S. EPAand MTDare pleasedto explaintheemissionscontrolsystemwarrantyon your modelyear2005and latersmalloff-roadengine. New smalloff-roadenginesmust be designed,built and equippedto meet the stringentanti-smogstandards.
(7) The enginemanufactureris liable fordamagesto otherenginecomponentsproximatelycausedbya failureunderwarrantyof anywarranted part. (8) Throughoutthe engine'swarrantyperioddefinedin Subsection(a)(2), MTDwill maintaina supplyof warrantedparts sufficientto meet the expecteddemandfor such parts. (9) Any replacementpart maybe usedin the performanceof any warrantymaintenanceor repairsand mustbe providedwithoutchargetothe owner.Such usewill not reducethe warrantyobligationsof MTD.
MANUFACTURER'S LiMiTED WARRANTY The limitedwarrantyset forth belowisgivenby MTDLLCwith respectto newmerchandisepurchasedand usedin the UnitedStates,its possessionsand territories. "MTD"warrantsthis productagainstdefectsin materialand workmanship for a periodof two (2) yearscommencingon the dateof originalpurchase and will, at its option,repairor replace,free of charge,anypart foundto be defectivein materialsor workmanship.
