Operation Manual

18
Changing the Engine Oil
Change the oil after the first 5 operating hours and then
after every 50 hours or every season. Run the engine just
before changing the oil to warm the oil. Warm oil flows
better and carries more contaminants.
Note: Change the oil after every 25 hours when operating
under a heavy load or in high temperatures.
1. Remove the grass bag.
2. Disconnect the wire from the spark plug (Fig. 7).
3. If the grass bag is on the lawn mower, close the door in
the lawn mower housing and remove the bag.
4. Drain the gasoline from the fuel tank; refer to steps 3
and 4 of Emptying the Fuel Tank on page 20.
5. Remove the dipstick from oil fill tube and place a drain
pan next to the left side of the lawn mower.
6. Tip the lawn mower onto its left side, allowing the oil to
drain into the drain pan (Fig. 23).
m-1782
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Figure 23
1. Oil fill tube
7. Turn the lawn mower upright.
8. Fill the crankcase with fresh oil to the Full mark on the
dipstick. Refer to Filling the Crankcase with Oil on
page 8.
9. Install the dipstick.
10. Wipe up any spilled oil.
11. Connect the wire to the spark plug.
12. Recycle the used oil according to local codes.
Maintaining the Blade
A straight, sharp blade provides the best cutting
performance. Regularly inspect and sharpen the blade.
The blade is sharp; contacting the blade can result
in serious personal injury.
Wear gloves or wrap the sharp edges of the blade
with a rag.
Warning
1. Stop the engine and wait for all moving parts to stop.
2. Disconnect the wire from the spark plug (Fig. 7).
Tipping the lawn mower may cause the fuel to leak
from the carburetor or the fuel tank. Gasoline is
extremely flammable, highly explosive and under
certain conditions can cause personal injury or
property damage.
Avoid fuel spills by running the engine dry or
removing gasoline with a hand pump; never
siphon.
Warning
3. Drain the gasoline from the fuel tank; refer to steps 3
and 4 of Emptying the Fuel Tank on page 20.
4. Tip the lawn mower on its left side (air filter up)
(Fig. 24).
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3
Figure 24
1. Blade
2. Accelerator
3. Blade bolt
Important Move the blade as little as possible to avoid
future staring problems.
Inspecting the Blade
Carefully examine the blade for sharpness and wear,
especially where the flat and the curved parts meet
(Fig. 25A). Because sand and abrasive material can wear
away the metal that connects the flat and curved parts of the