OPERATION
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL (See Fig. 10)
= The engine inyourtractor has been shipped, fromthe
factory, already filled with summer weight oil
o Check engine oil with tractor on level ground.
° Remove oilfil! cap/dipstickand wipe clean,reinsertthe
dipstickand push it alltheway down intothe tube,wait
for a few seconds, remove and read oil level, if
necessary, add oil until "FULU' mark on dipstick is
reached., Do not overfill,,
• For cold weather operation you should change oil for
easier starting (See "OIL VISCOSITY CHART" in the
Customer Responsibilities section of this manual)°
• To change engine oil, see the Customer Responsibili-
ties section in this manual,,
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP/DIPSTICK
\,
FIG. 10
ADD GASOLINE
- Fill fuel tank. Use fresh, c_ean, regular unleaded
gasoline° (Use of leaded gasoline will increase carbon
and lead oxide deposits and reduce valve life)_
IMPORTANT: WHEN OPERATING IN TEMPERATURES
BELOW32°F(0°C), USE FRESH, CLEAN WINTER GRADE
GASOLINE TO HELP INSURE GOOD COLD WEATHER
STARTING.
WARNING: Experience indicates that alcohol blended
fuels (called gasohol or using ethanol or methanol) can
attract moisture which leadsto separation and formation of
acids during storage_ Acidic gas can damage the fue!
system of an engine while in storage,, To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be emptied before stor-
age 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 (See Fig. 6)
When starting engine for the first time or ifengine hasrun
out of fuel, itwilltake extra crankingtime to move fuel from
thetank to the engine.
• Depress clutch/brake pedal and set parking braker
• Place motion control lever in neutral (N) position.
° Move attachment clutch to "DISENGAGED" position.
• Pull choke control out to choke (]XI) position for cold
engine start° For warm engine start do not use choke
control
° Move throttlecontrol to midway between fast (,_) and
slow (,¢_) positions,
• Insertkeyinto ignitionand 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 engine does not start after
several attempts, move throttle control to fast ('Pe_)
position, wait a few minutes and try again°
. When engine starts, slowly push choke control in.
° Move throttle control to fast (._,) position.
• Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before
engaging drive or attachments,,
IMPORTANT: COLD STARTING FOR HYDRO (BELOW
40 F) - AFTER STARTING ENGINE AND BEFORE
DRIVING, LET TRANSMISSION WARM UP FOR (1)
MINUTE BY PLACING MOTION CONTROL LEVER IN
NEUTRAL AND RELEASING CLUTCHtBRAKE PEDAL.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold
temperatures (below 32°F), the carburetor fuel mixture
may need tobe adjusted for best engine performance. See
"TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual.,
'15