Filter
Top Products
Section5: Maintenance
WARNING Before inspecting,cleaning or servicing the unit, shut off engine, wait for all
partsto cometo a completestop, disconnectspark plugwire and movewire away from spark
plug. Failure to follow these instructions can result in serious personal injury or
propertydamage.
TILLERLUBRICATION
Proper lubrication of the tiller is an
essential part of maintenance. After
every 10 operating hours, oil or grease
the lubrication points shown in Figures
5-1 and 5-1A and described below.
Usea good quality lubricating oil (#30
weight engineoil is suitable) anda quality
generalpurpose grease(with a metal
lubricant, if available).
,, Removewheels, cleanwheel shaft (A,
Fig.5-1) and apply thin coating of
grease to the shaft.
,, Greaseback, front andsides of depth
regulator lever (B, Fig.5-1).
,, Removetines, clean tine shafts (C,Fig.
5-1). Inspectfor rust, rough spots or
burrs (look around holes). Fileor sand
smooth, coat ends of shaft with grease.
,, Oil the threads on the handlebarheight
adjustment screws and the handlebar
attaching screws (D, Fig.5-1).
• ShiftingMechanism. Lightlyoil pivot
pointsfor smooth operation(E,Fig.5-1A).
A
Figure5-1
Figure5-1A
CHECKFOR OILLEAKS
Before eachuse,check your tiller for
signs of an oil leak- usually a dirty, oily
accumulation either on the unit or on the
floor where it has been parked.
A little seepagearound a cover or oil seal
is usually not a causefor alarm. However,
if the oil drips overnight then immediate
attention is neededas ignoring a leak can
result in severetransmission damage.
If a cover is leaking,try tightening any
loose screws. If the screws are tight, a
new gasketor oil seal may berequired. If
the leak is from around a shaft and oil
seal,the oil seal probably needsto be
replaced. Seeyour authorizeddealer or
contact the factory for serviceor advice.
IMPORTANT:Neveroperate thetiller if
the transmission is low on oil. Checkthe
oil level after every 30 hours of operation
andwhenever there is any oil leakage.
CHECKHARDWARE
Checkfor loose or missing hardware after
every 10 operating hours. Tighten or
replace hardwarebefore using the tiller.
Besure to check the screws underneath
the tiller hood (lift the hoodflap) that
securethe transmission cover andthe
depth regulator leverto the transmission.
CHECKTIREPRESSURE(on
machines equipped with
pneumatic tires)
Checkthe air pressure in both tires.
Deflateor inflate both tires evenly from
15-to-20 PSI (pounds persquare inch).
Besure that bothtires havethe sameair
pressure or the unit will tend to pull to
oneside.
NOTE:Your tiller may not beequipped
with pneumatic tires, eliminating the need
for air pressure checks.
TRANSMISSIONGEAROILSERVICE
Checkthe transmission gear oil levelafter
every30 hours of operation or whenever
you notice anyoil leak. Operatingthe
tiller when the transmission is low on oil
can result in severe damage.
A. To ChecktheTransmission
Gear Oil Level:
1. Checkthe gearoil levelwhen the trans-
mission is cool. Gearoil will expand in
warm operating temperatures andthis
expansionwill provide an incorrect oil
level reading.
2. With the tiller on levelground, adjust
the DepthRegulator Lever up or down to
the notch that makesthe tiller level..
3. Removethe oil fill plug (A, Fig.5-2)
from the transmission housing and look
into the oil fill hole. You will seethe main
drive shaft on oneside of the hole.
4. The gear oil level is correct if the gear
oil is approximately half way up the side
of the drive shaft.
5. If the gear oil level is low, add gear oil
as described next. If the gear oil level is
okay, securely replacethe oil fill plug.
IMPORTANT:Do not operatethe tiller if
the gear oil level is low. Doing so will
result in severedamageto the transmis-
sion components.
6. If adding only a few ounces of gear
oil, useAPI rated GL-4or GL-5 transmis-
sion gear oil having a viscosity of SAE
140, SAE85W-140 or SAE80W-90. If
refilling anempty transmission, use only
GL-4transmission gear oil havinga
viscosity of SAE85W-140 or SAE140.
NOTE:Do not useautomatic transmission
fluid or engine oil in the transmission.
7. While checking frequently to avoid
overfilling, slowly add gear oil into the oil
fill hole until it reachesthe halfway point
on the drive shaft.
8. Securely replacethe oil fill plug.
2O