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5
Maintaining
Your Lawn
Mower
WARNING
When removing
the cutting blade
for sharpening or
replacement or
when sliding the belt
around it, protect
your hands with a
pair of heavy gloves
or use a heavy rag to
hold the blade.
An unbalanced blade
will cause excessive
vibration when rotat-
ing at high speeds. It
may cause damage
to mower, and could
break causing per-
sonal injury.
Blade Care
WARNING: When removing cutting
blade for sharpening or replacement,
protect your hands with a pair of heavy
gloves or use a heavy rag to hold blade.
1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug. Turn
mower on its side making sure that the air filter and
the carburetor are up.
2. Remove bolt, blade bell support, blade, and blade
adapter from the engine crankshaft. See Figure 5-3.
3. The blade can be sharpened with a file or on a grind
-
ing wheel. Do not attempt to sharpen the blade while
it is still on the mower. When sharpening blade, follow
original angle of grind. Grind cutting edges equally to
keep blade balanced.
4. Remove blade from the adapter for testing balance.
Balance the blade on a round shaft screwdriver to
check. Remove metal from the heavy side until it
balances evenly.
WARNING: An unbalanced blade will
cause excessive vibration when rotating
at high speeds. It may cause damage
to mower, and could break causing
personal injury.
5. Lubricate the engine crankshaft and the inner surface
of the blade adapter with light oil. Slide the blade
adapter onto the engine crankshaft. Place the blade
on the adapter such that the side of the blade marked
“Bottom” (or with part number) faces the ground when
the mower is in the operating position. Make sure that
blade is aligned and seated on blade adapter flanges.
6. Place blade bell support on the blade. Align notches
on the blade bell support with small holes in blade.
Replace hex bolt and tighten hex bolt to torque: 450
in. lbs. min., 600 in. lbs. max.
To ensure safe operation of your mower, periodically
check the blade bolt for correct torque.
Belt Care
1. Remove two shoulder screws securing front drive
cover to mower deck. See Figure 5-4. Press inward on
sides of front drive cover and release tabs that secure
it to the height adjuster brackets. Remove drive cover
from mower.
2. Pull up on the belt keeper wire and pivot it out away
from the drive pulley. See Figure 5-4 inset.
3. Roll the belt off the transmission pulley. Tip mower
on its side with the air filter up to access belt from
underside of mower. Slide belt off of engine pulley and
thread through the opening in the belt keeper bracket.
Then remove the belt from around the blade by remov-
ing over one end at a time. See Figure 5-5.
4. Replace with new belt, working around blade and
up through the belt keeper bracket. Make sure belt
is firmly seated on engine pulley while pulling from
the other side and sliding it around the transmis-
sion pulley. Pivot the belt keeper wire back into its
operating position and snap into the slot provided.
Reassemble front drive cover.
Figure 5-3
Figure 5-4
Figure 5-5
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