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Maintenance Instructions LUBRICATION
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1. Park the mower on a level surface with the en-
gine stopped. The engine oil should be warm
before draining. If not warm from operation,
start the engine and run a few minutes to warm
the oil.
2. Before removing the dipstick, clean the area
around it to keep any dirt or debris out of the en-
gine.
3. Remove the dipstick and oil drain plug and drain
the oil into a suitable container. Be sure to allow
ample time for complete drainage.
Oil Drain/Oil Filter Location
4. Before removing the oil filter, clean the area
around the filter to keep dirt and debris out of
the engine.
5. Remove the old oil filter and wipe off the filter
mounting surface on the engine.
6. Apply a thin coating of clean oil to the rubber
gasket on the replacement oil filter.
IMPORTANT: Use ONLY oil filters from the en-
gine manufacturer (Kohler 12-050-01). After-
market oil filters may not seal properly and/or
may not have the correct pressure relief valve
for proper lubrication.
7. Install the new oil filter on the engine. Turn the
filter clockwise until the rubber gasket contacts
the sealing surface, then tighten an additional
1/2 turn.
8. Reinstall the drain plug. Make sure it is tight-
ened to 10 ft-lb (13.6 N
·m).
9. Fill the crankcase with new, clean oil. Use only
crankcase lubricants recommended by the en-
gine manufacturer. Refer to
Specifications in
this manual or the engine owner’s manual. Use
the recommended oil viscosity for the expected
ambient temperature. Oil with the correct vis-
cosity will aid starting in cold weather and assure
proper lubrication in hot weather. Fill up to, but
not above, the “F” mark on the dipstick.
Crankcase capacity is 1.85 quarts (1.75 liters)
plus 1/2 pint (.24 liters) for the new oil filter.
IMPORTANT: Check the dipstick reading be-
fore adding the last 1/2 pint of oil and fill only to
the “F” mark. DO NOT overfill the crankcase
(oil above “F” mark) as this CAN result in en-
gine overheating, loss of power, and possible
engine damage.
10. Start the engine and check for oil leaks around
the oil filter. Stop the engine, recheck the oil
level, and add oil if necessary. (When the
engine is first operated with a new oil filter, the oil
level drops slightly as the filter is filled with oil.)
Mower Deck Gearbox Lubrication
NOTE: These instructions apply to all mower
decks with gear-driven blades. Refer to DSD52
Mower Deck Lubrication in this section for the
DSD52 deck with belt-driven blades.
The mower deck gearboxes (tee gearbox and blade
drive gearboxes) are connected as a unitized as-
sembly, and oil flows freely between them. The gear-
boxes are permanently lubricated (oil filled) and
sealed requiring no scheduled lubrication. Howev-
er, the gearbox oil seals should be checked every
25 hours for indication of an oil leak; particularly
the lower seals on the blade drive gearboxes
should be inspected, since they operate in a dirty en-
vironment. If an oil leak is noted, replace the oil seal
and relubricate the gearbox assembly as follows:
1. Remove gearbox cover (footrest). Deck orien-
tation should be the normal operating position.
Drain Plug
Oil Filter