Engine, Battery, V-Belts, Transaxle Cooling

MAINTENANCE

•Slide blade on to an unthreaded portion of the steel bolt or pin and hold the bolt or pin parallel with the ground. If blade is balanced, it should remain in a horizontal position. If either end of the blade moves downward, sharpen the heavy end until the blade is balanced.

CENTER HOLE

BLADE

5/8" BOLT OR PIN

FIG. 11

BATTERY

Your tractor has a battery charging system which is sufﬁcient for normal use. However, periodic charging of the battery with an automotive charger will extend its life.

•Keep battery and terminals clean.

•Keep battery bolts tight.

•Keep small vent holes open.

•Recharge at 6-10 amperes for 1 hour.

NOTE: The original equipment battery on your tractor is maintenance free. Do not attempt to open or remove caps or covers. Adding or checking level of electrolyte is not necessary.

TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMINALS

Corrosion and dirt on the battery and terminals can cause the battery to “leak” power.

•Disconnect BLACK battery cable ﬁrst then RED bat- tery cable and remove battery from tractor.

•Rinse the battery with plain water and dry.

•Clean terminals and battery cable ends with wire brush until bright.

•Coat terminals with grease or petroleum jelly.

•Reinstall battery (See “REPLACING BATTERY” in the Service and Adjustment section of this manual).

V-BELTS

CheckV-belts for deterioration and wear after 100 hours and replace if necessary. The belts are not adjustable. Replace belts if they begin to slip from wear.

TRANSAXLE COOLING

Keep transaxle free from build-up of dirt and chaff which can restrict cooling.

ENGINE

LUBRICATION

Only use high quality detergent oil rated with API service classiﬁcation SG-SL. Select the oil’s SAE viscosity grade according to your expected operating temperature.

SAE VISCOSITY GRADES

							10W30
			5W-30

F	-20	0			30 32 40		60	80	100
C	-30	-20		-10	0	10	20	30	40

TEMPERATURE RANGE ANTICIPATED BEFORE NEXT OIL CHANGE

oil_visc_chart4_e

FIG. 12

Change the oil after every 50 hours of operation or at least once a year if the tractor is not used for 50 hours in one year.

Check the crankcase oil level before starting the engine and after each eight (8) hours of operation.

TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL (See Figs. 12 and 13)

Determine temperature range expected before oil change. All oil must meet API service classiﬁcation SG-SL.

•Be sure tractor is on level surface.

•Oil will drain more freely when warm.

•Catch oil in a suitable container.

•Remove oil ﬁll cap/dipstick. Be careful not to allow dirt to enter the engine when changing oil.

•Remove yellow cap from end of drain valve and install the drain tube onto the ﬁtting.

		OIL DRAIN VALVE
	CLOSED
	AND
	LOCKED
	POSITION
	YELLOW CAP	DRAIN
	YELLOW CAP	TUBE
		TUBE

FIG. 13

•Unlock drain valve by pushing inward and turning counterclockwise.

•To open, pull out on the drain valve.

•After oil has drained completely, close and lock the drain valve by pushing inward and turning clockwise until the pin is in the locked position as shown.

•Remove the drain tube and replace the cap onto to the bottom ﬁtting of the drain valve.

•Reﬁll engine with oil through oil ﬁll dipstick tube. Pour slowly. Do not overﬁll. For approximate capacity see “PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS” section of this man- ual.

•Use gauge on oil ﬁll cap/dipstick for checking level. For accurate reading, insert dipstick into the tube and push down ﬁrmly into place before removing. Keep oil up to, but not over, the “FULL” line on dip- stick. Push dipstick down ﬁrmly into the tube when

ﬁnished.