Troy-Bilt 12215 owner manual Maintenance, Tine Removal Installation, Spark Plug Cooling System

Section 5: Maintenance

WARNING

Before inspecting, cleaning or servicing the machine, shut off engine, wait for moving parts to stop, dis- connect spark plug wire and move wire away from spark plug.

Failure to follow these instructions can result in serious personal injury or property damage.

If the engine is running poorly or has low power while tilling, an adjustment to the carburetor may solve the problem. How- ever, first inspect and service the spark plug and the air filter before making a carburetor adjustment. If the engine con- tinues to run poorly (and the fuel mixture is fresh), proceed to the following carbu- retor adjustment instructions.This fac- tory-engineered instruction is designed to provide continued optimum engine oper- ating performance after the engine break- in period, which is approximately 5 to 10 hours. The adjustment, when properly performed as described below, will not void the engine warranty. A common screwdriver is needed. If you prefer, see an authorized engine dealer for adjustment.

Spark Plug

Inspect the spark plug annually or every 100 operating hours according to the instructions in the separate Engine Owner’s Manual. Check that the gap is set at .030". For replacement use Champion RCJ-6Y or equivalent (a resistor spark plug must be used for replacement).

Cooling System

It is important to frequently check and remove grass clippings, dirt and other debris that accumulates on the engine, cooling fins, air intake screen and on levers and linkages. This helps to ensure adequate air cooling and correct engine speed.

A

Figure 16: Remove ring lock pin (A) to take off tines.

IMPORTANT: The ring lock pin (A, Figure

16)is under spring tension – wear gloves to protect your fingers when removing or replacing the ring lock pin.

Prior to Carburetor Adjustment:

WARNING

The temperature of the muffler and adja- cent engine areas may exceed 150oF (65oC). Contact may cause burns. Avoid these areas. Remove the spark plug lead and ground the lead to the engine to prevent accidental starts and fires.

Failure to do this could cause personal injury.

1.Let engine cool for 30 minutes before continuing.

2.From the operator’s position behind the handlebars, lay the machine down on its left side (muffler side).

Carburetor Adjustment:

1. Locate the carburetor idle mixture

screw (Figure 15). It is directly under the

air filter and is black.

TINE REMOVAL

AND INSTALLATION

WARNING

Avoid contact with the cutting edges on the tines.

To avoid personal injury when removing or installing tines, wear heavy work gloves. The engine must be off, all moving parts stopped, and the spark plug wire disconnected from the spark plug and moved away from the plug.

The tines will wear with use and they should be replaced if tilling seems to take longer than usual or if the soil is not being mixed as thoroughly. Also, in addi- tion to the standard 10" tilling width tine configuration, the tines can be arranged in two other configurations: (1) A narrow,

41/2" tilling width for smaller areas and (2) A special pattern for stony soil conditions.

Arranging Tines for Narrow Tilling

1.Prop the machine forward so it rests on the front of the tubular carrying handle. The work surface should be flat and firm.

2.Flip open the ring (A, Figure 16) on the left side ring lock pin and remove the ring lock pin.

3.Remove the outer tine section (do not remove inner tine section) and mark it as to which side it is from (left or right) and whether it’s an outer or inner tine section.

4.Slide one of the long bushings (B, Figure 17), provided with the unit, onto the shaft. Insert the ring lock pin through the rounded side of the tine shaft and snap the ring down over the shaft (see DETAIL - Ring Lock Pin, Figure 4, in Section 2).

5.Repeat this procedure on the opposite side.

Do Not Adjust Silver-Colored Screw.

2. Turn the black idle mixture screw 1/16

of a turn clockwise.

3. Return the unit to its normal upright

operating position and reconnect the

spark plug wire.

If the engine continues to run poorly, con- tact an authorized engine dealer.

Primer Bulb

Primer Line

Idle Speed Screw (Silver)

Idle Mixture Screw (Black)

Fuel Line

Fuel Tank

12

Figure 15: Idle Mixture Screw can be adjusted.