Spark Plug
1. Clean areaaroundthe sparkplug base.Do notsandblastspark
plug,Sparkplugshould becleanedby scrapingor wire brushing
andwashingwitha commercialsolvent
Removeandinspectthe sparkplug. Checkgapto makesureit is
setat .030".See Figure15.
Electrode Porcelain_.030 (.76 mm) gap
\
Figure15
3. Replacethesparkplug (Champion®RC12YC)once a season.
Muffler
Temperatureof mufflerand nearbyengineareasmayexceed150°F
(65°0).Avoidcontactwiththese areas.
inspectmufflerperiodically,andreplaceifnecessary.Replace-
mentpartsfor the mufflermustbe the sameand installedin the
samepositionasthe originalparts.
Clean Engine
Dailyor beforeeveryuse,cleangrass,chaff oraccumulated
debrisfromengine.Keeplinkage,spring,andcontrolsclean.
Keepareaaroundandbehindmuffler freeofany combustible
debris.
Keepingenginecleanallowsairmovementaroundengine.
Engineparts shouldbekeptclean to reducetherisk of overheat-
ingandignition ofaccumulateddebris.
Donotuse waterto clean engineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel
system.Useabrush ordry cloth.
Carburetor Adjustment
Thecarburetoron thisengineis notadjustable.

LUBRICATION

Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO
(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverinto neutralposition,set
parkingbrake,stopengineand removekeytopreventunintended
starting.
Pivot Points &Linkage
Lubricateallthepivot pointsonthedrive system,parkingbrakeandlift
linkageatleastonce a seasonwithlightoil.
Rear Wheels
Therear wheelsshouldberemovedfromtheaxles oncea season.
Lubricatetheaxlesandthe rimswell withan all-purposegreasebefore
re-installingthem.
Front Axles
Eachendof thetractor'sfront pivotbar maybeequippedwith a grease
fitting.Lubricatewitha greasegunafter every25 hoursof tractor
operation.
Battery
Thebatteryis sealed andis maintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbe
checked.
Alwayskeepthebatterycablesand terminalscleanandfree of
corrosivebuild-up.
Aftercleaningthebattery andterminals,applya lightcoat of
petroleumjellyor greaseto both terminals.
Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminal
to preventshorting.
iMPORTANT:if removingthebatteryfor any reason,disconnectthe
NEGATIVE(Black)wire fromitsterminalfirst, followedbythe POSI-
TIVE(Red)wire.When re-installingthe battery,alwaysconnectthe
POSITIVE(Red) wire to its terminalfirst,followedbythe NEGATIVE
(Black)wire.Becertainthat thewiresare connectedtothecorrect
terminals;reversingthemcouldchangethepolarityand resultin
damagetoyour engine'salternatingsystem.
Cleaning Battery
Cleanthebatteryby removingitfrom the tractorandwashingwith
abaking sodaandwatersolution. Ifnecessary,scrapethe battery
terminalswitha wirebrushto removedeposits.Coatterminalsand
exposedwiringwithgreaseor petroleumjellytopreventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Somecommoncausesforbatteryfailureare:
incorrectinitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corrodedconnections
ThesefailuresareNOTcoveredby yourtractor'swarranty.
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