Craftsman 987.799601 Service, Adjustments, WARNIH8, Danser, Replace the Chipper Cutting Blade

SERVICE AND

REPLACE THE CHIPPER CUTTING BLADE

Over time, the chipper cutting blade edge (A in Figure 33 on Page 31) will dul!. Sharpen or replace the blade when the chipper no longer cuts efficiently,

_3 Discard a cracked or severely nicked blade because the blade could break apart and cause personal

injury.

E3 We recommended thatyou takethebladetoa

professional sharpening service for expert sharpening,, All grinding must be flat and uniform along the beveled edge of the blade to maintain the original 45 o cutting angle. Sharpen a blade that is dull or that has only minor nicks. The blade is made from tempered steel and is extremely hard - do not attempt to sharpen with a hand file

iMPORTANT: Do not reuse the blade mounting screws and locknuts. New screws and tocknuts are supplied

with a new blade Use only factory-supplied hardware. Do not use substitutes or failure of the

equipment or personal injury could result. See the Parts List at the back of this Manual to order individual

replacement screws and Iocknuts if re-installing the old blade.

To Remove and Replace the Blade

1, Stop the engine and make sure that all moving parts have come to a complete stop. Disconnect the spark wire and secure it away from the spark plug.

2.Remove the collection bag or the blower deflector,

3o The blade removal procedure requires removal of the engine. To avoid a potential safety hazard from spilled gasoline, the fuel tank must be emptied of alt gasoline before the engine is removed, Follow Steps "a" through "d" to empty the fuel tank,

a. Place a clean pan below the fuel tank to catch the gasoline as it drains Remove gas cap from fuel tank,

ADJUSTMENTS

d.Re-install the fuel line on the fuel tank fitting and

secure it in place with the hose clamp. Install gas cap on fuel tank.

FuelTank

Figure 31: Hose clamp and fuel line.

4. With a 3/8" wrench, remove the three bolts that

secure the engine mounting base to the deck. One bolt is shown in Figure 32. A second bolt is located at the rear of the machine above the left side of the blower

opening. This second bolt also secures the short wire leading to the safety interlock,. Remove the wire and the Iockwasher along with this bolt. Also, disconnect the long safety interlock wire where it attaches to the engine above the engine muffler, A third bolt is located near the right front wheel

5.Remove the two hair pin clips on the right side and rear of the housing which secure the shredder screen rods, and then remove the rods and shredder screen,

6, Slide the engine forward (in direction of the spark plug) and carefully lift engine out of chassis., Gently place the engine on a clean floor or workbench with the spark plug side facing up.

WARNIH8

To avoid personal injury, handle chipper cutting blade with extreme care,, The cutting edge is very

sharp°

DANSER

Gasoline and its vapors are highly flammable and explosive.

To avoid serious personal injury, be sure area is well ventilated and keep gasoline away from open flame or sparks, Observe no smoking rules at atl times_ Use an approvedfuel conlainer.

b.Using adjustable pliers, squeeze the tabs on the hose clamp (A in Figure 31) that secures the fuel line

(B)to the fuel tank fitting. Slide the clamp a few inches down the fuel Iine.

c.Pinch the fuel line with your fingers to prevent gasoline from leaking and then gently pull the fuel line off the fuel tank fitting Drain the gasoline into the pan and then transfer the gasoline to a container

designed for fuel storage, Figure 32: Engine mounting bolts.

3O