Cleaning the Spindle Pulleys, Mower Blade Care, Inch Deck Shown

•Pull back the lock collar of the nozzle adapter and push the adapter onto the deck wash nozzle at the left end of the 42" mower deck, or onto one of the deck wash nozzles at either end of the 50" mower deck. Release the lock collar to lock the adapter on the nozzle. See Figure 34.

42 INCH DECK SHOWN

	Nozzle	Pull Lock
		Collar Back
	Adapter

Adapter

Lock Collar

Deck Wash

Nozzle

Figure 34

•Turn on the water supply.

•From the tractor operator’s seat, start the engine and engage the PTO. Allow to run as needed. Disengage the PTO and stop the engine.

•Turn off the water supply.

•Pull back the lock collar of the nozzle adapter to disconnect the adapter from the nozzle.

•50" Deck ONLY - Repeat the previous steps to clean the deck using the nozzle at the other end of the deck.

Cleaning the Spindle Pulleys

Once a month remove any accumulation of grass clippings from around the spindle pulleys and V-belt. Clean more often when mowing tall, dry grass.

Mower Blade Care

WARNING: Before performing any main- tenance, place the PTO switch in the “OFF” position, engage the parking brake lever, turn the ignition key to the “OFF” position and remove the key from the switch. When servicing the mower deck, be careful not to cut yourself on the sharpened blades.

The cutting blades must be kept sharp at all times. Sharpen the cutting edges of the blades evenly so that the blades remain balanced and the same angle of sharpness is maintained.

If the cutting edge of a blade has already been sharp- ened many times, or if any metal separation is present, it is recommended that new blades be installed. New blades are available at your authorized dealer.

The blades may be removed as follows.

•Remove the deck from beneath the tractor, (refer to Deck Removal on page 28) then gently flip the deck over to expose its underside.

•Use a 15/16 inch wrench to hold the hex nut on top of the spindle assembly when loosening the hex nut securing the blade. A block of wood may be placed between the deck housing and the cut- ting edge of the blade to help in breaking loose the hex nut securing the blade. See Figure 35.

HEX FLANGE NUT