Poulan 961240002 manual Maintenance, General Recommendations, Lubrication Chart, Before Each Use

MAINTENANCE

BEFORE	AFTER	EVERY	EVERY	EVERY	BEFORE
EACH	EACH	10	25 HOURS	100
					STORAGE
USE	USE	HOURS	OR SEASON	HOURS

Check for Loose Fasteners

Clean / Inspect Grass Catcher *

Check Tires

Check Drive Wheels ***

Clean Lawn Mower ****

Clean under Drive Cover ***

Check Drive Belt / Pulleys ***

Check / Sharpen / Replace Blade

Lubrication

Clean and Recharge Battery **

Check Engine Oil level

Change Engine Oil

Clean Air Filter

Inspect Muffler

Replace Spark Plug

Replace Air Filter Paper Cartridge

Empty fuel system or add Stabilizer

* (if so equipped)	1 - Change more often if operating under a heavy load or in high outdoor temperatures.
** Electric-Start mowers	2	- Service more often if operating in dirty or dusty conditions.
	3	- Replace blades more often when mowing in sandy soil.
*** Power-Propelled mowers
	4	- Charge 48 hours at end of season.
**** Use a scraper
	5 - And after each 5 hours of use.
to clean under deck

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS	LUBRICATION CHART
The warranty on this lawn mower does not
cover items that have been subjected to op-	➀ Wheel
erator abuse or negligence. To receive full
	adjuster (on
value from the warranty, operator must main-
	each wheel)
tain mower as instructed in this manual.
Some adjustments will need to be made
periodically to properly maintain your unit.	➁ Engine oil
All adjustments in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual should be

“VARI-SPEED” DRIVE CONTROL

•Self-propelling is controlled by hold- ing the operator presence control bar down to the handle and pulling the drive control bar up to the handle. The closer to the handle the bar is pulled, the faster the unit will travel.

•Forward motion will stop when either the operator presence control bar or drive control bar are released. To stop forward motion without stopping engine, release the drive control bar only. Hold operator presence control bar down against handle to continue mowing without self- propelling.

NOTE: If after releasing the drive control the mower will not roll backwards, push the mower forward slightly to disengage drive wheels.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY:

•To keep drive control engaged when turning corners, push down on the handle to lift the front wheels off the ground while turning lawn mower.

Operator presence control bar

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

•Rotate thumbscrew counter-clockwise to tighten the drive cable.

•Operate mower to test drive speed.

•If condition fails to improve after the above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and should be replaced.

NOTE: If mower begins to "creep" forward, the drive cable is too tight. Rotate thumb- screw clockwise to loosen drive cable.

Thumb- screw

VARI-SPEED “BLOCK” ADJUSTMENT Over time, the drive control system may become “loose”, resulting in decreased speed. There are holes in the drive control housing to increase tension on the drive cable. Proceed as follows:

•Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug.

•Loosen nut, move drive control hous- ing down handle to the next hole and retighten nut.

•Operate mower to test drive speed.

•If condition fails to improve after the above steps (forward speed remains the same), your drive belt is worn and should be replaced.

checked at least once each season.	➀ Side dis-
• Once a year, replace the spark plug,	charge mower
clean or replace air filter element, and	guard hinge rod
check blade for wear. A new spark plug
and clean/new air filter element assures	➀ Rear dis-
proper air-fuel mixture and helps your
engine run better and last longer.	charge mower
• Follow the Maintenance Schedule in this	rear door
manual.	hinge rod

BEFORE EACH USE	➀ Handle bracket mounting pins
• Check engine oil level.
• Check for loose fasteners.	➀ Spray lubricant
LUBRICATION	➁ See “ENGINE” in Maintenance section.
Keep unit well lubricated	attract dust and dirt that will shorten the life
(See “LUBRICATION CHART”).
IMPORTANT: Do not oil or grease plastic	of the self-lubricating bearings. If you feel
	they must be lubricated, use only a dry,
wheel bearings. Viscous lubricants will	powdered graphite type lubricant sparingly.

Drive control bar

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

VARI-SPEED “THUMBSCREW” ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may become “loose”, resulting in decreased speed. There is a thumbscrew on the underside of the drive control housing to increase tension on the drive cable. Pro- ceed as follows:

•Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug.

Operator presence control bar

DRIVE	Drive
CONTROL
	control bar
ENGAGED

DRIVE

CONTROL

DISENGAGED

TO ADJUST,

MOVE DOWN

TO NEXT HOLE

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