Maintenance Instructions

CHECKING/SERVICING

Charging the Battery

Check the battery charge by measuring the specific gravity of electrolyte; if specific gravity is less than 1.225, the battery will need to be charged as follows:

1.Charge the battery at 15 amps for 10 minutes. DO NOT exceed 20 amps maximum recom- mended charging rate. Charge until specific gravity is at least 1.250. Total charging time should not exceed one (1) hour.

2.After charging the battery, use drinking water to adjust the electrolyte level to the bottom of the vent wells [1/4 to 1/2 in. (6 to 13 mm) above the plates].

DANGER

BATTERIES PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE

GASES

•Charge the battery in a well-ventilated area, so that gases produced while charg- ing can dissipate.

•Keep sparks, flames, and smoking ma- terials away from the battery at all times.

•Make sure the battery cap vents are open (check manifold vent on each cap).

•Make sure the battery charger is un- plugged before connecting or discon- necting cables to the battery.

Tire Pressure

Inflate tires to pressures shown below:

Deck Caster Wheel = 20 PSI (137 kPa)

Drive

=

15 PSI (103 kPa)

Rear

=

20 PSI (137 kPa)

Sharpen Mower Blades

Check mower blade(s) for straightness, sharp- ness, condition of the cutting edge, and balance every 10 hours of operation (or more often when mowing abrasive type grass or operating on sandy soils). Replace blades if worn, bent, cracked, or otherwise damaged (refer to REPLACING/RE- PAIRING the Mower Blades in this section). Use the following procedure to check and sharpen blades:

NOTE: Keep blades sharp - cutting with dull blades not only yields a poor mowing job but slows the cutting speed of the mower and causes extra wear on the engine and blade drive by pulling hard.

1.Stop the engine, remove ignition key, and dis- connect the electrical plug on the fuel shut-off solenoid before raising the mower deck to ser- vice blades.

2.Raise the deck and secure it in the TILT-UPpo- sition. Refer to CLEANING the Grass Buildup in Mower Housing in this section for deck rais- ing instructions.

DANGER

NEVER operate cutter blades with the deck in the raised position.

3.Check the blades for straightness by marking the blade tip position inside the deck housing, and then rotating the opposite end of the blade to the same position and comparing. If the dif- ference in blade tip track is more than 1/8 in. (3 mm), the blade is bent and should be re- placed.

WARNING

DO NOT try to straighten a blade that is bent. NEVER weld a broken or cracked blade. ALWAYS replace with a new blade to assure safety.

4.If the blade cutting edge is dull or nicked, it should be sharpened. Remove blades for sharpening by grasping the end of the blade us- ing a rag or a thick, padded glove, while loosen- ing and removing the nut, lock washer, and flat washer that mounts the blade.

5.Grind cutting edge at the same bevel as the original. Sharpen only the top of the cutting edge to maintain sharpness.

62