MTD 111-040 - Manual (Page 4)

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
A S S E M B L Y — O p t i o n a l h a n d l e
Your new mower is shipped completely assembled with the
exception of the handle and throttle control assembly.
1. Remove lawn mower and all parts from carton. Make cer­
tain that all loose parts and literature are removed from
carton before carton is discarded.,
2. Extend throttle control assembly, which is attached to
engine, to rear of mower and place on floor. CAUTION:
Do not bend or kink control wire.
3. Assemble upper handle to lower handle using four each
screws and lock nuts provided in parts bag.
4. Assemble complete handle assembly to mower so that
throttle control mounting hole in upper handle will be on
right side. Holes at bottom of lower handle are to be
fitted over studs located in front of each rear wheel
mounting position.
5. Position throttle control assembly on right hand side of
upper handle so that holes in control assembly and
handle are in line. Secure in place with screw and lock
nut found in parts bag. Secure throttle wire to lower
8. right handle tube with clips in parts bag.
6. Place the plastic control cover over the throttle control
and secure with two self-tapping screws.
O P E R A T I O N
NOTE:
For shipping purposes your mower is set with the
wheels in a low cutting height position. For best results,
raise the cutting position until it is determined which height
is best for your lawn. See adjustments.
1. Service enginewith gas and oil. See Engine Manual pack­
ed with lawn mower for complete instructions for the care
and maintenance of engine. R E A D D I R E C T I O N S
CAREFULLY.
2. When ready to start engine, place throttle control lever in
“START” position and start engine in accordance with
instructions in Engine Manual. After engine starts, move
throttle control lever to desired engine speed. The engine
is stopped by placing c o n t r o l lever in the “STOP”
position.
3. Be sure that lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire or
other objects which could damage lawn mower or engine.
For best results and to-insure more even grass distribu­
tion, do not mow when lawn is excessively wet.
4. Check blade bolts for proper tightness.
A D J U S T M E N T S
CAUTION: Do not at any time make any adjustment to lawn
mower without first stopping engine and disconnecting spark
plug wire.
CUTTING HEIGHT - An adjusting plate and thumb lever at
each wheel position provides cutting height adjustment.
Each adjusting plate has five holes. Hei^t of cut will be
changed when the thumb lever is moved from one hole to
another. Simply depress thumb lever towards wheel and move
wheel and lever assembly to desired position. Cutting
height will be raised as lever is moved toward front and
lowered as lever is moved toward rear. All wheels must be
positioned in relative height of cut positions.
THROTTLE - If adjustment becomes necessary, the throttle
control wire assembly can be reset as follows:
1. Loosen, but do not remove, screw securing throttle con­
trol wire assembly at engine.
2
. Move throttle control lever on handle to “FAST” position.
3. Move lever, to which control wire is fastened at engine,
to full open position and re tighten screw to s e c u r e
throttle control wire assembly.
L U B R I C A T I O N
IMPORTANT: Always stop engine and disconnect spark
plug wire before cleaning, lubricating or doing any kind of
work on lawn mower.
FORM NO. 770-2383D
WHEELS: Wheel bearings are of lifetime Fortiflex. They
requite no lubrication.
THROTTLE: Periodically lubricate throttle control lever
and throttle wire assembly with a few drops of light oil
(S.A.E. No. 10 or 20) for ease of operation.
ENGINE: Follow Engine Manual for lubrication instructions.
M A I N T E N A N C E
CUTTING BLADE - The blade may easily be removed for
grinding or replacement as follows:
1. Remove bolt and lock washer holding blade and hub
assembly to engine crankshaft.
2. Remove blade and hub assembly from engine crankshaft.
3. Remove two bolts, lock washers and nuts holding blade
to blade hub.
When sharpening blade, follow the original angle of grind as
a guide. It is extremely important that each cutting edge
receives an equal amount of grinding to prevent an unbal­
anced blade. An unbalanced blade will cause excessive
vibration when rotating at high speeds and may cause
damage to the mower.
Upon reassembly, make certain all 'parts are assembled
properly and tightened securely.
DECK - The underside of mower deck should be cleaned
after each period of use as grass clippings, leaves, dirt and
other matter will accumulate. This accumulation of grass
clippings, etc. is undesirable as it will invite corrosion and
may cause an uneven discharge of grass clippings at the
next cutting.
The deck may be cleaned by tilting the mower forward or on
its left side and scraping clean with a suitable tool or by
washing with a s t r e a m o f w a t e r from a garden hose.
CAUTION: Do not direct the stream of water at a hot engine
as damage to the engine may result.
STORAGE - The following steps should be taken to prepare
lawn mower for storage.
1. Clean and lubricate mower thoroughly as described in the
preceding instructions.
2. Refer to Engine Manual for correct e n g i n e storage
instructions.
3. Coat mower’s cutting blade with chassis grease to
prevent rusting.
4. Place blocks under deck to raise tires clear of floor.
5. Store mower in a dry, clean area.
U S I N G Y O U R M O W E R
For best results, do not cut wet grass because it tends to
stick to underside of the mower thus preventing proper dis­
charge of grass clippings. If wet grass must be cut, reduce
engine speed and walking speed to help distribute the
clippings more effectively.
New grass should be treated as wet grass, otherwise a nor­
mal walking speed is about the right pace for efficient mow­
ing. .. The best mowing pattern is one that allows the clip­
pings to discharge towards the uncut part of the lawn. This
permits recutting of the clippings to further pulverize them.
When cutting high weeds, discharge towards cut portion,
then recut at right angles to first direction.
Lawn should be cut in the fall as long as there is growth.
PRINTED IN U.S.A.