Walker MS Operator's Manual

Also see for MS: Detailed instructions Owner's manual Illustrated parts manual Owner's manual

Walker MS Operator's Manual Manual pdf 47 page image

Maintenance Instructions SUBARU TIPS43IMPORTANT TIPS FOR CARE OF THESUBARU ENGINEFuel System• Fuel must be clean - free from water, dirt, and or-ganic material.• Clean the fuel filter on a regular basis and whencontamination is suspected or found in the fuel.Starting• Start engine with the throttle advanced off idle(1/4 to 1/2 throttle). This will aid starting, especiallyin cold weather.• Keep the battery fully charged.• Match crankcase oil viscosity to the ambient tem-perature, allowing the engine to crank faster andstart easier.• Allow engine to run at idle for a few seconds be-fore stopping engine to avoid run-on or backfiring.Cooling SystemCAUTIONDO NOT use a pressure washer to clean thecooling system on an air-cooled engine,mud may form under the cooling shroudon the cylinder head and cooling fan.• Keep engine air intake screen and cylinder headfins free of grass clippings, chaff, and dirt. Inspectintake screen and cooling fins for cleanliness and nodamage.• Check performance of the cooling system bystarting the engine, holding a hand adjacent to thecylinder head, and feeling the cooling airflow.DANGERMake sure to keep hands clear of exhaustpipe, muffler, and moving parts whenchecking airflow.• Operate the engine at full speed when mowing.This allows the engine to produce full horsepowerand move more cooling air through the engine cool-ing fins.Air Cleaner System• Use only Donaldson air cleaner elements. After-market elements may not seal in the air cleanerhousing, allowing dirt to enter the engine. Also, af-termarket filters often skimp on the filtration mediaand require more frequent replacement (see follow-ing instructions).• Use the air filter restriction gauge to indicate theneed to service the air filter.• DO NOT overservice or frequently “disturb” theair filter. A dirty air filter actually cleans better thana new one. Changing the air filter too often canactually reduce filter efficiency and increase the op-portunity for traces of dust to enter the engine. Waituntil the element really needs servicing as indicatedby the air filter restriction gauge.• When the air filter element is removed or replaced,make sure all dust is cleaned out of the air cleanerhousing and hose. Use a damp cloth and wipe theinterior of the canister and hose clean (a little dirt lefthere will be sucked into the engine and reduce enginelife). When the filter is reinstalled, make sure theelement is held tight and straight in the canister forproper seating and sealing.• Periodically check the air intake hose for cuts,nicks, etc., and the hose clamps for tightness.Oil• DO NOT screw filler cap into crankcase whenchecking oil level.• Single viscosity or multi-viscosity oils may beused with the viscosity matching ambient tempera-tures for the engine operating conditions. This willaid starting in cold weather and assure proper lu-brication in hot weather.