Walker MT Owner's Manual

Contents

Maintenance Instructions KOHLER TIPS45IMPORTANT TIPS FOR CARE OF THE KOHLERENGINEFuel System• Fuel must be clean - free from water, dirt, and or-ganic material.• Change fuel filter on a regular basis and whencontamination is suspected or found in the fuel.Starting/Stopping• For starting in cold weather [below 40° F (4° C)],use the optional cold start lever to release the hydro-static transmissions from the starter cranking load.• 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.• Use fast idle for stopping engine to avoid run-onor backfiring.Cooling System• Keep engine air intake screen and cylinder headfins free of grass clippings, chaff, and dirt. Inspectintake screen and cooling fins for cleanliness and nodamage.• Periodically remove two access panels in the en-gine shroud to inspect and clean cylinder head cool-ing fins.• Check performance of the cooling system bystarting the engine, holding a hand adjacent to thecylinder head, and feeling the cooling 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 Kohler and Donaldson air cleaner ele-ments. Aftermarket elements may not seal in the aircleaner housing, allowing dirt to enter the engine. Al-so, aftermarket filters often skimp on the filtrationmedia and require more frequent cleaning and re-placement (see following instructions).• Use the air flow restriction gauge to indicate theneed to service the primary air filter.• Do frequently check the Turbine Precleaner forfree movement of the internal fan.• DO NOT overservice or frequently “disturb” ei-ther the primary or the secondary air filter. A dirtyair filter actually cleans better than a new one.Changing and cleaning the air filter too often can ac-tually reduce filter efficiency and increase the oppor-tunity for traces of dust to enter the engine. For theprimary filter, wait until the element really needs ser-vicing as indicated by the air flow restriction gauge.The secondary air filter should be serviced yearly orif there are indications that the primary filter hasfailed.• When the primary air filter element is removed orreplaced, make sure all dust is cleaned out of theair cleaner housing and hose. Use a damp clothand wipe the interior of the canister and hose clean(a little dirt left here will be sucked into the engineand reduce engine life). When the filter is rein-stalled, make sure the element is held tight andstraight in the canister for proper seating andsealing.• Periodically check the air intake hose for cuts,nicks, etc., and the hose clamps for tightness.Oil• Use only multi-viscosity oils as specified with theviscosity matching ambient temperatures for the en-gine operating conditions. This will aid starting incold weather and assure proper lubrication in hotweather.• Use only Kohler oil filters. Aftermarket filtersmay not seal properly and/or have the incorrectpressure relief valve for proper lubrication.DANGERMake sure to keep hands clear of exhaustpipe, muffler, and moving parts whenchecking airflow.