Maintenance Instructions LUBRICATION47Changing Engine Crankcase OilChange the engine crankcase oil after every 50hours of operation as follows:1. Park the mower on a level surface with theengine stopped. The engine oil should bewarm before draining. If not warm from opera-tion, start the engine and run a few minutes towarm the oil.2. Before removing the dipstick, clean the areaaround it to keep any dirt or debris out of theengine.3. Remove the dipstick and oil drain plug, anddrain oil into a suitable container. Be sure toallow ample time for complete drainage.Oil DrainOil Drain Location(View from Lower Right Side of Tractor)Dipstick(Oil Fill)Dipstick (Oil Fill) Location(View from Lower Right Side of Tractor)4. Reinstall the drain plug. Make sure it is tight-ened to 16.5 lb·ft (23 N·m).5. Fill the crankcase (through the dipstick open-ing) with oil using only crankcase lubricants rec-ommended by the engine manufacturer. Referto Specifications in this manual or the engineowner’s manual. Use the recommended oil vis-cosity for the expected ambient temperature.Oil with the correct viscosity will aid starting incold weather and assure proper lubrication inhot weather. Fill to FULL (H) mark on the dip-stick; crankcase capacity is 2.7 pints (1.3 liters).IMPORTANT: Check the dipstick reading be-fore adding the last 1/2 pint of oil and fill only tothe FULL (H) mark. The oil level should neverbe over the FULL (H) mark on the dipstick; over-filling can result in engine overheating and lossof power.6. Start and run the engine. Stop the engine, re-check the oil level, and add oil if necessary.Grease Fitting and Oil Point LubricationLubricate the grease fittings and oil points after every25 hours of operation. Lubricate more often whenoperating in dusty or dirty conditions. Use SAEgeneral purpose lithium or molybdenum base greasefor grease fittings and light machine oil (SAE 10) tolubricate oil points. Lubricate the locations shownin the Chassis and Deck Lubrication Pointsillustration.NOTE: PTO universal joints (on the deck and trac-tor) require routine lubrication after every 8 hoursof running time.NOTE: The flange bearings on the PTO drive shaftare sealed and do not require periodic maintenance.