Yard-Man 31AE553F401 manual

O PER AT OR’S M AN UAL IMPOR TANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFUL LY MTD PRODUCTS INC. P .O. B OX 368022 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-9722 Models 31AE553F401 31AE573H401 Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest- covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unles[...]

2 SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES WARNING: THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR SNOW THROWER. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY[...]

3 repairs, adjustments, or inspections. Never place your hand in the discharge or collector openings. Use a stick or wooden broom handle to unclog the discharge opening. • Take all possible precautions when leaving the unit unattended. Disengage the collector/impeller, shift into neutral, stop the engine, and remove the key. • When cleaning, re[...]

4 SECTION 2: FINDING SNOW THROWER MODEL NUMBER This Operators Manual is an important part of your new snow thrower. It will help you assemble, prepare and maintain your snow thrower. Please read and understand what it says. Before you prepare your snow thrower for its first use, please locate the model plate and copy the information from it in this[...]

5 SECTION 5: SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS NOTE: Reference to right or left side of the snow thrower in this manual is from behind the unit in the operating position. IMPORTANT: Check the adjustments as instructed on page 6, and make any final adjustments necessary before operating your snow thrower. Failure to follow the instructions may cause damage to the[...]

6 NOTE: If the connector is not properly assembled, the shift rod will pivot and you will not be able to shift gears or change directions. 7. Models with two-piece chute crank only: Remove the hairpin clip from the end of the upper chute crank. Slide the upper chute crank into the lower chute crank. Align the holes, and secure with hairpin clip. 8.[...]

7 auger drive clutch grip against the left handle completely. 3. If necessary, loosen the hex lock nut and thread the cable in (for less slack) or out (for more slack) as necessary. Recheck the adjustment. Tighten the lock nut against the cable when correct adjustment is reached. Traction Drive Clutch and Shift Lever 1. Tip the snow thrower forward[...]

8 SECTION 6: CONTROLS Figure 10 (Refer to Figure 10 for illustration of controls described below.) SHIFT LEVER The shift lever is located in the center of the handle panel. The shift lever may be moved into one of eight positions. Use the shift lever to determine ground speed. Forward— one of six speeds. Position number one (1) is the slowest. Po[...]

9 SECTION 7: OPERATION GAS AND OIL FILL-UP Service the engine with gasoline and oil as instructed in the separate engine manual packed with your snow thrower. Read instructions carefully. WARNING: Never fill fuel tank indoors, with engine running or while engine is hot. Do not smoke when filling fuel tank. Electric Starter WARNING: The electric sta[...]

10 2. To avoid possible freeze-up of starter , proceed as follows. Electric Starter: Connect power cord to switch box on engine, then to 120 volt AC receptacle. With the engine running, push starter button and spin the starter for several seconds. The unusual sound made by spinning the starter will not harm engine or starter. Disconnect the power c[...]

11 SECTION 8: ADJUSTMENTS WARNING: Never attempt to clean chute or make any adjustments while engine is running. CHUTE ASSEMB LY The distance snow is thrown can be adjusted by adjusting the angle of the chute assembly. Refer to the Control section of this manual. 1. The remote chute control cables have been pre- adjusted at the factory. Move the re[...]

12 SECTION 9: LUBRICATION (See Figure 13) WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine before performing any lubrication or maintenance. WHEELS Oil or spray lubricant into wheel bearings at least once a season. Remove wheels, clean and coat axles with a multi-purpose automotive grease. CHUTE CRANK The gear on the end of the[...]

13 SECTION 10: MAINTENANCE WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine before performing any repairs or maintenance. AUGERS The augers are secured to the spiral shaft with two shear bolts and hex lock nuts. If you hit a foreign object or ice jam, the snow thrower is designed so that the bolts will shear. Lock nuts cannot b[...]

14 WARNING: Do not attempt to change the auger belt without the help of an assistant. It is very important that one person, standing at the operating position, firmly hold the snow thrower housing to prevent it from tipping while the other person replaces the belt. Failure to comply with this may result in injury. Figure 18 4. Standing in the opera[...]

15 Drive Belt 1. Drain the gasoline from the snow thrower, or place a piece of plastic under the gas cap. 2. Remove the plastic belt cover on the front of the engine by removing the two self-tapping screws. 3. Tip the snow thrower up and forward, so that it rests on the housing. 4. Remove six self-tapping screws from the frame cover underneath the [...]

16 the friction wheel assembly and hold assembly in position. See Figure 25. Figure 25 11. Slide the hex shaft through the left side of the housing and through the friction wheel assembly. 12. Insert the hex shaft through the sprocket and the spacer. See Figure 25. Make certain that the chain engages both the large and the small sprocket. NOTE: If [...]

17 SECTION 12: TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE Note: For repairs beyond the minor adjustments above, contact your local authorized service dealer. Trouble Possible Cause(s) Corrective Action Engine fails to start Fuel tank empt y , or stale fuel. Blocked fuel line. Choke not in ON position Faulty spark plug. Key not in switch on engine. Spark plug wire disc[...]

18 32 11 27 22 19 16 15 24 30 35 18 6 12 9 25 12 25 15 20 20 1 15 20 29 4 8 5 14 21 26 3 17 23 31 10 13 31 23 28 33 15 24 26 7 34 24 24 36 37 38 2 39 40 43 42 41 NOTE: For painted parts , please refer to the list of color codes below. Please add the applicable color code, wherever needed, to the part number to order a replacement part. For instance[...]

19 Ref. No. Pa rt No. Code Description 1. 05931 Bearing Housing 2. 684-0040B Auger Housing Ass y . 26” 684-0055A Auger Housing Ass y . 30” 3. 684-0065 Impeller Ass y . 12” dia. 4. 705-5226 Chute Reinforcement 5. 710-0260 Carriage Bolt 5/16-18 x .62” 6. 710-0451 Carriage Bolt 5/16-18 x .75” Gr.2 7. 710-0459A Hex Screw 3/8-24 x 1.5” Gr.5 [...]

20 7 27 15 28 Drive Clutch Cable routed below axle and hooked here 44 29 23 8 11 11 36 47 11 50 52 11 3 33 37 33 37 10 9 13 1 34 26 51 31 30 16 9 43 17 34 46 34 18 19 6 39 18 24 40 34 32 14 20 32 35 38 45 40 34 32 38 32 20 14 9 48 5 7 49 36 47 36 47 11 41 42 11 9 43 16 30 9 51 13 9 26 34 4 25 7 56 57 54 54 55 57 53 31 21 NOTE: For painted parts , p[...]

21 Ref. No. Pa rt No. Code Description 1. 712-0324 Hex Lock Nut: 1/4-20 2. 732-0705 Cable Guide 3. 736-0173 Flat Washer Ref. No. Pa rt No. Code Description 1. 618-0043 Dogg Assembly: RH 2. 618-0044 Dogg Assembly: LH 3. 618-0303A Shift Assembly: Steerable Drive 4. 656-0012A Friction Wheel Disc Ass y . 5. 684-0014B Shift Rod Assembly 6. 684-0042B Bea[...]

22 Ref. No. Pa rt No. Code Description 1. 710-0262 Carriage Bolt: 5/16-18 x 1.5” 2. 710-0451 Carriage Bolt: 5/16-18 x 0.75” 3. 710-0805 Hex Bolt: 5/16-18 x 1.5 Gr. 5 4. 710-0896 Hex Washer Head AB Screw: 1/4-14 x 0.625” 5. 710-3015 Hex Bolt: 1/4-20 x 0.75” 6. 712-0429 Hex Lock Nut: 5/16-18 7. 712-3027 Flange Lock Nut 8. 731-0851A Chute Flan[...]

23 Ref. No. Pa rt No. Description 1. 684-0102 Handle Panel Assembly 2. 710-0459A Hex Bolt: 3/8-24 x 1.5 Gr.5 3. 710-0599 Hex Washer Head TT Screw: 1/4-20 x 0.5 4. 711-0653 Clevis Pin 5. 712-0116 Jam Nut 6. 712-3010 Hex Nut 7. 714-0507 Cotter Pin 8. 732-0145 Compression Spring 9. 732-0193 Compression Spring 10. 732-0746 Torsion Spring 11. 735-0199A [...]

24 A A 31 30 4 9 22 11 21 13 5 14 23 18 24 29 10 26 33 14 27 21 8 6 1 14 23 12 7 14 20 2 32 16 15 28 25 3 16 17 19 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 NOTE: For painted parts , please refer to the list of color codes belo w . Please add the applicable color code, wherever needed, to the part number to order a replacement part. For instance, if a part, nu[...]

25 Ref. No. Pa rt N o. Code Description 1. 684-0008A Shift Arm Assembly 2. 684-0053 Chute Crank Assembly 3. 705-5266 Chute Crank Bracket 4. 710-0262 Carr. Bolt 5/16-18 x 1.5 5. 710-0449 Carr. Screw 5/16-18 x 2.25 Gr.5 6. 710-0788 Hex Washer Head TT Screw 1/4-20 x 1.0 7. 710-0890A Shear Bolt 5/16-18 x 1.5 8. 710-3008 Hex Bolt 5/16-18 x 0.75 Gr.5 9. [...]

26 Ref. No. Pa rt No. Code Description 1. 05896A Idler Bracket 2. 710-0230 Hex Bolt 1/4-28 x 0.5” Gr.5 3. 710-0627 Hex Screw w/ patch: 5/16- 24 x 0.75” 4. 710-0654A Hex Washer HeadTT Sems Screw 5. 710-0696 Hex Bolt 3/8-24 x .875” Gr.8 6. 710-1245 Hex Screw w/ Patch: 5/16- 24 x .875” Gr.5 7. 710-1652 Hex Washer Head TT 8. 710-3005 Hex Screw:[...]

27 Optional Parts: Following optional parts are available for your snow throwe r . Please call 1-800-800-7310 to order these parts. While ordering, do not forget to mention the applicable part number. Tire Chain: Pa rt Number Drift Cutter Kit: Part Number: OEM-390-679 Wheel Size (with Sno Hog Tire) Wheel Size (without Sno Hog Tire) Tire Chain Part [...]

MANU FA CTURER’S LIMITED WARRANTY FOR: For TWO YEARS from the date of retail purchase within the United States of America, its possessions and territories, MTD PRODUCTS INC will, at its option, repair or replace, for the original purchaser, free of charge, any part or parts found to be defective in material or workmanship. This warranty covers un[...]