MTD LT31CS manual

Operator’ s Manual L T31CS 2-Cycle Petr ol T rimmer/Brushcutter IMPORT ANT : Read safety rules and instructions carefully befor e operating equipment. MTD SOUTHWEST 550 N. 54TH STREET , CHANDLER, ARIZONA 85226-2434 PRINTED IN U.S.A. PA RT NO. 769-00304 (8/02)[...]

2 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Content P age Important Safe Operation Practices ............................................................... 3 Know Y our T rimmer ........................................................................................ 6 Assembling Y our T rimmer .............................................................................[...]

3 This Symbol Points Out Important Safety Information Which, If Not Followed, Could Endanger The Personal Safety And/or Property Of Y ourself And Others. Read And Follow All Instructions In This Manual Befor e Attempting T o Operate Y our Cultivator . Failure T o Comply With These Instructions May Result In Personal Injury . When Y ou See This Symb[...]

•W ear heavy , long pants, boots and gloves. Do not wear loose clothing, jewelry , short pants, sandals or go barefoot. Secur e hair above shoulder level. • The cutting guard must always be in place while operating the unit as a trimmer . Do not operate unit without both trimming lines extended, and the proper line installed. Do not extend the [...]

5 SYMBOL MEANING • WEAR HEAD PRO TECTION W ARNING: Falling objects can cause severe head injury . W ear head protection when operating this unit. • ON/OFF STOP CONTROL ON / ST ART / RUN • ON/OFF STOP CONTROL OFF or STOP •H OT SURF A CE WARNING Do not touch a hot muffler or cylinder . Y ou may get burned. These parts get extremely hot fr om [...]

6 SECTION 2: KNOW Y OUR TRIMMER KNOW YOUR UNIT APPLICA TIONS As a trimmer: • Cutting grass and light weeds • Edging • Decorative trimming around tr ees, fences, etc. Primer Bulb Choke Lever Air Filter/Muffler Cover Spark Plug Muffler Cutting Head Guard Fuel Cap Throttle Control J-Handle Cutting Head Gear Housing Shaft Grip On/Off Stop Control[...]

SECTION 3: ASSEMBLING Y OUR TRIMMER 7 FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 Decal On some units, the J-handle may be pre-installed, r equiring only screw loosening and J-handle adjustment tailor ed to the operator . Go to step 6 to adjust the J-handle if it is pre-installed. INST ALLING AND ADJUSTING THE J-HANDLE Installing 1. Remove the scr ews, nuts, and to[...]

FIGURE 5 FIGURE 4 INST ALLING THE HARNESS W ARNING: Always use the shoulder harness when using the cutting blade to avoid serious personal injury . 1. Push the strap thr ough the centre of the buckle. 2. Pull the strap over the cr oss bar and down through the slot in the buckle, Figure 4. 3. Put the harness on overhead and onto shoulder . Snap it o[...]

9 Remove the Cutting Head W ARNING: The gear housing gets hot with use and can result in injury to the operator . When the unit is turned off it remains hot for a short time. Do not touch the gear housing until it has cooled. 1. Align the shaft bushing hole with the locking r od slot and insert the locking rod into the shaft bushing hole, Figure 8.[...]

NOTE: The blade retainer must be installed on the output shaft in the position shown for the cutting head to work correctly . 6. Remove the locking r od. 7. Install the cutting head guar d. See Removing and Installing Cutting Head Guard instructions. W ARNING: To avoid serious personal injury , the cutting head guard MUST be in place at all times w[...]

RECOMMENDED OIL TYPE Use a high quality oil formulated for use in 2-cycle, air -cooled engines. RECOMMENDED FUEL TYPE Always use clean, fresh, unleaded petr ol (gasoline) that is less than 60 days old. W ARNING: Petr ol (gasoline) is extremely flammable and its vapors can explode if they are ignited. Always stop the engine and allow it to cool befo[...]

ST ARTING INSTRUCTIONS W ARNING: Operate this unit only in a well ventilated outdoor area. Carbon monoxide exhaust fumes can be lethal in a confined area. W ARNING: A void accidental starting. Be in the starting position when pulling the starter rope, Figure 18. The operator and unit must be in a stable position while starting to avoid serious pers[...]

For best results, tap the Bump Head™ on bar e ground or hard soil. If line r elease is attempted in tall grass, the engine may stall. Always keep the trimming line fully extended. Line release becomes mor e difficult as the cutting line becomes shorter . NOTE: Do not rest the Bump Head™ on the ground while the unit is running. CAUTION: Do not r[...]

FIGURE 23 W ARNING: The blade continues to spin after the engine is turned off. The coasting blade can seriously cut you if accidentally touched. • Swing the unit in the same direction as the blade spins, which increases the cutting action. •M ove forward to the next ar ea to be cut after the r eturn swing and plant feet again. • The cutting [...]

15 SECTION 5: MAINT AINING Y OUR TRIMMER NOTE: Some maintenance procedures may require special tools or skills. If you are unsure about these procedures take your unit to an authorized service dealer . MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE These requir ed maintenance procedur es should be performed at the frequency stated in the table. They should also be included [...]

16 NOTE: SplitLine™ can only be used with the inner reel containing the slotted holes. Single line can be used on either type of inner reel. Use Figure 27 to identify the inner reel you have. NOTE: Always use the correct line length when installing trimming line on the unit. The line may not r elease properly if the line is too long. Single Line [...]

17 INST ALLING A PREWOUND REEL 1. Hold the outer spool with one hand and unscrew the bump knob clockwise, Figure 15. Inspect the bolt inside the bump knob to make sure it moves fr eely . Replace the bump knob if damaged. 2. Remove the old inner reel fr om the outer spool, Figure 24. 3. Remove the spring from the old inner r eel. 4. Place the spring[...]

18 CAUTION: Do not sand blast, scrape, or clean electrodes. Grit in the engine could damage the cylinder . 4. Install a corr ectly gapped spark plug in the cylinder head. Tighten by turning the 5/8 in. socket clockwise until snug. If using a torque wr ench torque to: 12.3-13.5 N•m (110-120 in.•lb.) Do not over tighten. FIGURE 39 REPLACING THE S[...]

19 NOTE: If exhaust gasket is torn or damaged, replace with a new gasket before reassembling muffler . 4. Using a small flatblade screwdriver , carefully pry up the spark arrestor fr om the recessed hole, Figur e 41. Remove the spark arrestor fr om the muffler . 5. Clean the spark arrestor with a wir e brush. Replace if it is damaged or unable to t[...]

CLEANING THE UNIT W ARNING: To avoid serious personal injury , always tur n the unit off and allow it to cool before you clean or perform any maintenance on it. • Use a small brush to clean off the outside of the unit and to keep the air vents free of obstructions. • Do not use strong deter gents or petroleum based cleaners, such as kerosene. S[...]

ENGINE WILL NOT ST ART CAUSE A CTION Empty fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fill fuel tank with properly mixed fuel Primer bulb wasn't pressed enough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Press primer bulb fully and slowly 5-7 times Engine flooded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [...]

ENGINE Engine T ype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Air -Cooled, 2-Cycle Stroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.75 mm (1.25[...]

SECTION 9: NOTES 23[...]

OPERA TOR’S MANUAL P ART NO. 769-00304 8/02 PRINTED IN THE USA SECTION 9: NOTES Cont...[...]