(ET) Quantitative tiller maintenance & use info

["Geoff Rich" <grich firstsolar com>]

For those who want more detailed info on tiller maintenance, here's a 
little
more info that my previous ramblings gave.  I've checked the manuals
(service and owner's) for the following information.  Probably too late for
this year (at least in my neck of the woods, Ohio) but here's how to get
your machine tuned up for the next use this fall.

Which position to use on the tiller mounting bracket:
upper (bolt thru lower hole.. bracket is almost horizontal): (more
"aggressive") heavy sod, hard packed soil, rocky soil, clay-bearing soil.
lower (bolt thru upper hole.. bracket is sloping down towards tiller): 
(less
"aggressive") previously worked soil, sandy soil.

External chain drive tension:
(My addition: remove the shroud first).
loosen the two 5/8" nuts and use a pry bar to move the arm upward to remove
slack from the chain.
5 lbs of pressure on the chain should deflect it 5/8"

Drive belt tension:
loosen the double nuts on the belt tension spring (on the rod at the rear 
of
tiller).
turn down the lower nut, compressing the spring, until the spring length is
3 3/4".
jam the two nuts together to set the adjustment.

Internal chain drive tension:
(My addition: UNPLUG TILLER MOTOR, to ensure that you keep all of your
fingers!  Also, this unloads the motor (now a generator) and makes it 
easier
to rotate the tines).
raise tiller off of the ground with rear lift.
use a 5/32" allen wrench to adjust screw in the middle of the gusset
("front" side of the gusset, with respect to tractor motion).
turn this screw clockwise while trying to turn tines by hand until no slack
is felt and there is a slight drag in the chain.
back off 1/2 turn (or as much as is needed to allow the tines to turn
freely), stake threads (or use Loc-Tite).

Internal chain lubrication:
a few drops of 30wt oil in the oil cup before each seasonal use.

External chain lubrication:
just wipe on a coating of 30wt oil before and after storage.
(increase lubrication frequency for heavy use).

I've left out the more involved stuff like adjusting the clutch and
replacing bearings, etc.  Order the manuals from Bill if you want to really
dig in!  Happy tilling, everyone

Geoffrey Rich