How to Replace a Blade Shaft on a Craftsman 38-Inch Mower

Burn off any remaining gas in your Craftsman mower's gas tank.

Position a pan under the oil plug at the bottom rear of the mower. Unplug the oil plug and allow all the oil to drain from the machine.

Put on heavy duty gloves and ensure your Craftsman mower is powered off.

Disconnect the spark plug's ignition wire. The spark plug is located on the left side of the engine, and the thin, black ignition wire is attached to its rear. Pull the wire out with your hands to disable the spark plug as a safety precaution.

Place the lawn mower carefully on its side to gain access to the mower blades.

Lodge a piece of wood into the mower deck to keep the blade from turning as you work on the machine.

Loosen the bolt holding the blade shaft in place using a socket wrench to twist the bolt counterclockwise. Remove the washers behind the bolt as well.

Pull the blade shaft from around the blade and remove it from the mower.

Slide the replacement blade shaft into place. Follow your disassembly steps in reverse to install the new blade shaft.

Remove the block of wood from the mower and set the mower back on the ground. Refill the mower with gas and oil.

Slide the ignition wire back into the rear of the spark plug.