Good advise Rick but I just bought a new starter for it and all I can get is the starter engaging to the flywheel but it only bumps it and the engine does not turn over. There is plenty of juice in the battery and as I said the starter is doing its part. I noticed that there are two wires that run up into the engine case just above the starter and seem to run back to either the switch or the solenoid I can't really tell. Could these two wires have something to do with the engine turning over? Also, if a pin is sheered off of the blades that keep them secured or balanced would that keep the engine from turning over as a safety precaution? All I am getting is click like the battery is dead but you can see the starter kick in.

Robby, June 2006

Is it an overhead valve engine?
If it is, I've seen the stem caps slip off the exhaust valve stems. When that happens the exhaust valve doesn't open and the engine will not turn over. I had one in here that had ripped teeth off the ring gear on the flywheel due to that.
Can you post the engine Model and Type numbers?

Rick, June 2006

If the mower has been setting up for awhile you might want to try to turn the engine over manually and if it doesn`t turn try it clockwise and counter clock wise and pull plug and put oil in cylinder ....have seen where the rings try to seize up and prevents the engine from cranking over ,,,,,,,neihbor gave me a almaost brand new mower with same problem after he bought a new one ....was he surprized to see me cutting my grass eh>>? good luck

bg, June 2006