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I have a 3.5 year old Troy Bilt TB200 self propelled push mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine. This came out of nowhere with no symptoms previously. Up until now the engine has started and run with no problems every time.

A few days ago I went to cut my grass and the mower wouldn't start. I checked the oil, gas, and air filter. The oil looks new and is not low. The gas tank is full and the gas is fresh. The air filter was a bit dirty but not too bad, but I replaced it anyway. I checked the spark plug and it has some carbon buildup, so I replaced it as well. I set the gap according to the manual at .20. I know that gas is getting into the engine because when I pull the spark plug it has some gas on it. I pulled the carb, opened it, and cleaned it with carb cleaner; making sure I got the jets and needle. There was no visible clog or residue when I opened the carb, but I cleaned it anyhow. I checked to see if the flywheel key had broken, but it's perfectly fine. I checked the auto choke as much as I can without the engine running, and it seems to be fine. I purchased a spark plug tester and I'm getting juice to the spark plug when I pull the starter rope. At this point I don't know what else to check. This is a newer mower with somewhere around 80+- hours of usage, and everything appears to be working perfectly fine; except that it just won't start. I really don't want to buy a new mower when this one should be running. Any suggestions? Anything I might have missed?

My B&S engine model number is 093j02-0006-f1. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

If this is an Over Head Valve engine, remove the rocker cover and check the operation of the rockers.
The inlet & exhaust are identical so they should both sit in the same position at TDC firing stroke and move the same amount as you rotate the engine by hand
Removing the spark plug will make this a lot easier .

will it start if you spray carb cleaner in the plug hole, or behind the airfilter into the intake?

bertsmobile1 said:

If this is an Over Head Valve engine, remove the rocker cover and check the operation of the rockers.
The inlet & exhaust are identical so they should both sit in the same position at TDC firing stroke and move the same amount as you rotate the engine by hand
Removing the spark plug will make this a lot easier .

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To add to what bert said, i would also check the valve clearance
, Intake Valve Clearance .004 - .008 in (,10 - ,20 mm)
Exhaust Valve Clearance .004 - .008 in (,10 - ,20 mm)
Owners manual default.aspx

I didn't spray anything into the spark plug hole, because there's gas on the spark plug when I pull it. I did spray starting fluid into the carb through the intake and it did nothing at all. I'll follow both of your suggestions and let you know what happens. Thank you