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Not sure where to start with this. I have been out in 40c Humidity all day trying to fix my sons attempt at repairing a elderly friends lawnmower. AFTER all he did kind of sort of take one apart two years ago in school. Sorry still venting. Now here in lies the problem, the original problem was a busted spring for the recoil on the pull cord. the he busted the throttle lever off flush with the mount.
So off it came and I got the lid and pull system back up and working. The when I started the lawnmower started up it almost threw me off my feet with the vibration. So I presumed that he hadn't put the blade back on properly. He hadn't, now here in lies the problem again. I repaired the throttle lever and put the cable back on, now I can not get the mower to start or when it chugs once or twice I push the lever full on rabbit, and nadda.
It is a Craftsman Model 944 366-170 rear bagger. 20" cut 4.0 motor, if I can get a manual, help suggestions, (and as much as I would like to smack my kid) NO! Anything else would be greatly appreciated

The first thing I'd do is check the carburetor float bowl to see if it has any sediments or water in it. That would interfere with it starting up easily and throttling up. It is a remote possibility that the key could be partially sheared or crimped enough to throw it off timing. Check to see that the throttle cable closes the choke and is actually working as well as the throttle plate. It wouldn't throttle up if that wasn't hooked up properly. The sheared flywheel key would be the last thing I'd check. The vibrations due to the blade not being on right would make it hard to start and kick back. The blade acts like a flywheel to smooth out the engine. Sounds like my luck with mower repair...fix one thing, two other things crop up. Good Luck with it.

Hey Mr.Dave thanks for that info. I let it rest last night, otherwise I am pretty sure I would have regretted it. After I had some time to get a coffee in me, then I took it apart again. Found the spring broken and not attached, went and got another spring, hooked it up. Checked the tightness at idle and at full rabbit and it appeared good.
Took your advice and checked the bowl for crap and such, luckily there was nothing. Pulled the plug and gave it a quick once over, and then the big test. The improv throttle lever well seeing as I am cheap (or as my wife says chuuuuuuuhhhh eeeeep)I thought about this, and ended up using a slot expansion cover I had around, took apart the original busted and drilled two small holes, and then riveted them together, redid my z-bend hooked it up and put it back together. Left it longer so that it would be easy to use, and then padded the top.

Sorry anyway a long story short works like a charm, my brainiac kid that broke it, went and cut our neighbors grass and it worked better than new. :thumbsup: Thanks for helping Dave.