New craftsman rider engine won't spin

[Kierw]

I have enjoyed reading this forum for help in the past, now, I need to reach out. I have a 3 month old Craftsman rider, 21 hp engine, I don't have model on me at the moment, but can supply it if needed. Here is the issue, when trying to start, starter engages, a little noise then nothing.. Battery is strong, bench tested with load. The pinion gear climbs spindle effortlessly, engages flywheel gear, it moves the flywheel to a point then stops. Removed plugs, tried to move flywheel by hand, you can turn about 2/3 of a revolution, you can feel piston go up and down, then it just stops, you can then reverse direction, go the same distance, then it stops, you can't force it thru.. It feels like you are fighting some sort of brake system, the components in the engine feel like they are moving smoothly, at least in the very small window it allows.. We put it in neutral etc, but noticed it seems hard to push even in neutral, which leads me to believe something is not disengaged. The engine did not stall before this issue, it was put away last week after cutting grass as usual, there was no indication anything was wrong, it is brand new with a couple of hours on it... Anyone have a suggestion before I jump thru hoops to get Sears involved?.. Thank you very much, Kier

 

[ILENGINE]

Since this is a NEW 3 month old rider, you need to get Sears involved before you do something to void your warranty.

 

[Kierw]

Since this is a NEW 3 month old rider, you need to get Sears involved before you do something to void your warranty.

Thanks, it's just that if it were simple, I can fix it, even though it's under warranty, they want money up front to come look at it and give estimate to repair, if it's a warranty issue, I have to file a claim to be reimbursed.. If I would have bought the extra warranty(400.00), it would be totally free.. Bogus.. That's why I was hoping to repair it myself if it were a simple repair.. Thanks again , Kier