Troy-bilt lawnmower won't start - troubleshooting help needed

vagueprecision

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  • / Troy-bilt lawnmower won't start - troubleshooting help needed
Hi, first time on this forum - hope all your experienced folks can give some advice to a newbie.
I have a Troy-Bilt push mower 12avb25u711 with Briggs & Stratton engine. It won't start - it stopped running when I hit a large patch of grass and it was a bit too much for it. Ever since have not been able to get it to start again. It sputters and there is a pop but nothing further.
I looked at the common things that I could find online:
Checked and replaced the spark plug, checked / changed oil, verified fuel source is clean, I cleaned the carburetor (though there was no debris in pan, none of the passageways were gummed up, etc.), I looked at the flywheel key and it appears intact from the top (see attached picture). Along the way I replaced the air vane bracket since it was broken off but that won't affect it starting.

Some other symptoms:
  • There was some fuel in the air filter - wasn't sure if carburetor was gummed up
  • There was some oil around the base of engine where it back-flowed out of the engine
  • It ran a bit inconsistently back when it did run
The latter two made me want to check the flywheel key.

Any advice about further items to troubleshoot / test would be wonderful. Thanks in advance.
 

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