The safety switch is most likely combined with another safety switch, PTO,
person sitting in the seat, grass chute in place, that type of thing. The
switch probably can not be easily bypassed. Often the switch connects to a
little electrical box that "looks" for the safety switch. Often you can just
remive the wire from to switch, or jumper the leads togather, but in many
cases it will not work.
Greg

Greg,

You're right about it being combined with other switches: I think its
also in line with a mower clutch in switch (which is still functioning
properly) as well as a person on seat switch. Unfortunately the PO
jumpered this last switch, but he indicated that it worked fine.

What is the general purpose of the circuit in a mower without a
starter? The ignition switch isn't providing power of any kind to the
magneto...is it completing a circuit to ground or something, and
that's how it works? I'd like to know the difference between the
starting circuit, and how the engine is capable of running once one of
the switches is disengaged (clutch, neutral, etc).

Thanks for your response.

-James