This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month...What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Hi,
Got it started. Turns out ether worked, as suggested. Thanks all. But, new
problems came up. Let's see if someone can pick one to solve.

1) It won't run when pushed.
CY: Hmm. You mean not enough power to cut lawn?


The end of the loose dangling wire mentioned earlier is giving out sparks,
this could be the problem. As long as I don't push it the mower will run
for 20 minutes then shut-down.
CY: That gets me thinking. Wonder if that's the wire that is supposed to
shut down the motor when you turn it off?


2) It won't start without ether.
This is the reason why the air filter was thrown out in the first place
since it
ran fine without it, or doesn't it?
CY: If it needs ether to start, then it likely would be even less likely to
start with the filter off.

I will look for a new filter box. I even dump
out the old debris collecting gas when overhauling the carb.
CY: New air filter is a good idea. New gas is also a good idea.


3) Flywheel bearing seizes after 30-secs.
I lube the one-way bearing with no luck. I will replace the bearing but
not sure how. In order to keep the mower running I would have to
remove the cover with the reel ( labeled Briggs & Stratton) or otherwise
it will screech to a halt.
CY: I kow what you mean, those ball clutch things. If you remove the motor
cover, sometimes you can get the clutch apart, and then use some solvent and
a towel to clean the crankshaft, and solvent and cotton swabs to clean
inside the square tube that slips over. Use a magnet to get all the ball
berrings out, put the tube back on, and put the ball berrings in.