Poulan mower riding won't crank--new battery installed motor turns over

SOURCE: poulan riding mower wont turn over has good battery

Sometimes the starter will get stuck on the top of a gear tooth and it will not turn the engine over, pull the plug wire so there is no chance of the mower starting and get under and try to turn the engine just a little either by using the belt or by putting a wrench on it. Then put the plug wire back on and then try it.

SOURCE: I tipped my poulan riding mower up from the right to check belt

If you remove the plug(s) so that the oil all drains back down, and some will drain back out of the muffler, it should start. But give a at least one day, maybe two. You may still have to put new plug(s) in it after it's gone. Check the fuel filter and see if you can see oil in it.

Take off the air cleaner when you get ready to start it and spray just a little starting fluid in the carb, Don't choke it. It will run rough and smoke like crazy, but after it runs a while it should be fine. It make take a few starts before it continues to run. At first it may run just on the starting fluid, but once the plugs fire up enough to burn the oil out it should run on its own.

Be sure and check the oil and if it seems like the slightest amount of gas in it, change the oil and filter.

Let us know how it comes out!

Sirwriter

SOURCE: Poulan Riding Mower won't crank, battery OK.

Forget the safety switches for now.The first thing I would check would be the fuse. It will be located on the battery side of the solenoid. Follow your positive battery cable to the solenoid. There will be a small red wire coming off of that post with an inline fuse. If the fuse is good, check your solenoid. There are two wires plugged into spade terminals at the bottom of the solenoid. Unplug the one that is insulated, the other one is a ground. Hook a test light from that wire to ground. When you turn the key to start (with the brake pedal held down), it should light. If it lights, your solenoid is bad. If not, then you can start looking at switches. Probably will be one of the two. Hope this helps. Dwain

SOURCE: Replacing the Drive Belt on a Poulan Riding Mower

Without an impact, it's will be more difficult. The only way to get back-up on the bolt is to remove the screen over the flywheel on top and put a socket on the flywheel nut

SOURCE: 1993 Yardman riding mower - motor won't turn over

Yes there is. I don't know from your description whether or not this has a
OHV engine. but if it does this is a common problem. over time the valves
get out of adjustment. thus causing hard starting. the valve lash will have to be adjusted to specs. what happens is the (ACR) automatic compression
release fails to open the exhaust enough thus causing hard starting.
and it kills batteries and starter gear teeth.