The engine is set up to come up off the deck without taking any controls or anything off. The problem is, the pulley is between the engine and the muffler plate. Remove the blade, mulch fan and blade driver. Remove the belt cover. You should now be able to see the pulley on the crankshaft. You have to raise the engine up out of the muffler plate so you can get the new belt over the end of the crank. I think this requires taking off the muffler cover and removing the muffler plate bolts, then the engine-to-deck bolts. Have somebody there to hold the engine up while you slip the belt on. Then you can put it on the trans pulley. You're going to get dirty, but should have no problems doing it. Mind the exhaust gasket and make sure it's positioned right before bolting on the muffler plate. This is an excellent opportunity to check the exhaust ports and lower crank seal as well as cleaning out the muffler. Maybe it's simpler than this but that's what I think you have to do.

When was the last time you cleaned the exhaust ports? Other possibilities, is float level too high (float should be parallel with the carb body casting when carb is turned upside down. On the left side of carb, perhaps in a well, there is an adjusting screw, might try turning it in 1/8 - 1/4 turn. Walt Conner

In response to the first two posts, yes I do see some on e-bay, but need to do some research, so I don't end up w/same piece of junk that failed w/in 90D. Appreciate your assistance... Neal, The original primer bulb was still OK, but figured I'd replace it while I had everyhing apart. The new one actually split (across top) while I was pushing it down, so it wouldn't work and caused the engine to run rich until I plugged off the vacuum line. When I looked up the LB part# it shows 607310, however the dealer's invoice shows a part# 35807-105 as a superceding PN. They will replace w/a new one @ n/c, but admitted it would be another aftermarket replacement. It looks like the commercial sellers on e-bay are selling aftermarket parts too. Any tips on how to insure I get a quality part, would be greatly appreciated...Thanks

There are 2 things to remember when connecting the primer hose to the carburetor. There is a plastic piece that fits over the primer hose and the fuel line to keep the primer hose at the proper angle to prevent interference with other parts. The piece is about an inch long and has 2 holes in it. One hole fits over the fuel line and the other over the primer line just before they reach the carb. 2)The primer hose fits on the carburetor fitting just behind the mounting bolt. It's virtually out of site. The aluminum protrusion on top of the carb closer to the middle and easily visible is not where the primer hose goes. Placing the primer hose on this protrusion doesn't work and causes interference with the carb linkage. Feel behind the bolt with your finger for the proper primer hose fitting.