***" I got it to start but it seemed like it was flooded."*** The operative word here is "flooded". So lets discuss "flooded". When the engine is hot and does not want to restart.......Do you see any BLACK SMOKE out of the exhaust as the engine regains operation??? Or are you seeing "no smoke" in the exhaust, but the engine sort of "stumbles and falters" as it gathers RPM???? Black smoke out the exhaust, after an rather long period of cranking, is the keynote symptom of a hot, flooded engine. A rather long period of cranking that produces no smoke when the engine finally gathers RPM could be a symptom of "vapor lock" in the fuel lines and fuel pump. One way to determine if vapor lock is the culprit is to pour about a quart of cold water on the fuel pump, fuel lines, and carburetor before you try starting it when hot. Keep the water away from the spark plugs or you could "ground them out" (which would render the test "useless"). ...................................... In regard to ***"a small solenoid at the bottom. I can hear it click when I turn on the key. I am not sure what it is supposed to do."*** That is the fuel cutoff solenoid valve. Its purpose is to prevent "afterfire" (sometimes erroneously called "backfire") out the exhaust during engine shutdown. By design intent, you should turn off the "ignition switch" while the engine is turning about "medium RPM' when shutting down engines that feature a "fuel solenoid". This action does not actually stop the "ignition sparking" of the plugs. Instead, it interrupts the 12 volt current to the fuel solenoid. This causes the solenoid valve to close, shutting off the fuel to the carburetor MAIN JET. With the MAIN JET deprived of fuel, the engine begins to lose RPM, but the ignition system continues to "fire", consuming the last dregs of fuel in the engine AND purging the exhaust and muffler of any unburned fuel or hot combustible gasses (remember, the throttle is still open, so the intake is gulping air, but only air....no fuel). This prevents the loud "BANG" out of the muffler, (so annoying to the neighbors) and makes the machine an EPA Poster Child by venting no unburned fuel vapors to the environment (unlike stopping a hot engine by "killing the spark", as once was the norm).

Kawasaki FB460V engine. A free PDF manual for the engine can be obtained at "my mower parts dot com" (but translate that into a genuine URL to get there). OP still has not confirmed if this tractor has a electric PTO clutch but some internet searching indicates it likely does. While it is not typical for a BELT DRIVEN blade drive system to result in shearing or bending of a flywheel key it is certainly possible that in this particular case (lift arm disengaged and dropped deck assy) the stopping of the blade belt was abrupt enough to shear or bend the flywheel key. Usually a belt driven blade system (and thus the engine crankshaft) will not stop turning quickly enough when the blades encounter a significant foreign object to cause shearing of the flywheel key. The saving grace in belt drive systems is that the belt usually slips enough that the inertia of the engine is absorbed relatively slowly......and the key survives intact. However.....in the case of the deck being dropped downward suddenly by the lift link letting go......the belt would have been given an added bit of tension (by dropping too far down) and that just might have been enough to shear the flywheel key.

Well, you had to ask. To fully grasp the concept, one needs to have an understanding of basic electrical principles. Typically, the water hose analogy is used to demonstrate the basic principles. The supply water plumbing of a house is thought of as a battery. The hydrant valve would be a switch. The garden hose would be the conductor (battery cables) carrying water (current) to a sprinkler head (starter). The standing water pressure of the house plumbing (in PSI) is analogous to "battery power" (measured as voltage). In this comparison, opening the hydrant valve allows water to flow through the hose to the sprinkler, causing it to spin. In an automotive setting, operating the solenoid allows electrical current to flow through the battery cables to the starter, causing it to spin. Various factors affect the performance of an electrical circuit much the same as variables in plumbing will affect the spinning sprinkler. If you reduce the PSI of the house water supply, you expect the sprinkler to spin more slowly, similarly a reduction of battery voltage will result in a slower spinning starter. If you change from a 3/4" diameter hose to a 3/8" diameter hose, the sprinkler will spin slower. If you change from the OEM battery cable size to some wires half their size, the battery will spin slower. If you change the sprinkler out for one that is hard to turn, it will spin slower than the sprinkler that is free to spin. The same goes for a starter which is sticky or binding. The analogies described are very similar except that in electrical systems you will not be able to make changes or affect the components without suffering some serious consequences (to the components). The term "Amperes" is a tag used in describing the electrical flow (current) of an electrical circuit.. A battery does not "deliver" amps to the starter as though it were offering something "unsolicited". It is more like the starter is DEMANDING the battery give it the power it needs to turn the engine. So the starter is really at the mercy of the battery as to what it receives. Batteries are rated by their capability to furnish power described as "X number of Amps". But that rating is only true if the battery has a full charge and the battery is new. The analogy between water pressure and voltage is pretty accurate. In plumbing, pressure of a specific value will push a specific volume of water through a specific diameter conduit having a specific value of resistance to flow. In electrical systems, a specific voltage value will push a specific volume of electrical current through specific size conductors where there is a specific electrical resistance. The consequence to be faced in electrical systems where the "specifics" become "imbalanced on the low side" is heat production. It requires adequate voltage to push sufficient amps (in response to current draw) through a conducting circuit resulting in normal operation of the circuit components as it was designed for. Consequence of low voltage: If you cut the voltage in half but leave the other factors the same...........the result will be heat production due to the voltage not being adequate to push those amps through the resisting component. Consequence of insufficient amp capacity of battery: This is what we face when we are dealing with an old battery (anything that is not brand new). Amp capacity of a battery is relevant to its physical size (plate surface area) and the state or condition of the battery. Imagine two 12 volt batteries. One of the batteries fits a yard tractor, the other fits a large diesel engine agriculture tractor. Both have a voltage level of 12, but the amp capacities are vastly different between the two. The starters of each of those tractors is matched to the amp capacity of the batteries (and vice versa). Basically and fundamentally speaking, battery amp capacity is chosen for an application with the goal of keeping VOLTAGE DROP to a minimum when the starter load is connected to the battery. If you connect the yard tractor starter to the yard tractor battery you can expect perhaps a 3 to 4 volt drop in battery voltage after the starter begins spinning the engine, and that is acceptable. If.....you connect the yard tractor battery to the agriculture tractor battery, you might possibly observe a battery voltage drop of .3 to .4. But...........if you connect the starter of the big tractor to the yard tractor battery you could realistically expect the battery voltage to drop to zero. You can also expect the yard tractor battery to explode because that kind of load would be the same as connecting a battery cable between the posts of the small battery........in essence "a dead short". The explosion is the result of the voltage drop causing catastrophic heat build up and flash melting of the plates inside the battery case creating a steam explosion as the electrolyte vaporizes.............combined with ignition of the explosive battery gasses. Now back to the job of trimming a lawn. When a battery is "old", its amp capacity is less than when new, and so will not be able to meet the current draw requirements of the starter when asked to. This will cause the battery voltage to drop, further reducing the ability of the battery to supply the needed amps. When a battery is under charged (low voltage level) there is insufficient "pressure" to push the required amps through the starter, so heat develops quickly throughout the circuit. Subjecting the starter to a low voltage/high amp draw scenario on a regular basis will lead to cumulative damage to the starter as well as other links in the circuit (key switch, starter solenoid, cables/wires/connectors) Always buy the largest amp capacity battery you can get that will fit in your "whatever" , keep it fully charged,........and you will have a happy life.

Solution Number: 64246 Solution Summary: Engine Runs Rich, Fouls Plugs, or Low Power - GT245 GX255 & GX335 Tractors with EXTERNAL Vent Carburetors. Publication Date: Jul 25 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Paper copies of solutions may not be the most current solutions** Complaint or Symptom: FH601V Engine with external vent carburetor runs rich, fouls spark plug(s), blows black smoke out exhaust, misfires, is low on power, etc. Problem or Situation: Engine fouls spark plug(s) in low hours of useage. Plug(s) are black and dry (gas fouled) sooty. Technician has already followed SIB # 03-11-30-6 on the carburetor vent tube change, with no improvement. Customer is running unit at WOT while mowing. Customer is using fresh fuel (less than 30 days old.) ENGINE IS FH601V WITH EXTERNALLY VENTED CARBURETOR (carb marked 15003-7077). Current Operator's Manuals and Technical Manuals say to oil the foam air pre-filter element, this is NOT correct. Do NOT oil the foam element. Manuals are in the process of being revised. Solution: Verify longer carburetor vent tube is installed and routed correctly. It should extend below the tractor's frame. Verify carburetor vent tube is not kinked, blocked, or restricted. Any restriction contributes to rich running. (See SIB # 03-11-30-6 or DTAC solution # 60154.) If tractor has optional BM20820 tubular bumper installed, follow DTAC solution # 55586 to verify the exhaust deflector from the kit was installed. Air flow through the air filter element may be restricted due to dirt accumulation in the pleats of the filter. Replace air filter paper element and foam filter element. (Don't just check it, replace it.) (NOTE: Foam filter element should NOT be oiled when installing.) Replace with M150403 air filter. NOTE: Certain GT245, GX255, and GX335 Lawn & Garden tractors were manufactured with incorrect paper air filter elements. Make sure to replace both the paper air filter element and the foam pre-filter element to insure the correct air filter is clean and being used. The more restrictive, incorrect air filter causes restricted air flow to the engine, therefore this may cause a rich running condition in externally vented carburetors (marked 15003-7077). Parts: Element M150403 (1) Paper Air Filter (marked "11013-7024", to be used for External vented carburetors only.) Element M140295 (1) Foam Air Filter Additional Information: If the rich running, plug fouling condition returns after implementing the above solution, then (and only then) order & install the following parts: (1) M153165 Main Jet (#126) (1) M147610 Main Jet (#130) (2) M805853 Spark Plugs (2) M141357 Carburetor Gaskets (1) M140260 Air Filter Gasket In addition, order & install new paper (M150403) & foam (M140295) air filter elements. NOTE: The #126 main jet should be installed in the number 1 cylinder marked "L", and the #130 main jet should be installed in the number 2 cylinder makred "R". Tighten main jets to 0.7 N-m (6 lb-in). Reference respective Technical Manual for this procedure. Again, do not install these "additional" parts unless the "Solution" above has first been tried. If these leaner main jets are installed in all tractors, some tractors may exhibit a lean running condition.