I'll try to explain as best I can. The "PTO" I'm referring to is the front pulley that the belt coming from the mowing deck wraps around. This is the pulley that transmits the power from the engine to the mowing deck. It is at the front of the tractor beneath the engine. If you grab it and try to rotate the pulley it should barely move. Mine was moving about half a turn, the only thing stopping it was the wire coming from the wiring harness. The rod fits into a hole on the top of the pulley. If you are standing in front of the tractor facing the engine, the rod and hole are on the left side of the pulley. If you can raise the front of the tractor, you can get enough leverage to move the rod back into place. Try to bend the rod a little so there is a tighter fit and hopefully it won't pop out again. Or call sears and they will come out and fix for $150 Hope this helps

I'm sure some of the experts will reply. I'd look at the deck, clutch and the blade brake. I'm not really sure how the braking action takes place, but would guess, it's a function of the clutch.

Still guessing, but I try to add some more things to do. Do you hear anything when you crank it with the plugs out?? does it hesitate or have a hitch in the rotation when you have the plugs out?? Any hitch or hesitation will be mulitiplied with the plugs in especially if you hear any noise. things I would look for. Remove the starter and look at the bendix teeth, look at the flywheel teeth. Do a compression check (compression should be atleast around 100 PSI). this will tell you that the valve seat and valves are sealing and closing, Doing one cylinder at a time may also narrow the problem down to one or the other if the engine stops rotating when checking compression which may lead to a connecting rod problem. If you got good compression and the engine spins with plugs out and no unusual noises or hesitations and the drive belt and elect pto clutch aren't binding. Then I would suspect the starter, usually starters last quite awhile, but unless your are an electronic's expert your guessing. Starter is a high dollar item unless you find a used one or one on ebay for at least 1/2 price. Before I replace the starter I would go ove the battery cables again checking for any corossion (on the cables internally) and points of contact I would also jump across the starter solonoid to illimate that. I'm out of guesses or procedures unless you come up with something else. If it was me I would try another starter before I tore into the engine unless I found some evidents of a rotating part problem. I not that familar with V-twin Kohlers, but it still should have valve covers (usually the cover can be reinstalled using the old gasket unless you tear if when removing it) which you can remove and watch the valve action when cranking the engine with the plugs out if you have no compression in one cylinder, if you have good compression (in both cylinders) and no noises then the rotating internal part could be ilimated. I know another tool you probably haven't got, but you really have to have basic tools multi-meter, compression kit, vacuum gauge to have a chance to narrow some problems down.

Here is a perfect example of how the machine OEMs and the manual writing folks provide a confusing dis-service to anyone who might actually try to read, and follow, the manuals furnished for the product. The OEM owner's manual makes no explicit distinction for use of the word "CLUTCH" in the manual. Regarding the word "clutch", this tractor has two "clutch systems".....on for the ground drive and another for the mowing deck, but there is no mention that the two systems are not interconnected. In one illustration in the OM, the deck PTO clutch and the ground drive "idler clutch" are shown side by side, and not even a hint that the two might be completely separate and different "clutches"! So, let's do our own re-naming for this thread. The electric clutch is the Power Take Off (PTO) and is what powers the mowing deck. The "idler clutch" is what engages and disengages the ground drive system (transmission), and is operated by the "clutch/brake pedal". On page 43 of the OM look at item # 61 in the IPL (Sears part # 174882). This item is the only thing I can find in the Owner's Manual that even comes close to fitting the picture of the part in the photo in the opening post, and even this shows only one "cable end" and a spring. Furthermore, the manual neglects to mention anything about the need to disconnect, or re-connect, this item when the deck is to be R&R'd. How's that for finding all the right answers in the OEM manuals? You may have to contact Sears to get the missing information about this "cable" unless you are lucky enough for another member to know where it attaches (maybe even a photo of their tractor). The manual obviously lacks complete coverage of this tractor, but I will guess this cable is intended to provide some sort of "interlock" to the ground drive system that inhibits the operation of the mowing deck when the ground drive "clutch pedal" is depressed. You would want to think that something of this nature would be "explicitly stated" in the owner's manual. Danged if I can find a reference to it. Here is a link that might be useful: 917.275632 OM