Hi to all....I changed the blade on my mower and mowed with no problem last week. This week the mower started and never really reved up & was vibrating more than usual....I started mowing and it cut off...All of a sudden very difficult to pull the rope to start? Cannot get it started...I had not messed with the blade for years I'm embarrased to say. I did put it on the correct way. What are some things I can check to diagnose? I realize it might be dead...And how can I verify that also...Thanks!

chezzrob, we must recognize that code wasn't always what it currently is. At some point in history, it was legal to switch the neutral. It was also legal to have individual conductors snaking around the walls and ceilings in all manner of unpredictable directions with twisted, soldered, and taped splices just "hanging around" in there. Think "grandfathered", and remember that we are not required to rewire our houses every time a new edition of NEC comes out. The original poster's installation is legal only because it was legal at the time of installation. You're certainly correct in that it does not, in any way, meet modern code. Regarding 2/3/4-way switching... the standard terminology applied to switches in the USA is for SPST (normal) swithes to be 2-way, SPDT to be 3-way, and straight/swap to be 4-way. ie, a normal single switch is a 2-way, two switches is a 3-way, and three (or more) switches is a 4-way configuration. I have NO IDEA why "they" decided to refer to them this way, but it is what it is. The only answer I've ever been given is that the number refers to the number of terminals on the switch, not counting ground. I don't believe this explanation myself, but it is nonetheless a good way to remember it.

Sounds like internal damage, maybe a rod cap bolt has broken...whatever the case, I think I would not run it until the problem is corrected, or else you may end up with more damage. It still could be a bent crank to...I'm not real sure that your check for runout was comprehensive enough to rule that out.

I still have the old hardware, I'll check it out. It's just a simple 2 receptacle piece, but apparently the switch controlling the light on the other side of the wall is connected to this outlet since when i checked out what worked in the current setup you see in the pictures, the light switch no longer works. I didn't notice if the tabs were still attached or not. And yeah i thought the box was pretty crowded. Thanks for all the tips and advice, i don't want to be over confident in myself working on this.