Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Sears Mower Won't Start

Hello, I was wandering if You could tell Me what the problem with the Craftsman 6.5 B & S mower my brother brought to me to check out. The starter pull cord is hard to pull , I checked the timing and the brake assembly and it looks good. When I pull hard it wants to start but a puff of smoke comes out of the muffler. Could it be that the breather be plugged up and it has to much compression causing the pull cord to be hard? The last time He brought it to Me it was real hard,I took off the fly wheel and it loosen up by luck. This time I am puzzled as to what it could be.Any suggestions:confused: :confused:

Try turning it with the sparkplug out to see if maybe the brake clutch is draging. If when you are trying to start it and it seems like it is trying to jerk the rope out of your hands then the flywheel key is sheared, replace it and retorque the flywheel to 55lb. Have a good one. Geo

I replaced the fly wheel just in case and it is still doing the same thing.Could it be that it has to much compression and it builds up and makes it hard to pull ?The plug was real bad, it had carbon and oil build up on it. I replaced the plug.When You pull the cord it does'nt jerk it off your hands it like You have to pull harder than ususal.Does the breather have any thing to cause this ?:confused:

The breather won't do it.

Sounds to me like the brake cable is not deactivating the brake.