Hi guys, I have this Rover mower that I got from the recycle centre but I am stumped by this "hard to pull" problem. It will start with a drill and run smoothly so I thought that would rule out a timing key shift. Nevertheless I pulled the blower off and this confirmed that the key was intact and had not been sheared at all. You can see it in the photo. So I was wondering what else it might be. The pull start mechanism itself is not binding so that woukld rule it out as well. I have head of hydro-lock but since it runs when I start it with a drill I don't think a hydro lock would last once the mower was going. The other thing is valve clearance. I set them both at .018mm. Maybe I should be more accurate.
I can't see any engine numbers on it and the decals have all faded but I can see an I4 so I think it is an I4000 or I4500.
