Kohler Command Pro 13 Petrol Engine - I don't want to break it...

[Beanwood]

I tried to start the mower last weekend, and it was a no-go.

I sprayed a bit of easy start into the carb intake, and it started, and ran with what I thought was a bit more vibration than usual, after about 2 mins, it stopped. No bug bang, just stopped. I went to pull the cord again, and it was locked absolutely solid.
I'm now thinking - hell I've siezed it somehow as it just woudn't turn over.
Pulled the plug and still no turning.
I cussed and moaned, and worried about how to fix it all, had a cup of tea, pulled all the covers off, and then as the flywheel was now exposed, tried turning it without the recoild starter. And it turned!

So to my questions:
Is it possible it siezed a bit, but now has freed up after cooling down?
What do I do to make sure I don't just put it back together, get it started again, but have it sieze fully the next time?
Oil is nice and clean (Only about 10 hours since the last change)

If someone like @Cato was bit closer, I'd just drop it in to have them look at it (@Cato do you still do this stuff in your shiny new workshop?) - but I don't know who to trust around here (Bristol)

Any ideas please?

 

[RonMig]

Not familiar with your machine - but are you sure the blade wasn't jammed-up with old grass & mud from last year...?
Just used mine for the first time last week & it sounded odd, was gobsmacked that it was almost solid under there, hardly any room for the blade...

 

[Beanwood]

Not familiar with your machine - but are you sure the blade wasn't jammed-up with old grass & mud from last year...?
Just used mine for the first time last week & it sounded odd, was gobsmacked that it was almost solid under there, hardly any room for the blade...

Thanks - it's got a separate clutch that separates it from the gearbox etc.

 

[8ob]

I tried to start the mower last weekend, and it was a no-go.

I sprayed a bit of easy start into the carb intake, and it started, and ran with what I thought was a bit more vibration than usual, after about 2 mins, it stopped. No bug bang, just stopped. I went to pull the cord again, and it was locked absolutely solid.
I'm now thinking - hell I've siezed it somehow as it just woudn't turn over.
Pulled the plug and still no turning.
I cussed and moaned, and worried about how to fix it all, had a cup of tea, pulled all the covers off, and then as the flywheel was now exposed, tried turning it without the recoild starter. And it turned!

So to my questions:
Is it possible it siezed a bit, but now has freed up after cooling down?
What do I do to make sure I don't just put it back together, get it started again, but have it sieze fully the next time?
Oil is nice and clean (Only about 10 hours since the last change)

If someone like @Cato was bit closer, I'd just drop it in to have them look at it (@Cato do you still do this stuff in your shiny new workshop?) - but I don't know who to trust around here (Bristol)

Any ideas please?

It may be something stopping it at tdc (valve or the like), when you rotate it by hand are you getting a full rotation ?

Bob

 

[Beanwood]

It's similar to, but older than

It may be something stopping it at tdc (valve or the like), when you rotate it by hand are you getting a full rotation ?

Bob

Yes. I can turn it now. It was actually stopped at Bottom of the stroke.

 

[Cato]

I tried to start the mower last weekend, and it was a no-go.

I sprayed a bit of easy start into the carb intake, and it started, and ran with what I thought was a bit more vibration than usual, after about 2 mins, it stopped. No bug bang, just stopped. I went to pull the cord again, and it was locked absolutely solid.
I'm now thinking - hell I've siezed it somehow as it just woudn't turn over.
Pulled the plug and still no turning.
I cussed and moaned, and worried about how to fix it all, had a cup of tea, pulled all the covers off, and then as the flywheel was now exposed, tried turning it without the recoild starter. And it turned!

So to my questions:
Is it possible it siezed a bit, but now has freed up after cooling down?
What do I do to make sure I don't just put it back together, get it started again, but have it sieze fully the next time?
Oil is nice and clean (Only about 10 hours since the last change)

If someone like @Cato was bit closer, I'd just drop it in to have them look at it (@Cato do you still do this stuff in your shiny new workshop?) - but I don't know who to trust around here (Bristol)

Any ideas please?

I do, but as you say it's a fair old jaunt for you.

It's nigh on impossible to diagnose something without having it in front of you. It's (or should be!) a process, and without seeing it if you throw enough guesses out eventually something will be right but that might be the first or the 101st guess.

From what you've said if it was running and stopped dead then it's unlikely to be a seizure as there is normally some lead up to that. It could be a bolt that's backed its way out, stopped it dead, then dropped out and it'll now turn. It could be the clutch mechanism seized after being put away wet, then freed and jammed, something stuck behind it, etc etc.