John Deere L110 with Kohler 17.5hp not turning over

gymtebro

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  • / John Deere L110 with Kohler 17.5hp not turning over
The mower:
  • John Deere L110
  • Kohler 17.5hp (CV491s)
  • Been sitting outside for 7-8 years
  • Replaced battery, spark plug, and carburetor which had it was running and cutting
The issue:
  • The mower will not turn over now (a couple days after it was running and cutting)
Relevant information:
  • Replaced spindle assemblies and it won't turn over after putting the deck back together
  • Replaced the air filter when replacing the spindle assemblies
  • The starting solenoid seems to be good
  • I have replaced the starter in an attempt to fix the issue to no avail
  • I have also added some oil and it may be a hair on the full side
  • When I turn the ignition, it attempts to turn over and even turns the flywheel about half a rotation on occasion before stopping. If I continue to turn the ignition, nothing happens.
  • The flywheel is difficult to turn by hand and is rusty (just surface rust, no major pitting)
  • When turning the flywheel by hand, I can hear some grinding/squealing
  • If I remove the spark plug when turning the flywheel, I don't see any oil coming out of the hole
  • I have a fuel pump and fuel filter on hand but I don't believe those are the issue
  • There is some debris in the fuel tank
Did I put something back together incorrectly? Is this a poorly timed seized engine? I'm at a loss here and I'm having a hard time describing this issue well enough to get relevant Google results.

I am willing to answer any questions, provide any additional information, or take some pictures/videos as needed.
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / John Deere L110 with Kohler 17.5hp not turning over
The automatic decompressor may have failed
The big end or little end may have siezed .
If it was me, the first step is to remove the flywheel & check for debris inside jambing the alternator.
Then drain the oil & check for stuff that should not be there
After that it is pull the engine apart.
A piston or con rod is a cheap fix
a new short block is an expensive fix .
 

Scrubcadet10

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  • / John Deere L110 with Kohler 17.5hp not turning over
is the flywheel easier to turn with the spark plug out?
 

gymtebro

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  • / John Deere L110 with Kohler 17.5hp not turning over
The automatic decompressor may have failed
The big end or little end may have siezed .
If it was me, the first step is to remove the flywheel & check for debris inside jambing the alternator.
Then drain the oil & check for stuff that should not be there
After that it is pull the engine apart.
A piston or con rod is a cheap fix
a new short block is an expensive fix .
I will start there. Thank you for the advice! I'll let you know how it goes!
 

gymtebro

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Joined
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  • / John Deere L110 with Kohler 17.5hp not turning over
I took the cylinder head off and the flywheel is now turning freely. I see a fair amount of carbon buildup on the piston and valves but I don’t see any reason why they would grind or be locked up. The rods, rockers, and springs all seem to be fine. Here are some pictures of it disassembled.
 
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