Hi all. I just purchased a Craftsman mower off craigslist for cheap... Got tired of working on the piece of junk I had before... Well this one's a lemon as well. Got it home and mowed for about 10 minutes and it just quit. Keeps Blowing Fuses.

So, I've looked it over for bad wires, did a few minor repairs and noticed a bit of melt on the 2-prong connector under the engine... Somehow attatched to the pulley (?) I'm wondering if this could have something to do with it... Also, what is this part? Stator? Clutch? I did notice a bit of a squealing noise coming from that vicinity when I bought it...

By the way, it's a riding mower with a Kohler 18.5 hp engine.

How do I check this part?

What Model number is the mower?

Model # 917.272121

http://www.hammerwall.com/Download_Manual/37610/

Link to a manual if you don't have one yet... I need to look through it first.

Print it out and save it for any parts you need to get in the future.

If you can identify exactly which connector on the wiring diagram by item number and page. The wiring diagram is on page 35 and the wiring harness pictorial is on page 36. We can provide better ideas what might be at fault.

Thanks for the link, should prove helpful... Looks like the problem could be with the electric clutch... When I unplug it and turn the key, the lights come on, and the fuse doesn't blow, but that's it. The fuse blows when The clutch is plugged in...