Craftsman Rider won't turn over.

I have a Craftsman riding mower with 17.5 OHV Briggs. A month ago it wouldn't start without jumping it even though the battery read 13.4 volts. I installed a new starter and it fired right up. Went to use it again today and it won''t crank. It spins fine without the plug in just like with the old starter but not under compression. I did notice that I have 12+ volts going into the relay but only reading 4.6 volts at the starter when I turn the key. What gives?

Thanks in advance.

 

The battery may be bad and I would thoroughly clean the cable connections especially at the battery.

 

does it crank at all, like slow and stopping at compression point?

 

Sounds like you need to adjust the valves.

 

Don't overlook the battery ground cable...at the frame. A wire brush or emery cloth to clean it up and the frame where it attaches.

 

If the bendix is stuck into the flywheel, and you try to crank the engine, because of the high current draw while in that condition the 4V at the starter would not necessarily be unusual.
Try this: Turn the flywheel in the direction of running rotation, which is clockwise at least a half turn. Then continue to turn the flywheel until you force the engine just pass the compression cycle. By doing this, the starter gets to turn the engine over very easily through the exhaust and intake stroke giving it the chance to gain speed at the compression stroke. If this works and you stop the engine and the bendix hangs again, replace it. On an overhead valve engine with a compression release on starting effort, as cheese said the the valves may need adjusting. Tom