The first test would be to remove the fuel line from the carb and see if gas pumps out when cranking. Use proper care.

If so, is there a solenoid valve on the bottom of the carb that isn't opening? It's electrically controlled.

If the solenoid opens, then I suspect bad gas or varnish in the carb, since it's been setting for a few months.

Thanks for the reply Baymee, I am getting fuel to the carb. I unhooked the line and fuel pumps out when cranking. I found a similar post and learned how to remove solenoid. It was froze up, but after cleaning it will work when current is applied. By the crude and slight corrosion on plunger, I suspect I have other issues with carb. When I removed solenoid, the gas that ran out of carb had a watery gas smell. I am needing to proceed with what I can do on carb, but I have limited experience here. Any pointers or suggestions?

Wms: Sounds like your carb may be in the same condition as the elect. solenoid . Drain your fuel out put new fuel back in with some dry gas treatment and fuel cleaner . Let it sit for a few hrs and then attempt starting with if req'd a few squirts of carb cleaner within the carb . Once it starts keep it idling until the cleaner does it's job . Hopefully you may not need to dismantle and clean the carb needle valve & fuel circuits due to watered down fuel and debris .

Sounds to me that the ethanol based fuel absorbed moisture and caused rusting and corrosion. Sea Foam, among others, is supposed to prevent this, and it's what I started using.

Hey, the carb. cleaner did the trick and the engine is getting plenty of fuel to remain running. Thanks for the responses and helpful suggestions everyone. Now I have a new situation in the mower will not move when put into forward or reverse. Belts look like they are in place with plenty of tension. It was suppose to be working fine when it was parked. I said earlier it had not been cranked for several months, but it was not driven in probably 18 months. It has been loaded and trucked to 2 different locations. Could something have been knocked out of place or the fluid low. This was my fathers mower so I have no manual.

I found the directions for purging the transmission and did so. In the process I found the foot pedal when released was not returning the up position. By pulling it up with my foot, the mower will go forwards and backwards, but does so sluggishly. I also smelled a slight burning oder, but could be solvents or oil on muffler, but it smelled more like a rubber smell. Any suggestions about where to find an online manual for this mower.