Valve trouble on the STC48V

[Tekken]

I fired up my STC48V with the 24hp Briggs twin, and it felt gutless, it turned out the intake valve wasn't opening, the push rod was loose, and the adjuster with the lock nut had come off. I reassembled it, but now the intake push rod won't move, and it looks like the lifter's stuck, what else can I do?

 

[MowerCrew85]

Have you double-checked that the pushrod length is the correct one for that valve?
Sometimes they can get swapped or bent just enough to cause issues.
If the pushrod seems okay, you might try a few gentle taps on the lifter itself with a plastic mallet or a block of wood.
Sometimes they just need a little persuasion to unstick, especially if there's some dried oil or gunk.
If those don't work, you might be up to something more involved like a motor flush.

 

[tough.nut.fred]

Yep, crusty ground could definitely be the issue. Try cleaning it up first and frankly, sometimes that's all it takes.