Rebuilt the motor with new rings, seals, and gaskets. Still having some clutch problems though. Considering pulling the starter and making it a push start only.
Does pulling the starter off make the tb250 easier to push start? For whatever reason right now it's difficult to push, and will pulling the starter remedy that?

 

I don't think you can push sart one of these things. The belt would most likely slip throught the clutches before it would ever push start. Do you have a recoil starter as well as electric start?

 

It has a pull start, but the clutch never releases tension from the belt. Pull starting won't work because I can't engage the clutch to put it in gear. That's why I was wondering about converting to a push start only machine.

 

My guess is you need to get it to release the belt from the drive clutch. This is where your problem is at the present moment. The belt should ride freely until the clutch engages. It may just need some good cleaning to get it to open up all the way.