By all means save this Mower with the Kawasaki engine! I've just saved ours, and when I got to looking into engine wearout, I was shocked to see that the valve adjustments held steady for 15 years, and are within .0005 of what the spec is! That is unbelievable, even cars don't hold tolerances that well as they undergo a lot of wear and tear. Your problem is probably the same exact same one that I had. It throws you for a loop for sure. MOST LIKELY it is your carburetor MAIN JET, that you need to actually unscrew and clean with nylon Fishing Line. Yes! My Jet actually looked great, with my eyesight, it had a very round opening and didn't look like any junk was blocking it. BUT ... there was uniform build-up of gasoline residues, that I was able to rough-out, but using fishing line and just running it through the jet maybe 10 times, and when I saw the opening getting larger, I knew I was onto something! The Fishing Line won't damage the soft brass jet, so don't worry about enlarging the opening too much. But once you get this back in, and your Carb back on, you will be amazed! As you throttle-up and then Engage the Blade Clutch, the Engine will pull strongly and NOT Stall-Out !!! Oh - There is NO replacement or rebuilt carburetor available, so treat it well, you can probably re-use the same gaskets, and maybe a little bit of gasket sealer -Automotive type is fine. Good Luck !

Assuming that you are dealing with varnish somewhere in the carb, where you can't see it, you might be able to solve the problem by adding gum-out or something similar to the gas tank, getting the engine started using the primer button, and keeping it running by priming it manually every few seconds, when it starts to slow down. I was able to get our lawnmower going this spring, when it would start, but not idle. It takes about an hour of operation for the cleaning solvent to do its work. Eventually, the engine should idle on its own. If you try this method, and you are successful, then you can be sure that it was varnish that caused the problem. There are other possibilities, however. There could be a mechanical problem with the throttle, or there could be an air leak somewhere, causing a lean mixture. There is a slight chance that the carburetor has something blocking fuel flow that will not dissolve, like a metal filing, or some other foreign material.

Wheelhorse_of_course is correct... Some of us keep our stuff running just to see it run (kinda like mountain climbers - climb mtns because of the challenge). I do agree that at some point of time you will enter into the jalopy stage and start fixing it more than your mowing... Many times I think - "hey just another 50-100 dollars will get me through another season..." and sometimes its hard to tell when your in too deep... I kinda use my wife as the gauge for when im in too deep. When she starts complaining that im spending too much time (and money) on these things then i sit back and assess where im at with the machine. My perspective on things (and possibly yours too) might be different if i actually had any spending money... Perhaps what you may want to do is assume the worst case scenario... Add the cost of a replacement motor and a replacement transaxle and factor in your appetite to fixing the old dinosaur. Then compare that too your appetite to driving around something newer (hopefully well built and reliable). Sometimes the price is not all that much different. I (and my tight budget) would probably go on craigslist and see if you can find something comparable and build yourself Frankenstein machine. It can be a tough call sometimes. good luck.

Long life and restoration of Small Engines with XADO technology XADO technology http://www.xado.com Revitalizant gel for small engines Revitalizant gel for small engines Major results of the treatment Extension of engine life by no less then 3 times; Restoration of cylinders, elimination of scores; Increasing of compression in... More>>> http://www.wm-e-shop.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_3/products_id/96 OR Revitalizant gel for cylinders Revitalizant gel for cylinders(product is certified) Major results of the treatment increased compression in the cylinder; restored geometry of the cylinder, elimination of scores; protection of... More>>> http://www.wm-e-shop.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_3/products_id/4 Revitalizant gel for gasoline engines Revitalizant gel for gasoline engines of any models of automobiles (product is certified) Major results of the treatment rubbing parts are reconditioned and protected against wear; restored... More>>> http://www.wm-e-shop.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_3/products_id/1 Revitalizant gel for diesel engines Revitalizant gel for diesel engines of any models of automobiles (product is certified) Major results of the treatment rubbing parts are reconditioned and protected against wear; restored geometry... More>>> http://www.wm-e-shop.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_3/products_id/2 Revitalizant gel for differential Revitalizant gel for gear boxes, transfer cases and differentials (product is certified) Main results of the treatment rubbing parts are reconditioned and protected against wear; restored geometry... More>>> http://www.wm-e-shop.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_3/products_id/3 All line of production XADO - WM-e-Shop.com - Internet Supermarket http://www.wm-e-shop.com Here is a link that might be useful: WM-e-Shop.com - Internet Supermarket