If you have any electric motor repair shops in the area they can sometimes help. Or see if one from a newer model will work. I have a 10545 which is newer and I'll bet that starter would fit with some minor modifications maybe to the connector or something. Go to the Lawnboy master parts viewer and compare you're starter and a 10545 starter. Here is a link that might be useful: master parts viewer

Hey thanks Bill. I uploaded the electrical schematic for my machine. I think you may be on the right track about the seat switch. For the moment - I absolutely HAD to get my mowing done after two weeks of rain - I have bypassed the kill circuit by going straight to the magneto from the ignition switch. Funny thing, though. The only way the engine will crank from the ignition switch is if the seat is not only unoccupied but RAISED to allow access to the engine. My jackleg wiring is reversible so as soon as I get the grass back under control I will replace the seat switch as there certainly seems to be something screwy going on there. The open circuit reading at the clutch was likely because I didn't think to calibrate my ohmmeter before testing. Thanks again, you are obviously quite experienced.

Charlie, I was trying to find out if you were saying that engaging the PTO to drive the tiller did not cause the engine to bog down, BUT........engaging the PTO to drive the mower deck DID cause the bogging. Still, it does sound like it is fuel related.Your carburetor may have accumulated some crud, varnish, or other anomalous junk that is partially restricting the slow and main fuel circuits in the carb. Here is what I think is taking place (if there is nothing about the deck that would be imposing too much "engagement load"). Cold engines, by their very nature, require a much richer mixture to crank up from the dead, and to keep running after they begin to run (and "rich" means RICH IN FUEL). That is the purpose of the choke in a carburetted engine. When a carburetor is in good condition, with clean jets and a steady supply of clean fuel, it takes only a brief application of the choke to make the mixture rich enough to awaken the dead engine. After the engine is running, the governor closes the throttle plate enough to limit the RPM to the setting you chose for the "throttle control lever", most of the time, the governor will have the throttle plate almost closed.........until you connect a load to the engine. When the load is connected to the engine, the RPM drops and the governor simultaneously pulls the throttle plate open in an effort to restore the RPM by feeding additional gasoline to the engine. The only way gasoline gets out of the carb bowl is by being drawn out through the jets. If the jets are good and clean, and the fuel level in the carb is at the correct height, the additional fuel easily feeds the engine and RPM is restored to the setting of the throttle control lever. BUT.......if an engine is being fed by a carb that has partially restricted jets, a low fuel bowl level, or both, the engine might not be able to draw enough additional fuel to restore the RPM (or even keep running), until the engine gets hot enough to operate on the reduced amount of fuel that the faulty carb can provide. With the fuel delivery volume reduced, when the governor tries to feed more fuel to restore the RPM to its previous value, by opening the throttle plate, there is no additional fuel volume available from the restricted jets, and the mixture becomes too lean to restore the RPM (or, the engines just dies). You might also try this to help differentiate between a low fuel bowl level caused by a weak fuel pump or clogged fuel filter.......and restricted jets. Does the engine idle (slow idle) well when cold? If it does, do this. Let the engine idle at low RPM for a couple of minutes after starting the engine. Next, move the throttle lever to the fast position and engage the PTO as soon aas the engine reaches Max RPM. If the engine does not immediately bog like it has been doing, you have either a weak fuel pump or a partially clogged fuel filter (or the wrong filter). The reason this will help determine whether the problem is related to clogged jets or not is explained like this. IF, the bogging is due to the fuel bowl level being too low (whether pump or filter related) at high RPM, idling the engine a couple of minutes will allow the fuel level in the bowl to rise (because the engine is consuming less fuel, and the bowl fills to a higher level, the correct level) When you move the throttle control to high RPM and engage the PTO, the higher fuel level that you created, will feed the engine properly when the governor calls for more fuel, and the bogging will at least be delayed until the fuel bowl level drops too low. If the engine still bogs after doing this, you have partially clogged jets, OR, your fuel bowl level is too low for all but the warm or hot engine temperature ranges. It will probably be best to try this simple test first and then check the deck pulleys.

the small metal ring is likely the remains of the seal of the bearing. On many of these clutches, the bearings can be replaced with a little creative work. On many, the bearings are set in the top of the clutch, and "staked" in on the outer rim. The metal of the clutch is peened with a punch, to lock the bearing in place. If all it needs is the bearings, remove the old ones and take the remains to napa or similar auto parts store. The replacement bearings should have seals on both sides. Fish