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 !

Leaking crankshaft seals could cause the same symptoms (lean-running, hard to start). I don't know about the pinging you experienced, but that can cause damage (hole) in the piston head. If you experience more pinging, move up to mid-grade gas. In the meantime, here are the causes for pinging (pre-ignition): 1) Wrong spark plug - too hot 2) Low quality fuel 3) Carbon buildup in engine 4) Excessive alcohol in fuel 5) Sheared flywheel key Piston scoring can be caused by carbon buildup and failure to clean exhaust ports. I'm starting to doubt that you even need a new engine. I think you have to address the lean condition and pinging, after which you may be able to use it for years to come.

Thank you all . I am going to buy a good used engine ($100)at local repair shop and list my broken one on Craigslist for $20 I would have just replaced conrod if it was just a one or 2 piece failure ,but it was dozens of pieces . So it failed at high speed . Geez some people get a new mower and forget to fill with oil. Apparently happens more frequently than I thought Will up date when project completed

I'm inclined to replace the motor if certain condition exist. Bear in mind that after the repair, the value of the car most likely will barely cover its cost mainly due to its age and kilometers. You did say that it was in 'cherry' condition - that caught my attention. Inspect the car. If the motor was the only damage, it could be worth the repair. Put in a re-manufactured motor if: 1. The body is in good condition and relatively corrosion free. 2. Chassis wear items (shocks, CV joints, Struts, Brakes, Steering Gear, etc.) are in acceptable condition or repairable at reasonable cost. (If she let the engine go dry, I suspect she did not pay any attention to other items as well.) Oh yes, repair those coolant leaks. 3. All electrical gear and wiring harness is in good condition. 4. You would be happy to keep it and drive it long enough to get your money's worth out of it. One question remains: The trans-axle. How many kilometers are left it it? Should you replace it as well while the engine is out of the car? The alternative is to drive it until the trans-axle fails. If it fails too early, you will need to replace it to recoup the investment.