Thanks for the feedback gents. I am lucky in that I have some spare motors to disassemble, look around in and scrap parts from. Ultimately I want to spend a couple of weekends turning the spare motors into a second whole, running engine that I can store safe and clean in the event of the demise of the main motor.
To be honest, I got to the stage where things were starting to feel like a lost cause. I was able to get in touch with the small engine mechanic who sold me the mower and he is now having a look at it. The mechanic knows I am interested and had previously talked me through adjusting the governor. I tried this and was able to slow the engine down a bit however in the process something else failed and I wasn't able to start it again, hence the trip to the mechanic.
It's been a week now since this happened but I think I do remember the engine throttling up very quickly when moving the throttle lever by hand, so maybe the carb is in need of a clean.
I will report back once I have my mower back and, assuming all good, perhaps I can continue this thread with my mission to get one of the spare motors running.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it!
