Thanks Mark, it sounds as if at a minimum, you have extended the period until that engine will need an overhaul. If the mower is now quiet, you've fixed your problem. Are you going to overhaul the smoky engine right away, or put it aside until you've got the mower working again? If you overhaul it, it will be useful to this thread to show us what the big end bearing from the spare parts engine looks like, and whether you decide to use it to build your spare engine.
