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Mower problems?

You could call it that.

I was merrily riding my rearend around the yard in a quasi-linear fashion utilizing the slice and dice function of the 42" deck to decrease the effective height of the advanced grass substitute when without warning the engine rpm's went to maximum-self-destruct mode. The throttle had no effect which indicated a nonsalubrious manifestation. I shut it off and shoved it into the barn-remains and took off the cowling thinking that a linkage had broken, but examination indicated that linkages were intact and all the right things moved in the proper directions when the throttle was operated. After disconnecting linkages it was discovered that manually moving the throttle rod on the carburetor indicated some not-quite-right feel and the strange phenomena of the entire throttle rod lifting out of the carburetor. Or more specifically, about 1/2 to 2/3 of the throttle rod. Since a throttle plate is normally attached internally to the throttle rod, the fact that the rod could be moved 'up' at all was indicative of a bigger issue.

After muttering something akin to 'this is not a good thing' (slightly paraphrased) I removed the carburetor and manifold which revealed - no throttle plate in sight. Also not in evidence were the two brass screws that attached the plate to the rod. The lower third/half of the brass throttle rod was also not visible.

Applying the visual emanations of a battery-operated light source to peer into the intake port in the head revealed the detached throttle plate wedged in the port by the valve stem. After removing the wedged throttle plate with the aid of needle nose pliers, a digital probing into the port failed to locate the remaining vanished parts. Best case scenario is that they managed to blow into and them out of the engine as it ran at its uncontrollable rpms. Worst case - they are embedded in the piston...

Right now it is a minor inconvenience. Throttle rod assembly kit and necessary gaskets are ordered with projected delivery Friday. If after installing the fix-up-the-carburetor parts I find that the brass parts the motor ingested became lodged in the innards and create a catastrophic event it will transmogrify into a major PITA.

Which will create the authoring of a further epistle toward the weekend.. ;-)

Meanwhile, the advanced grass substitute is being copiously watered by the remnants of the storm that blew past Geron two days ago...