Thanks Mark for that link. I previously followed one of your threads and downloaded 2F31ZG9642.pdf
It helped enormously. I set the valve clearance and found the needed torque values as well.
The neighbor picked up the mower this afternoon. I got the throttle to function somewhat however I think the governor arm spring needs to be beefed up.
I think my problem lies not in the engine now (I tuned it pretty thoroughly) but in the blade clutch mechanism. I think the cable is stretched a bit. I loosened it and it helped a bit with the engine loading however it's not perfect yet. I was going to remove the blades, disassemble the clutch, clean and reassemble it to see if there was something dirty and worn messing up the function.
Anyway, now I can get back to the Snapper project I'm restoring.