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thanks for the replies! greg, the top part of the crankshaft that was above the nut was relieved. basically, no threads were visible. i got brave and found out it was a righthand thread. in lieu of a flywheel puller, i managed to remove it with a hardwood block and and a small hand sledge. after all that, the shear key was in perfect condition...not even slightly deformed! mark, prior to removing the flywheel, i pulled the intake and muffler to check both valves. they were opening and closing, and a compression check later showed no excessive leakage. this engine does have a mag and that "spark ignitor" box on it...but wouldnt the spark timing still be determined by the flywheel position? after finding nothing wrong, i reassembled the engine and gave it one last twist of the key before loading the tractor up for an expensive trip to the dealer...and it fired! hmmmm? i wish i could claim to have fixed it, but i sure didn't find a darn thing wrong in two afternoons of turning wrenches! i mowed for and hour, restarting every now and again. go figure!
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