[Geekie1]

MJ, Sorry to hear about your problem. I think the problem could be a burned piston. (hole in it) You can burn a hole in a piston if you get crud blocking a circuit in a carb causing the motor to run lean. Also the float needle seat getting clogged will definitely cause a lean condition. Running lean causes the piston to overheat burning a hole in it. If I were you I would pull the head to check the piston. It may be possible that you can replace just the piston and rings. If the piston has a hole in it, the center carb feeding the cylinder would most likely have caused the problem. If you replace the piston, pull the carbs clean and rebuild them. Check the center carb especially!!

Did you say that the bottom of the oil pump fell off?? If that was so then there should have been oil all over the lower cowel on the starboard (right) side. (looking back at the engine) Lack of oil would cause so much damage to bearings and crankshaft that the engine would probably seize permanently and the engine would not turn over even after cooling. The power head would definately be junk.

I would pull the head to check the cylinder out in any case!!!