Yeah valves were gonna be my 2nd suggestion if the mix screw didn't work. Since she admitted the screw was messed with I was gonna go best case and maybe thats it before digging deeper. Adjusting the valves really is not a bad job, sounds much more involved than it really is. You just have to have a 0.004 filler gauge to do it right. Might as well buy a set now. These little engines need them adjusted on a pretty regular basis.
Yes if you are having to tap on the starter to get it to crank then it does need to be swapped. IMHO the cables for these are badly undersized and I think that causes troubles with the starter overheating.
Don't get in over your head and tackle one thing at a time. Adjust the mix screw and see if it will crank even if you have to tap on the starter. If that gets it to fire up then change the starter.
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