Sounds like the short shaft makes the Lehr poor choice for the M-17. Dave, I have not experienced the problems you are having. I purchased my motor from the Lehr dealer for the Annapolis area. They gave it a full tune up and adjustment. It was mentioned that the factory does not do a good job of adjusting them. I would seek out your local Lehr service and have it adjusted. When they gave me the short lesson on owning a propane motor, maintenance, etc - they indicated that I should remove the propane when winterizing and if I am not going to use it for several weeks. It was not mentioned or suggested that the fuel tank be removed for regular usage. I will follow-up with my dealer to be sure. As for fit and finish, I completely agree. The Hondas and my old Nissan were well made motors. The Lehr feels a bit cheap. The plastic cover for example is pretty thin and flexs quite a bit. Seems like they were cutting corners or trying the reduce weight. Hopefully it will hold up over many years of use. Steve M-15 Sadie Lee