Starter is not engaging periodically on the X300 Kawasaki engine of my mower. It is happening more frequently. Would you recommend lubricating the starter shaft with WD 40? Does the starter have to be removed from the engine to lubricate?

From what I can see, it looks like a 2 bolt removal. I would not use WD40, I would use a lithium based grease for the shaft. Was this one of the models recalled for the fan breaking?

Not sure. My model was not recalled.
Thanks for your response.

You can try the lithium but frequently it is the gear that flies forward and engages with the flywheel. That is a sacrificial gear, made to be the weak link so you don't have to replace the flywheel. Its called a Bendix