You really should just pull the motor so you can clean the oil out of everything. Everywhere you have oily residue, you have a place for grass and debris to collect and possibly restrict airflow in the engine compartment or start a fire. While you have the engine out, I would consider going through the
starter as well, as it's a pain to get to with the engine in. Check on the spherical ball bushing in the engine-to-driveshaft coupler, as that's a common wear item that may need to be replaced.