new toy, a few ??

i just bought myself a new-to-me sovereign. all i know is that it's an 18hp kohler, hydrostat drive, hydro lift....well, i guess that's about all i do know about it. the manufacturer tag has been ripped where the model numbers would be...and the fuel filter has rubbed most of the engine data off, but from the best i can tell, the engine is a 1993 or 1998 model. would that be correct for this mower? also, should the deck be bent in the front near the shute (hopefully the pictures load and you can see what i'm talking about)? what is the lever next to the brake/clutch/hydro release...whatever it's called? it seems to go fairly slow forward (still has power, just slow), but really moves going in reverse...the suggestions from the allis forum is to check all my linkages from the hydro lever back to the hydro unit itself (haven't done it yet), is that common that slop develops in the linkage? i've downloaded a manual from the simplicity site, just not completely sure if it's the right one...most of the pictures look the same though. can anyone tell me what model this really is....someone said it's probably a 7118h...what do you think?
thanks for any input.