Fan Shroud/Engine Cover

Hello everyone, I have a 2014 Craftsman 7400 Pro Series with the 26HP Kohler motor with a 54" deck. I'm having problems with the service tech from Sears where I bought the mower and extended warranty from and it's good until 2019. The fan shroud cracked at the bolt holes and broke off the engine. The service tech says it's "just for ascetics and doesn't help cool the engine". It's been a couple weeks since he's been out to replace the broken EZ Change system on the mower deck and now after 20 minutes of operating the mower, you can visually see lots of heat radiating off the engine and a hot smell. My question, is the fan shroud (looks like a funnel over the fan) required on the mower, or am I wrong? I've looked the part up on sears, it's about $25. But it says it takes on average 2 hours to replace. The service calls are covered under warranty so it won't cost me anything to call the service tech back out. Thanks

Fan Shroud/Engine Cover