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Hi All
I just picked up a 1975 Simplicity sovereign. It has a 16 hp Tecumseh Horizontal shaft engine in it. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I know that it is an odd ball set-up. I am just wondering if I am the one who has a set up like this.

I have one......3416.

What size Tecumseh engine does it have?

That set was used for many years by all the manufacturers. They changed over to vertical shaft engines when they became more popular and decided they want to enclose the engines. Nothing new or odd about it.

I see , so these tractors came threw with both Briggs + Stratton and Tecumseh engines in them.

Briggs, Tecumseh, Kohler, Onan, were used by the major manufacturers.

It's odd in that it has a left side discharge??

I took a couple of pix of the engine to show the exhaust set-up. It's the way that I got it , no modifications from me. When I picked it up the guy said that the engine was not original. It was only bolted down to the frame with 2 bolts and a 2x4 wooden shim. Fiberglass driveshaft plate was wiped out. all fixed now.
1955 Allis "B"
1972 landlord 10 h/p
1977 system 7016 16 h/p

Is this an early OHV engine ?
I think the vertical shaft is more efficient, but the belts are more difficult to access.

Yes it is. It's an OH160 XL engine. Basically it's an OHV 16 h/p Extra Life engine. I tried to find the year of manufacture and hit a dead end.

I have one!!

I wonder if one of those 16 HP sideshafts would swap out with a Kohler 16 HP Cast Iron sideshaft? My friend has one of those HEAVY old FORD LGT's where he took the engine to have it bored. Well...some hillbilly, backwater, mechanic/machinist impersonator bored it OFF CENTER and reassembled it only to have it throw a rod! It's laying in a heap in his garage now. Warning: DO NOT go to the cheapest, no-guarantee fly-by-night shop claiming to do the job. You may lose an engine! That engine was so heavy it took both of us and boards to lift it into the trunk of his car. If you're ever trying to load a heavy piece like that...what I did was take two 6 foot long 2X4's and put them side by side on the trunk and slide the engine up the boards. When it gets to the tipping point, let it STAY on the boards, and merely raise it up like picking up a wheelbarrow and the engine will be MUCH EASIER to raise when you go to unload it. Just push down on the ends and leverage will raise it up for you, just have someone there to keep the engine balanced and from sliding down the ramp like a kid at the waterpark and land on you!

Wendysguy said:

Hi All
I just picked up a 1975 Simplicity sovereign. It has a 16 hp Tecumseh Horizontal shaft engine in it. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I know that it is an odd ball set-up. I am just wondering if I am the one who has a set up like this.

Click to expand...

I started working on lawnmower in 1974 and used to work on a lot of mower like that. Boy, has it be a long time since I saw a mower like that.:thumbsup::smile:

It is one of the early overhead valve engines. One came into my shop in a Bolens with a broken valve holder and cover leaking oil all over the place. The only place I could find parts for it was the mower salvage yard and I had to make my own gaskets. I also recall I had to make a new exhaust system which I used water pipe. Also a lot of the carburetor linkage was missing which I had to made my own. The plug wire was broken off the coil which I repaired with Liquid tape. The customer has been using it for a couple years now and still running strong.