Your sources are appreciated, Mad Mackie.
I was wanting to specifically order the same engine that came stock in my 2002 GT3000, mainly due to not ever having any issues with it. SEW looks to be the only distributor that has them available.
I called them direct to ask questions, to find out just what the story is with the engines they have on hand. What they have are listed as "scratch and dent". The engines are apparently old stock and/or pulled engines off new mowers for whatever reason.
All said, they come with a 3 year warranty. So that's a plus.
My doing a bit of cross referencing, leads me to believe that the engine with the snorkel air cleaner is the same engine, although the difference in price is not a feature I would consider. My guess is the snorkel would be too tall and I would have to either cut a hole in the hood, or remove it and use pieces from my current motor configuration to make it fit. If I do the modification, I'm sure it would shoot the warranty to hell.
If I'm going to replace the engine at all, my desire is to replace it with a Kohler Command Pro for longevity.
Looking at equipatron, the
Kohler Vertical Engine - CV730-0029 looks "very" similar for fitment, shaft dia, and length.
I'm open for suggestions if you have any ideas for alternatives of the same breed.
My goal is to do a heart transplant with no, or little-to-no fuss.