snapper old school

[DavidOKla]

I've been picking up a few older snappers lately. It looks the briggs quantum motor will fit sideways in the older mowers. I got this one and it had been sitting for 10 years. The story was previous owner swapped the engine to this Briggs I/C commercial engine used it barely than gave it this guy who didn't use it. It was a $20 find and has a bagger. I grabbed another one was well and it has the iron sleeve tecumseh replacement engine, bagger mower as well but self propel. I put some starting fluid in it and it started right up.
Why did snapper use some many different brands of motors back in the day? Is this tecumseh motor okay? I know the sears tecumseh's like to throw rods out the block

 

[Rivets]

All manufacturers used different engines, depending on who bid the lost cost per unit. Cast iron sleeved Tecumseh engines were extremely reliable. Don’t know where you got the info about the Craftsman engine built by Tecumseh were bad. Only time I ever saw one throw a rod, the unit was low n oil. There was no difference between a Tecumseh and a Craftsman Tecumseh.

 

[DavidOKla]

All manufacturers used different engines, depending on who bid the lost cost per unit. Cast iron sleeved Tecumseh engines were extremely reliable. Don’t know where you got the info about the Craftsman engine built by Tecumseh were bad. Only time I ever saw one throw a rod, the unit was low n oil. There was no difference between a Tecumseh and a Craftsman Tecumseh.

The engine look different than any craftsman mower engine. I know we have a craftsman spit its rod out and I've read of others complaining too but then again we were cutting almost an acre yard with it.
I even have a snapper that was given to me with the wisonsin 2 stoke? The carb needs replaced and would probably be hard to find these days. It may get the harbor freight Honda knock off.

 

[Rivets]

Craftsman is a mower name, not engine. Craftsman name has been around for 50+ years and I’ve seen almost every brand of engine used on their equipment. You may find Briggs, Tecumseh, Honda, Clinton, Subaru, etc. depending on which manufacturer built the piece of equipment. You may find the unit was built by MTD, AYP, Electrolux, Husqvarna, etc. Craftsman has never built anything, not even a decal. Sears owns the Craftsman name and only built its reputation.

 

[DavidOKla]

Craftsman is a mower name, not engine. Craftsman name has been around for 50+ years and I’ve seen almost every brand of engine used on their equipment. You may find Briggs, Tecumseh, Honda, Clinton, Subaru, etc. depending on which manufacturer built the piece of equipment. You may find the unit was built by MTD, AYP, Electrolux, Husqvarna, etc. Craftsman has never built anything, not even a decal. Sears owns the Craftsman name and only built its reputation.

I'm sorry for my error.. I know my family bought several sears mowers over the years with that tecumseh engine with the coned air cleaner, they were on sears mowers probably 20 years..They look similar to this picture I think we bought them because they were readily serviceable locally.
The snapper I just picked up has this tecumseh engine (black engine ) and doesn't look like the ones found on sears mowers

 

[Rivets]

You are looking at the plastic engine cover. If you removed the cover you will find that the engines look almost identical.

 

[upupandaway]

If you removed the cover you will find that the engines look almost identical.

Almost.... These particular 2 pics are different model motors. The one to the right is Tec VLV(note the square air filter) which is different than the left motor.

The motors with the square air filter, Rivets is right.
The motors with round tube or "oval" shaped filter Rivets is right or at least they are very similar.

The left pic looks like my Toro Tec where the muffler vents down under the deck. most of the type exhaust is right out the side of the motor.

 

[Rivets]

One is probably an LEV engine, while the other probably VLV, but basicly the same block with different carbs and mufflers. Both mufflers discharge straight out the side, different shapes for back pressure and sound deadening.