Tecumseh 3.5hp, are they a good motor?

[Clayton]

I have been thinking about picking up a Tecumseh 3.5hp vertical shaft engine from a lawn mower to use on either a mini bike or go kart. I like the looks of them because I saw that the carb is bolted to a manifold that then bolts to the block, which I think is better than the Briggs 3hp, where the carb just slides on a pipe that goes to the block. But I am not gonna buy something I don't know the quality of. Do 3.5hp vertical shaft tecumsehs usually have problems?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

post a picture of it, and make sure its running good. i can tell you what i would pay for it.

i was thinking of using a self propel from a lawn mower to be used as a RAGB and tranny, havent tried it yet.

not sure how it would hold up to torque and speed.......

 

[r97]

if you rigged up the self propel box correctly it would last just as long as it would on the mower.

run the original belts and pulleys between the engine and RAGB (us the tensioner too!), then put the RAGB output axle on bearings, run a chain from the output axle to the go kart axle, done! i have wanted to do just that many times!

 

[Bluethunder3320]

One thing i noticed is you might wanna upgrade pulleys and belts. They are SO thin.

 

[Clayton]

Okay, I have a few old RAGB's lying around, so it could work.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

A few laying around? Wow.

 

[bmracing]

Great Motors had a 3.5 with a tillotson carb runnin on race gas ran like a raped ape.

 

[Clayton]

A few laying around? Wow.

Yeah I live on a farm and various old farm implements that are wrecked sitting in my pasture have them on them, they are even geared high enough too. I probly have 5 or so.