# McLane Engine Swap



## JRS 9572 (May 28, 2018)

I think I saw this on another thread, but cannot find it. On a 3rd McLane I have a blown engine circa Briggs 1997. My father in law has it, and was wondering about replacing the engine with a predator at Harbor Freight.

On the new models Briggs I own, purchased in 2015, I scanned the QR code on the engine and went to the Operators manual. It shows that the engine is 127CC's which equals 3.908 HP (found a converter on the internet to make this conversion.)

I see a 3HP horizontal shaft Predator engine on Harbor Freight. However it is 97 CC's? From there the next model up goes to 6.5HP or 212CC

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-hp-79cc-ohv-horizontal-shaft-gas-engine-epa-69733.html

Any ideas? If I put a larger HP engine on the mower, in place of the current HP, then would that be detrimental to the mower?

Here's the circa 1997 model

Thanks


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## Groundskeeper Willie (Feb 22, 2019)

I've seen a youtube video which shows a HF Predator engine 212cc on the McLane. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E4GPBQ6nW0 
It can be done. As I recall the larger, wider engine obliged the owner to mod the handles with a longer rod horizontally through the middle, and one side of the handles had to be bent to a different angle to accommodate the width. 
In the 2 yards where I use a McLane 20" there are some turns, slopes and tight areas where the large,r heavier engine would just be too much to handle. The stock mower is a handful already in one yard, which is tiny and is composed of nothing else besides turns slopes and tight areas. I can't use self-propel anywhere in that "lawn" except for the first row along the street.
I was interested in the HF engine as a future project idea, to rehab an old mower, but unless I knew I had a nice flat and level lawn with a bunch of square feet, I wouldn't do it. The extra hundred bucks for a 127cc Briggs would be worth it to not have to deal with the hassle of shoehorning the larger engine into place and dealing with the resulting maneuverability issues.


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