[Jim in Illinois]

I am new here so I hope I placed this question in the right spot. I have a 1960s Craftsman rider mower that I am restoring and I need to find out the maximum safe RPM and idle RPM of the engine. It is a 5 horsepower vertical crankshaft engine.
Sears Craftsman Model number 143-135082 and serial number 392-10137. My Tecumseh manual does not cover this older engine. I heard that some older Tecumseh engines run at 3200 RPMs and later ones run at 3600 RPMs. Google has not helped me so far. Does anyone have access to the actual RPM numbers of older Tecumseh engines? I really don't want to launch a rod by guessing. Thanks for checking. Jim

 

[Walker56]

Can you post the Tecumseh Engine number?

 

[Jim in Illinois]

Sorry, I wasn't able to get the Tecumseh model number from the manual I have. It just doesn't go back that far. Maybe someone has an older manual???

 

[Walker56]

From what I read here, you have an LV50 engine.
http://classic-engines.com/engines-2/craftsman/64/
Here are the service manuals that I have for the LV series engines. One is for the L head and the other is for the Vector LV series. See if this helps you.

 

[Jim in Illinois]

Thank you so much for checking but the 3 to 11 hp manual is what I have and it does not cover this older engine. My engine has a crank start not a rope. It states micro fiche number 30 has the rpm numbers. That is dated technology right there. We have to go back farther in the time machine with this one. Any ideas?

 

[Walker56]

Look at these threads on microfiche 30
https://simpletractors.com/forums/topic/54501-tecumseh-microfiche-30/
https://www.lawnmowerforum.com/showthread.php/30266-anyone-have-quot-Microfiche-card-30-quot

 

[Jim in Illinois]

I just bought 31 Microfiche cards including #30 for $13.00 on eBay. A library in a nearby town has the Microfiche viewer for me to use. Hopefully #30 goes back far enough to cover this early engine. The lengths we go to when restoring an old machine! Thanks Walker56 for giving me the info. Jim

 

[Walker56]

Jim, good luck. Please post back once you view the microfiche.

 

[Jim in Illinois]

Well, I don't think my card #30 is old enough. It shows many V50s and a spec. number but no LV50. Mine doesn't have a spec. number only a serial number. High RPMs very greatly for the V50. I might have to find an older #30 card. I'm not going to give up yet.