Engine Predator repower on CC 2165?

I have a '98 Cub Cadet 2165, that the engine has pretty much gone to the dogs (burns nearly 1/2 qt per mowing, own stock in spark plug company). I aquired a 670 Predator engine, and was wondering if anyone else has done something like this? If so, what is needed to fit the driveshaft to the engine, and how to make an exhaust fit?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you Google something like that you'll get quite of few hits,u-tube ect. Looks lots of guys done it. On different ones but might give you some ideas...

Preditors are just a cheap & nasty copy of obsolete Honda engines.
Honda still make stationary engines so in the worst case you might need to buy a new flywheel to hook it up.
Dingo & Kanga stand on loaders exported to the USA before they got banned on safety grounds so the locally made copy had no competition were all powered by Honda stationary engines.
Thus the dealers should have plenty of mufflers around that will fit your engine if it came without one.

Also watch the shaft heights they changed over the years.
If the Pred is lower, you can pack it out but if it is higher you are in that barbed wire canoe up my favourite creek.

You will also have to cut off all of the wiring plugs.
AFAIK you can still buy the Kohler ones for the Cub so you can keep the mower wiring original.
The muffler will be massive problem because the Kohler one will not fit the Honda clone and you will not be able to modify the Kohler one to fit, nor can you modify the Clone one to fit.
So you will need to modify the hood to give the clone muffler clearance or just toss the hood all together, it is mostly an ornament but you will need to provide some protection for the PTO belt & pulley and fab some sort of support for the muffler as well.

Seems to me it would be easier to overhaul the existing engine.

Yes, it would be easier, but it wouldn't be cheaper. The 16 HP Vanguard is expensive to rebuild (a lot of parts are no longer available), the engines are prone to overheating, and they are underpowered when running a 48" deck.

I've regretted getting the 16 HP engine since shortly after buying it; I wished that I spent the extra ~$250 and gotten the 18 HP Kohler instead. I think I would have been happier.

cpurvis said:

Seems to me it would be easier to overhaul the existing engine.

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Have you rebuilt a Kohler engine reciently ?
Not financially viable even when buying parts at wholesale prices and doing the labour yourself

It will be a lot easier if you go with a Kohler.
If you search the surplus engine suppliers you can generally get a replacement at a reasonable price.
with horizontals you need to watch the shaft height as longer stroked engines can have higher PTO shaft heights where as it is not so much a problem with vertical shaft engines.
It is your money but I would be inclined to go with a superceeded / surplus Kohler and flog the preditor.
Despite my disparaging remarks about them they are a reasonable replacement for anything that was previously Honda powered and for vertical shafts it is not so much of a problem.
However with your 2000 series Cub you have a very confined space to work in and have both space & alignment restrictions because it has to fit between the drive shaft at one end & the PTO belt pulleys at the front while trying to squeeze the muffler in without fouling on the hood
And when all that is done you still need to be able to get in there to thread new PTO belts in which is not exactly easy with the original muffler.

Look up small engine wharehouse.com

bertsmobile1 said:

Have you rebuilt a Kohler engine reciently ?
Not financially viable even when buying parts at wholesale prices and doing the labour yourself

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You have to be kidding.

"Easier" and "cheaper" to adapt a completely different engine to take the original engine's place? As compared to buying a set of rings and a gasket set?

To each his own. I know which path I'd take.

cpurvis said:

You have to be kidding.

"Easier" and "cheaper" to adapt a completely different engine to take the original engine's place? As compared to buying a set of rings and a gasket set?

To each his own. I know which path I'd take.

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I am yet to find a smokey Kohler than does not need a rebore.
Kohler do not retail oversize pistons or undersize con rods.
As you know, caught early , ie before you start fouling plugs then it is just a set of rings & gaskets , down here about $ 250 in parts + 4 hours labour.

If it needs a new shot block then a new engine is the better way to go.
Briggs do supply oversize pistons & rings + undersized rods so they are economic to repair.