Just figured I'd post a little update on this.
Been using this swapped tractor for mowing regularly and it's been running fine. You really have to make sure the choke is fully closed when starting and it takes a few cranks. I assume that is because of how lean these carbs are tuned.
I figured out the starter problem -- it was my goof, I didn't have the Predator's starter solenoid hooked up so it wasn't kicking the gear in (headsmack).
The battery charging is borderline. It has to be run WOT when mowing or the battery will gradually discharge and after a couple hours you have to throw a charger on it or keep it on a trickle charger.
The other thing I've noticed, alarmingly, is that under a certain set of circumstances the oil pressure gauge will drop to 0 for a second or two. The circumstances are: fully hot engine (thin oil), WOT or near to it, a rapid travel direction change from reverse to forward, while on an incline.
The first time this happened it scared the dickens out of me, seeing the oil pressure gauge at 0 on a brand new engine is frightening! I instantly turned the key off but before the engine could even wind down the pressure was already coming back up.
Over time, this happened again and eventually I noticed the precise circumstances of when it occurs but I am very puzzled by it. Puzzled by why it happens but also why it doesn't seem to really bother the engine. Naturally I try to avoid the circumstances, but it does happen occasionally and with no seemingly ill effects. My assumption is that the oil pickup becomes uncovered from the oil sloshing towards the flywheel side of the engine.
I hesitate to say it's not a big deal, because it seems like it should be, but yet I see people putting these engines on all kinds of things, including swamp boats, buggies, etc. and in all my research I didn't find any recurring evidence of them grenading because of oil starvation. Since I know why it occurs, I can mostly avoid it and when it does occur, I just pause for a second, sigh, and continue mowing...
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