help me identify old flathead race engine

#1
I recently bought a retired Margay offset race cart frame from a guy who had it in the back of his truck. He didn't know what it was so he was glad to take two hundred cash for it. He had 3 different size fiberglass seat shells and a pretty serious looking flathead Briggs that he said were on it when it was given to him.
The engine has a shroud from another engine on it so it could be pull started by someone standing in front of the rear tires. It has gas tank mounted below the carb, no choke, no governor and an odd looking unpainted cylinder head. It looks like a pretty serious racing kart with some kind of screen or gauge panel on the steering wheel.

Did Briggs build ungoverned flathead race engines? I know that is what they used to race decades ago.....
Is there a way to tell if this is a factory race engine?
 

mustangfrank

Well-Known Member
#2
I recently bought a retired Margay offset race cart frame from a guy who had it in the back of his truck. He didn't know what it was so he was glad to take two hundred cash for it. He had 3 different size fiberglass seat shells and a pretty serious looking flathead Briggs that he said were on it when it was given to him.
The engine has a shroud from another engine on it so it could be pull started by someone standing in front of the rear tires. It has gas tank mounted below the carb, no choke, no governor and an odd looking unpainted cylinder head. It looks like a pretty serious racing kart with some kind of screen or gauge panel on the steering wheel.

Did Briggs build ungoverned flathead race engines? I know that is what they used to race decades ago.....
Is there a way to tell if this is a factory race engine?
C'mon...share some pics of your find.
 

Harquebus

Well-Known Member
#5
....Did Briggs build ungoverned flathead race engines? I know that is what they used to race decades ago.....Is there a way to tell if this is a factory race engine?
Yeeeup, Briggs did build such engines. The factory dubbed them Raptor and the model/type was 133230 8124-01.

This shows what they looked like and some basic info: https://www.briggsracing.com/racing-engines/raptor

EDIT: Identifying the block itself without its original blower shroud/housing can be difficult.
There should be no hole for the governor lever arm {under the fuel tank} and the carburetor won't have a choke.
 
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