Glad I pulled the engine and cleaned it up.
Found a huge crack in one of the crankcase halves
So now I gotta figure out what to do.
I have a 14HP vanguard that I picked up a few weeks back that I could put in it. It had already been in an 82 series, so it's got a clutch on it, and some brackets that should mount ok.
I could also just grind out and JB weld/epoxy the crack and see if it holds up. Nothing really to lose I guess. The engine really isn't in great shape anyway, and this probably won't be my main runner.
I also found a reasonably priced MV18, that I'd have to convert to horizontal. The major issues with the vertical to horizontal conversion seems to revolve around the crank. Provided that the crank in this one is ok, that wouldn't be AS bad of a job. I'd still have to split both engines and it'd make a big mess and be a general PITA.