I was in the same boat this past spring when my (new to me) 1712 had a valve retainer spring crack in half. So, needing a motor fast, I bought the Briggs Vanguard 18hp repower kit for a 782 from smallenginewarehouse.com and dropped it in. Was about $1500 shipped to me I think. I took me about 3hrs to pul the old motor and totally install the new motor. I runs like a champ. Fit perfect, just make sure you have a large puller for the PTO, and a small puller for the driveshaft coupling. Comes with a new throttle cable also. In my opinion, these Vanguard motors are the way to go, parts are cheap and available, and the motors are easily swappable to many applications. Id like to rebuild the Kohler KT17II from the 1712, but, by the time I pay for a overhaul on it, (805hrs), I could pay for a new vanguard. Just my 2cents.
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