Yes, your code reading is correct Ty. The generation would be 6, not 5, because they started with zero, not 1 (e.g. the famous 60102 engine was first generation). The people who invented the Christian calender made the same mistake you just did, by the way: the inventors started with the year 1 instead of the year zero, so in fact the third millenium started in January 2001, not January 2000, and all of the parties were a year early. It was mildly amusing at the time. However they were apparently several years out with their estimated starting point for the calendar anyway, so I don't suppose another error of just one year was of much importance.
I think it probably was indeed 9 cubic inches, and I've read that it was 5 hp - Komatsu's idea of mild lawnmower tuning was perhaps a bit more aggressive than Briggs' would have been, but it idled very nicely and two-stroked smoothly under very slight acceleration, so I'd say it was a success. I don't know how it would compare with other Japanese two stroke mower engines such as the Suzuki. I suspect it would be a lot easier to get parts for the Suzuki.
The leading zero on the model number might have meant anything, I suppose. I didn't manage to figure out with certainty whether Briggs ever assembled the engine in the US. If they didn't, I don't see how they managed to have a full manufacturing date on the engine, since the whole date string would have had to be stamped in Japan and it wouldn't have reached the US until weeks or months later. On the other hand if Briggs had built it they'd have had the line/plant designators on the end of the date string, and they aren't there, which suggests it was assembled in Japan.
There is a quote from the current Stratton family member on Wikipedia, saying that the venture with Komatsu was not a success because the strength of the Japanese currency (Yen) made the engine unaffordable in the US. Their 10-year agreement only ran for 4 years.
Last edited by grumpy; 20/08/11 04:06 AM. Reason: Add details
