I picked up a freebie howard gem ( jap ) at the weekend from someone I met at a vintage show during the summer. Its missing the magneto . I was wondering if i could modify a wico A type mag to to fit this chain driven magneto (get the missing sprocket and mount it on a wico mag)...or is it like my 180 degree twin gem ..... a unique mag to fit the howard jap engine gem?. Jap engined gems are very scare over here in ireland and i have never see one in the flesh until i picked up this one on sunday.
Looking good.....I am looking forward to seeing this one finished and running ..the Sachs engine has quiet a reputation for starting difficulties but if anyone can get one running well you can. Super job on the dowdeswell ..its been a while since i logged in so enjoying the excellent photos of your machines.
Saw one of those at a small show over here in ireland last summer. the owners kids were driving it around ...its drives well. He was working in the states for a few years as a carpenter and took it as part payment from an elderly woman he was doing work for. I have a picture of it on my phone ....meant to post it up .
Nice display , you seem to be making good progress. I am looking forward to see the sachs diesel project as i picked up one of those engines up a few months back...owner gave up on trying to start it and put a kohler on instead.
Not too worried about the carb ..lots on the bay (Chinese copies) that are low priced.Interesting point about the carb leaking due to the mounting angle.
Its the odd pulley system i could do with some info on...it slides outwards ..the gap between each section then widens. The allen key nuts on the pulley are small and seized.
The company story is interesting ..started in 1785 and gone by 1989. The built quality is top notch ...very well balanced tipping barrow.
Tks Gareth you certainly know your machinery! here is a picture of the engine with a strange pulley /clutch system attached. Need to get a carb ..its very corroded...was seized solid.
A vintage collector friend of mind dropped this into my yard last weekend. He has had it for a good few years..but never had it running. It looks a useful bit of kit ..anyone know the maker ?. Its fitted with a robin engine (Ey 20 i think) which i have started to strip down. All cables etc are seized but gearbox seems OK ..worked by hand with cable ends disconnected.
I like your Howard dragon I have two of them ..one a good complete runner with the rotavator /mowing bar attachment /reversible plough. I like your Allen scythe .... I got one a few years back but never finished restoring it.
I can see where you are coming from picked up a very good British junior engine (for a Howard gem) a few years back at this time of year for just £10 on the well known auction site ...the seller even put it on a pallet so that i could get it picked up by a Transport company. Its just as well I don't live in the Uk ...there is too many tempting buys....I can hardly get in the door of the shed as it is.
Thanks for the offer but i have brought it to several engineering shops and to they were all around the same price ..it is a shaft splined on both ends and case hardened . I will track one down eventually and mean while i am restoring a howard gem 180 degree twin..thankfully running now after new pistons and a re bore.
Picked up a single speed trusty tractor a few months back (non runner) but unfortunately it held a nasty surprise in the form of a worn down pinion shaft. Here is a photo of a the bad one that came off the Right hand side and the OK one that was fitted to the left hand side. Got a price for €500 !!! to make a new shaft . If anyone has any leads send me a pm . Seems to be only complete machines that come up for sale . I don't think I have ever seen a more worn down shaft !!!! brings a new meaning to driven into the ground!!
Haven't logged in for months but great to see you back on the gems.I Like the early metal wheels ....i put the later type metal wheels on my bj gem and sprayed them black. My howard 180 twin is like yours unfinished ...the engine runs but i must fit a breather to the rocker cover ..too much pressure is forcing oil out /leaking.
My latest diversion is a jap model 6 picked up last weekend. Really only got it because it had a centrifugal clutch for my douglas sv54 trusty project. Its missing a flange mounted wipac mag and I was wondering if I could convert a working wico base mounted mag from a scrapped jap 5 to fit the jap 6 by getting a flange from a non working /cheap wipac mag a fitting it to the base mounted one from the jap 5 ?. Is this possible?
I am like you started the resto of the 180 degree twin version but its got left to one side for while now. Rebuilt engine and got it running but it was the toughest engine i ever had to get started. Loads of small issues ..leaks etc. Yours looks like it wouldn't take too much to finish.
Looks a good bit of kit . I am spoilt i have a friend who is a professional welder and he is great at fabricating as well . Its got me out of a trouble a good few times.
I live in Ireland and its surprising how many Anzani Iron horses are hidden away in sheds . From bringing my own iron horse to vintage shows I have met about 9 other owners , most are parked up in sheds , but there are two in Dublin that go to the ploughing matches. I believe the late George Holt had a long list of Uk owners. At one show I met an elderly gentleman ,less that two miles from me and got invited to see his sheds ...which to my delight had a fine easimow..almost like new . He said it was much too heavy and tended to sink into the lawn when he tried it out...he had a jap 5 engine that I managed to buy off him , that now powers my own iron horse.
The Hayter 26 motor scythe has no reverse....would be tricky to use in confined spaces. Its very fast for open areas and if you fit an electronic coil from a later briggs would be reliable. Its kick start via the 3 speed albion gearbox...1st gear is nice and slow..3rd gear you would have to run after it!!!
I have an allen scythe and a sickle bar attachment for my howard dragon..but my preffered machine for high grass is my Hayter 26"roller drive motor scythe . These old hayters will make fast work of high grass without smothering you in a clould of oily blue smoke (allen Scythe). There was one on the" for sale" section of this site some time back.
Those old 26" roller drive hayters were built like tanks i have one for years ..a mighty machine to cut high grass with the 4 blade deck attachment. The cylinder mower attachment gives a rough enough cut but has its use. A roller seat was also available.
your starting woes i can relate to with my howard gem 180 twin..at least you wont have a bad back/ arm/shoulder from trying to crank it over!! !(it did eventually start on the 1000th attempt with the rocker cover gasket leaking heavily !!)
Hi Ash..have sent you pm re: Howard Bantam ac 120 manual. These engines are governor controlled and notoriously hard to tune. Two types of carb were fitted...and parts such as needles for these are not available. Throttle shaft wear is also common (because of link to governor) and this will cause all sorts of problems ...add in common bore wear and you are lucky to have a runner!
Howard Gem Jap Magneto
in Pedestrian Operated Machines
Posted
Thanks Gareth. Could really do with a picture of this magneto if anyone can supply same