Howard Gem / JAP 600cc restoration

[vhgmcbuddy]

First up a big hello to everyone on here and little introduction as I’ve not long got my first piece of vintage gear, mostly as I have been kindly allowed to use the corner of a field for growing veg and that I do have a soft spot for old engines..

So I’ve picked up a 1948 series 2 Howard Gem with a JAP 600, although very tired looking is mostly complete and now runs after a little fettling.

A few pics and vid of it’s first run in many years 🙂

The plan for now is give it a good service get some new fluids in it, fix a few of more important bits then in future after I’ve used it to turn the land over it can get stripped and media blasted with a fresh coat of paint to tidy it up.

The faults I’ve found so far..
Reverse gear does not work and missing linkage,
Needs new mag covers,
Missing x1 LHS outer tine,
Exhaust valve lifter stripped in timing case (now fixed but..),
Exhaust down pipe snapped.

I did manage to pick up some spares as well including most of an engine and lot of gearbox parts, so barring the reverse gear most should be easy to make or replace.

[charlie]

Ben welcome to the forum. I have a similar age Howard with the BJ engine and broken reverse gear. The early reverse gear machines had a serious fault where reverse could be engaged while still in forward gear, this results in stripped gears. My machine only has 2nd and 3rd gear as 1st is damaged.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi Charlie that’s interesting to know about the reverse gear, I take you have to be in Neutral for the reverse to work, or does it bring an idler gear so just reverses the forward gears?

Also don’t suppose you know roughly the size the roto cover lower flap is, as I need to fabricate a new one thanks.

[Author]

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