bsa powered rotavator

[berger]

went to brothers to see how the workshop was progressing and came across this rotavator someone on the allotment owns. he's got it so he can make a copy of the complete clutch and mechanism for one of his rotavators, workshop is getting bigger since lockdown

[RDfella]

Here's a pic I found online a while ago of a Clifford rotovator, powered by BSA M20 or M21 engine. We used to have one of these. A real handfull. Note timing case is modified to take a starting handle.

[chaterlea25]

Hi All
I have a Howard "Gem" with a 600cc sv J.A.P
It's an absolute Beast 

John

[berger]

hi john brother had to get this one back from the dead some years ago now, did months of work on it because most of it was ready for the scrap yard, he had to make loads of bits and couldn't get a howard transfer or sticker for it so he painted it on. it is a howard gem series 5 --30inch  16hp kohler petrol, as you said a beast, my dad used to have a simar rototiller -2 forward and 1 reverse gears . pictures of pictures on my old phone, I must fire up the new one that's been hanging about for months

[BigJim]

Those beasts can sort some ground. Used one many times with my fathers landscaping business.

[Joolstacho]

Hi All
I have a Howard "Gem" with a 600cc sv J.A.P
It's an absolute Beast 

John

Here's the Howard that's in my keeping. (Note, this is mocked up with a nice BSA tank rather than the Harley one). There's a big problem with the magneto drive though, -(It needs to occupy the same part of the universe that's occupied by the Norton gearbox)! Just imagine, an Aussie Vee-twin.

NOTE: This has a Howard motor, not J.A.P.

"" indeed!

[chaterlea25]

Hi Jools,
The japanese 600 is similar to the japanese bike engines but has small carb and probably a soft profile cam, dry sump lube system
the oil and petrol tank are combined with a filter unit on the return line
I have heard of those Howard V twin engines, All iron construction?
I have seen some attempts to fit them into bikes online but have heard that the engines do not like to rev ??

John

[Joolstacho]

John, actually (not "japanese"), but J.A.P. (J.A. Prestwich -London).

But yes this is an Australian manufactured engine, and yes, it weighs a ton, plenty of cast iron!
Yes, by all accounts pretty much a chugger, I'd imagine enormous torque though.

[Tomcat]

This one was at the 2018 All British Rally. Fitted in a BSA frame, all new modern internals and only revs to 3,000 RPM.

[chaterlea25]

Hi Jools,
Late at night I forgot to put the full stops between the letters, "system settings" change the word to Japanese 

John

[Greybeard]

Many years ago I was asked by a gardener friend to help him with his work. He asked me to run his Allen Scythe over the overgrown village graveyard. I'd never used one but I thought, how hard can it be?

As you probably know, these machines are very heavy and very strong. They need someone who knows what they are doing in charge of them. I did not know what I was doing!
I got the thing started and put it in gear. Off we went; the scythe was practically dragging me along. The long grass and weeds were falling all around me. I suddenly realised I was headed for the hedge! Before I managed to take it out of gear the blades were wreaking havoc among the trunks of the hedgerow. I had a quick look around; no one was watching! I put the scythe in reverse and pulled back. The hedge looked no different but I knew that it was just a matter of time before a new entrance into the graveyard would appear. I never offered to help my friend again. 

That was nearly 40 years ago. I hope the hedge has recovered by now.

[Joolstacho]

Hi Jools,
Late at night I forgot to put the full stops between the letters, "system settings" change the word to Japanese 

John

Haha... that's your damn politically-correct spell-checker for you!

[smellybeard]

went to brothers to see how the workshop was progressing and came across this rotavator someone on the allotment owns. he's got it so he can make a copy of the complete clutch and mechanism for one of his rotavators, workshop is getting bigger since lockdown

My Clifford has a 600cc SV J.A.P. in it.

[limeyrob]

Years ago a friend ran a market garden.  With it came an ancient Ransoms crawler which still worked.  It had a 600 side-valve that started on petrol and ran on TVO.  Engine was a BSA and looked like an industrial version of an M21.