Howard 220 questions.....

Hey folks..
I'm looking at a Howard 220 on fleabay and it has the original Aspera HTB35 engine (which isn't running properly)


Does anyone know if I can retrofit a Honda engine to one? The Honda has 4 mounting bolts and is fitted to the Bantam at the min.
I have a Bantam that needs work doing to it as the belt slips like mad and I can't use it. It's had a 5hp Honda engine fitted and the clutch thing doesn't pull the belt tight enough. I thought about fitting a tighter belt and just crunching between the gears/drive as long as it moved and worked.


I think the 220 operates in a similar way, but not sure. I'm also not sure if it only has one speed and the tines work only when the drive is on (Bantam has 2 speeds and tines are separate from drive)


I don't want to buy another pup lol


Cheers.

Be careful with engine swaps. They are never straightforward. Getting the Bantam's clutch to work properly would be child’s play compared to doing an engine swap. I work on Merry Tillers, and the ones I have bought with non standard engines rarely work right, some of the transplants I have come across are downright weird.

Well, I've gone and picked it up..





The seller said he'd never used it, and it wouldn't run properly. It wouldn't.. Took me ages to start and it wouldn't run. Stripped the carb and found out the choke wouldn't close fully due to a lip on the air intake - filed it off..


Also the throttle lever is bent, so needs a new one. The throttle linkage that goes to the carb wasn't right either, so had to shorten a spring and adjust it. It now runs perfectly well but needs some bits, inc a pin to hold the rod that moves the engine onto the lever.. At a push I could use a hair clip I guess..


Good bits are, it has the side panels and has been widened, probably by swapping some tines around. Also it has the extra toothed wheels that bolt onto the side of the normal wheels. They also act as weights should nice they weigh a fair amount. I've removed them so I don't take chunks out of my workshop door frame..





The petrol tank is off an ATCO I think, but does fit so no probs there..





And.. it's shorter than the Bantam so I can actually get it into my workshop/garage as the door is down the side, and there's no garage door (had it built without one.)


At least I don't have to do an engine swap now (although I wouldn't be hard to do as the engine lift feature is adjustable)