Powell model H restore

#1
Hi all. My first post here although I have been lurking here for years. This site was invaluable for helping me keep my old Rupp going. So it was time to move on, and I bought this Powell H model from a fine gentleman in California. It's serial number is 6057-H.

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So in my spare time, which I have absolutely none, I decided to start with the engine first. The first order of business was that original, rare Powell spark arrestor. The muffler itself was rusted out along with the four allen head screws that held the arrestor together.

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After looking at the rusted muffler, I did a search of a new Tecumseh muffler like it, and they seemed to be everywhere, and cheap. So I ordered one. That was my first mistake. I learned that not only is that spark arrestor rare, so is the muffler. It seems to be a proprietary Powell muffler made only for that arrestor, because the one I bought came with a tab welded on the back of it.

Man, can those people in China weld!! After I ground and filed, used the wiz wheel, pried with channel locks, that darn tab was spot welded to the muffler also. So I ended up with two nasty holes in the back after tearing that mounting tab off.

So then I decided to spend the time and clean up the original muffler and keep it the way it was intended. I gave it a nice coat of Rustoleum 2000 deg flat black. I cleaned up the spark arrestor with a 3M green Scotch Bright pad and I gave it a coat of hard to find, Rustoleum 2000 deg Clear Gloss which I had to order.

Here's the end result.

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Next on the list is that, what I think might be original, Horstman clutch.

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Then I plan on rebuilding and repainting the Tecumseh which for the number crunchers is a HS40-55225b, serial 9295 03025.

Dave
 
#4
So, that is an awesome powell you have purchased. That bike is a crazy rare color and the best survivor of that color i have ever seen. Please dont restore it. Just detail the bike replace things that might be wrong and you are finished. It is only original once. My two cents
 
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6doggie3

Well-Known Member
#5
Dave glad you posted your Rare green Powell! I have one also 5716H but yours is way more complete!
Is the seat original?
 
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#6
So, that is an awesome powell you have purchased. That bike is a crazy rare color and the best survivor of that color i have ever seen. Please dont restore it. Just detail the bike replace things that might be wrong and you are finished. It is only original once. My two cents
I thought about that. I really did. But then I remember my old MG and my old Camaro that I restored using the original parts and made them look almost like new. It almost like saving them for the next generation, like an old house from the 1700's. With antiques, some people like them as is, some people like them to look shiny new. I'm going to attempt to use only the original parts, hence the reason I decided to clean up the muffler and not replace it.

As for that crazy paint. My paint shop has a computer matcher system, but it needs a flat, clean area to "read" the paint code so I can match the color as close as original. So far the only clean area is on the inside of the clutch cover and it's curved, so the reader doesn't work. I saw a place on the swing arm that might work. So I'm still trying to come up with an original paint code.
 
#7
Dave glad you posted your Rare green Powell! I have one also 5716H but yours is way more complete!
Is the seat original?
Yeah, it's pretty much complete, all the way down to the original Powell drive belt.

The seat cover, I'm almost sure is a replacement, though. As it looks like the staples are new holding it on.

But the seat frame is original. And on it was a original California off road green sticker welded to a plate under the seat. It was from the "70's.

I searched the CA DMV site, and finally sent off my $5 to Sacramento for them to do a history search on the plate number to see who owned the thing back then. Haven't heard back from them yet.
 
#8
I pulled the Horstman clutch off today and found that the 6 keyways and 6 keys were worn and causing a lot of slop in the clutch.
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I'm having trouble finding the keys. Does anyone have any experience with these clutches, or where to find keys that fit?
The bronze ring in the center might match up with one from a Comet 20/30 series that I saw on eBay, but I'm not sure until I buy one and match it up.

The center hub Keyseats are worn also, but not much to be done about that.

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Here's a picture after I gave it a good cleaning.

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#9
After writing Horstman I found out the parts for these older clutches are obsolete.

But I needed new keys because mine were so worn,so a quick trip to the hardware store, and I found that a standard size 1/4" x 1" key that they stocked fit the clutch keyway perfectly. It eliminated all the slop in the clutch.

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Now it time to rebuild the Tecumseh so I can test the clutch.
 
#11
It's taken some time, but I finally got the Powell's HS40 rebuilt.

New rings, piston, gaskets, points, coil, condenser and paint. And it runs like new!! Idles smooth and revs up nice. I think the governor might be an issue because the only oil leak I noticed was at the governor shaft in the side case. I don't think I'll pull it apart just yet for that, though.

Take a look:

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markus

Well-Known Member
#12
Looks great, on your leak at the gov, Its not a sealed area and it needs to move smooth and friction free as possible, so they will sometimes leak there (should not be excessive unless maybe you have too much oil in there or a pressure problem)

One thing sometimes is the filter in the breather can get clogged with dirt and/or paint when getting redone so the crankcase cannot breath very well. So maybe if its something that you didnt mess with when redoing it could just be blocked up a little causing a little crankcase pressure. Can take like a small pic and dig that filter element out through the outlet if it is and that may help with the leak.

is that the numbers for it scribbled on the wood 55225b? Guessing 1969/70 because its a lower number, I have been trying to catalog engine numbers that come off mini bikes that are original equipment.
 
#14
Looks great, on your leak at the gov, Its not a sealed area and it needs to move smooth and friction free as possible, so they will sometimes leak there (should not be excessive unless maybe you have too much oil in there or a pressure problem)

One thing sometimes is the filter in the breather can get clogged with dirt and/or paint when getting redone so the crankcase cannot breath very well. So maybe if its something that you didnt mess with when redoing it could just be blocked up a little causing a little crankcase pressure. Can take like a small pic and dig that filter element out through the outlet if it is and that may help with the leak.

is that the numbers for it scribbled on the wood 55225b? Guessing 1969/70 because its a lower number, I have been trying to catalog engine numbers that come off mini bikes that are original equipment.
Yeah, those were the numbers for it on the wood base. The serial is 9295 03025.

I thought about that breather being clogged, but when I rebuilt it, I pulled that thing apart and cleaned it, then painted it separately, then put it on last after I painted the block and checked the valves. It has the compression release cam with the long and short stems, and I wanted to double check that I had the valves in the correct position, cause I've heard of people putting them in backwards.

I looked at the parts breakdown and didn't see a gasket for the governor, only a flat washer which I remember being there. But funny thing about the governor, when I fired it up for the first time to adjust the carb, the governor worked. Now it doesn't seem to work anymore because now it will rev to the moon and the governor arm now longer cut back on the throttle. So I figure I'll be back inside there soon as I drives me crazy enough.
 
#15
That engine looks great ... :thumbsup: Nice job .
Thanks !!!

I've been lurking and dreaming over at your rebuild thread.

I have questions, if you've got answers !!!!

Anyways, my next step is the frame. The powder coater is only a few miles from my house, but I'm having trouble matching and finding a code for that lime green Powell color. The paint guy near me can't get his computer matching system to work.
 
#18
Dave the Tec came out real NICE! What did you use for paint?
I used Dupli-Color Dover/Arctic White (BGM0138) for the base white. It was the nearest to the factory Tec white I could find. My nearby NAPA guy ordered for me.

The top clear was USC Spraymax 2K Glamour High Gloss. It was expensive, and it's deadly, but it worked great and is rock hard and it didn't run once. I always have problems with my clear coats running. Too thick, I guess.
 
#19
Engine looks awesome! Make sure you've got the governor arm set correctly before you crack it open. The L-head manual gives a good set of instructions. The engine will scream like you described if the linkage if the arm has slipped counter clockwise (I have the ER bill to attest!:laugh:).
 
#20
Engine looks awesome! Make sure you've got the governor arm set correctly before you crack it open. The L-head manual gives a good set of instructions. The engine will scream like you described if the linkage if the arm has slipped counter clockwise (I have the ER bill to attest!:laugh:).
I was going to respond right after you wrote this, but I ran into a few issues with the Tec.

It ran like a Swiss watch when I put away to start on next project of getting the wheels powder coated, but when I went to start it.... no luck.

I have clear test fuel line installed, and it seems I wasn't getting any fuel flow to the carb. I'm not sure if its the new fuel filter I put on, or maybe the float needle might have some schmegma on it. So I planted my fat lips on the tank and gave a nice puff, and fuel started flowing and it started right up on the second pull. It's a new china carb, so I bought a different filter and some clear yellow Tygon fuel line.

But anyways, the governor WAS working perfectly, and now it's not. It will now wind right up to the point where it scares me. I didn't move the arm so I guess it's internal. I glad it's still on the test stand because I might order another case gasket, pull it apart and see what went wrong. Or maybe I'll just leave it alone and have a hauling Powell soon !!!
 
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