Little Forty.
This page is dedicated to the Little Forty models.
In it I include the (F), FV, FVP, LM, and LS (The 'F' here is not to be confused with the 'F' of the later Featherweight. To date we have not found an original 'F', they only appear on the engine numbers sheet for the first year, 1949.) March 2007! Mike Williams in Australia has sent me some mobile phone pictures of a 1951 model 'F'!!! They did exist! Better pictures to follow we hope.
All These models had radically different engine to drive shaft attachment, they were clamped, so should be easy to distinguish apart from the later motors. Sadly virtually none of the major parts are still available, so cannibalizing dead British Seagulls is often the only way to keep these running. When I say running, I do think it worth saying that these motors have now gone beyond there 'Use by' date and I would suggest they are mostly curios now. After all if you break it out there, you are not easily going to be able to repair it!
Video of Little Forty. From Charles Palfreeman
Plus! these diagrams and instructions on the FV and LS
These are all courtesy of Charles Palfreeman!
1951 Advert for the 'Baby British Seagulls' from Steve in Australia
This is a memo from British Seagull dated about 1976:-
AVAILABILITY OF SPARES FOR
EARLY FORTY MODELS
There appears to be some misunderstanding regarding availability of spares for the early LITTLE MODEL FORTY, FORTY MINUS and FORTY PLUS. The position now is that unfortunately a number of parts are no longer available for the FV, FVP, LM and LS series which were discontinued over 20 years ago. FV Little Model Forty manufactured between 1949 and 1954.
FVP Forty Plus manufactured between 1949 and 1953. These series had a slightly shorter stroke than the latter "LS" series and the following parts are no longer available.
Fuel tanks
Cylinder Heads
Cylinder head and base gaskets
Cylinders
Crankshafts
Cylinder holding studs
Casing tubes
Exhaust flanges
Engine support lugs
Drive shafts
Water pump rotors
Propellers
Crankcaseclips
LM Forty Minus manufactured between 1954 and 1955.
LS Forty Plus manufactured between 1953 and 1957.
The following parts are no longer available:-
Cylinders
Cylinder head and base gaskets
Cylinder holding studs
Crankcases
Casing tubes
Crankcase clips
SEAGULL SERVICE
Having said that so many parts are not available for this range of motors, just take a look at what one customer has managed to restore!
Matthew Perring's Little Forty a FV model.
Got to admit that is a nice little British Seagull!
The Choke assembly below was brought to me in a box of Little Forty parts, but it is not from any Forty model I have seen. Can you identify it.??
These parts, an Amal carb with a fancy choke assembly and an old tank, were brought to me by a customer. I reproduce pictures of them here just for interest. They are supposed to come from a 'Little Forty', but I thought all those models had Villiers Carbs? anyone know different? Has anyone else seen one like it?
Charles tells me he has seen an advert depicting something similar on one of the first Little Forty's, so they maybe did have the Amal carb in the beginning? Has anyone got one?
The tank is typical of the early little forty models.
John, SOS
These photos have been supplied by Charles Palfreeman of some of his flock of Little forty models.
The first pic above shows the different crankcase and the long studs, together with the odd lugs on the head to take those little tanks.
The next show how different the blocks are, you can see straight through them! Very open waterways ands the studs holding the head passed through this.
The studs suffered as a result, this is typical of the problems they had. The metal plate, a steel sheet, was the seal between the jacket and the crankcase!
Here is an early Little forty with a bronze water pump rotor, and a slightly later one with an Ali one, later to be plastic of course.
This un restored motor shows the different tiller handle fitted and the old style Villiers throttle lever. note also the metal fuel pipe.
Here Charles is displaying a 'LS' longshaft, as received with incorrect tank, a 'FVP' and a much later 'F', note the fuel pipes are different on all three..
This little FV has been beautifully restored! It has the 'T' suffix to denote it was fitted with the optional tilting tiller!
Here for comparison are an SJP and an F of much later mark, Difficult to see the differences, but there are quite a few. Other than the internal ones, the props were different as were the crankcases and the tillers. Note these now have the cast tiller pivot on the case with a cast handle end.
Thankyou Charles for all of these!
Al Girling dealt with me many moons ago and has sent me a link to his website, where his restored LS can be seen!
http://al.sdf-eu.org/maib.html
This booklet copied for me by Tony Dellaway, sadly much of it is the same as the current one, so copyright... Thanks anyway Tony.
