Saving Old Seagulls

Crankcase compression is very important on a two-stroke. Seagulls like most two-strokes have the transfer port and the exhaust port opposite each other cross the bore, so they can’t have a hollow gudgeon pin or they would lose crankcase compression as the pin passed the transfer port. If you have th...

Yes Charles uk is right.
The gudgeon pin on my LLS is fitted with the open end facing down towards the exhaust port and the blank end facing the transfer port. This way there is less turbulence and interference with the incoming charge.

So drained and striped the gear box and found it in as new condition not a hint of corrosion. Outboard 203.jpg Just a smear of the old shellac based gasket goo, the gasket is still usable. Any one know what gasket goo was used at the factory in 1956, think it’s possible it’s never been opened before...

Glad it worked out for you, always feels good when they come to life, sort of a hint of adventures to come.

What part of Ireland are you from, I know the Irish cost quite well?

Dave.

Nostalgic photos Bruce,, here is one I rescued, she’s never grown up and has stayed very small. As you say back to the engines. Gear box next.
Dave..

Nice story Bruce, was hoping the name wasn’t something to do with Catgut for a Cello .

Dave.

You seem to have covered all the usual things you need to do to get them running. Some times you will get a spark when you try with the plug in the open. But the spark will fail when the plug is under compression in the cylinder. This is because compressed air has a higher resistence and the spark w...

Good thought Bruce, will have a good clean up later tonight and pick up the pieces left on the bench. Will be spending the rest of the week in an asbestos boat shed! Though I’m told this sort of asbestos is safe, hope so it’s a very old shed from the 1930's. Dave. PS does the cat know were it’s name...

Yes BnC, it would stop things from vibrating lose and also prevent dissimilar metal corrosion.
But the inability to strip things down is a big drawback, it took me most of the afternoon to get the tank off, luckily with out damage, that high pressure steam gasket is tough stuff!

Dave.

My 1956 Century runs well and I used it last year back and fore to the moorings and a couple of trips on the Haven, it seams to have been looked after but decided to strip and check things and generaly tidy it up before the spring. For some reason a previous owner has bedded. every thing down in wha...

The primary windings on your Imp are energised by the cars 12v system, on the Seagull the primary windings are energised by the flywheel magnets passing the two iron keepers on either end of the coil. There is no simple way to measure the AC voltage produced and no need to. It could be calculated if...

Good result, glad you got it going

Look for something you have not checked. Have you checked the timing? Points should open somewhere around 5/16" BTDC. It’s not that critical could be as early as 9/16" . It is possible you have miss matched crank case and base plate and the timing is way out. Dave. PS I know Hout Bay a fri...

Cheers, I’ll allow 14" in old money.
Thanks, Dave.

Thanks Tam,
It is the longer length I need to know, how much space is it going to take up athwartships. As you say the fore and aft dimension will probably be the same.

Dave.