Saving Old Seagulls

Which gearbox oil does it take? Ta!

Not oil
Under water grease.
I suppose that makes sense.

Aah. Marine grease. Many thanks. I was thinking runny grease. The crabs should be beginning to fatten up now after their winter hibernation and time to throw out some traps.

HI Hugo - I have had Pilots and Minors, (no longer have any Pilots) which share the same gearbox, where as Keith says, the official line is to use an underwater grease.
Personally, I don't like this as it turns to soap, which it almost is when new, and leaves a vacant cavity where the gears churn round, and god only knows what the bushes get.

I use an oil gun (Draper £10.00, or your granddads) filled with EP 140, and pump it in via the same nipple - think of all that lovely heavy oil swirling around the dry bushes and gears. OK - so I'm an oil freak!

Rick

Hugz, the manual is still available free on the net. http://www.britishanzani.co.uk/Pilot.pdf
I use grease, in a nice chromed mini grease gun, that fell into my toolbox, well when you used to get new seven ton volvo's turn up three at a time, someone had to look after the tool kits.

I'm with Rick, I cant see where grease will provide any lubrication! Thick oil everytime, even if it leaks!

Yes good thoughts. Thanks guys. I'll pull the box down and have a look to see which system seems the best. Good info in the manual too. Different fuel mix depending on type of two stroke oil is used. I've been running her a bit oil rich which is probably why she 4 strokes a tad. The manual says 2.5 BHP.... very optimistic!

Be interested to hear your observations when you strip the gearbox, assuming it has only ever been run on underwater grease.

Performance-wise, I think Pilots stack up very well in comparison to Forty Pluses, though they mysteriously rose in HP as time went by - the later ones are quoted at a heady 3 BHP!
The crank acts as a rotary inlet valve, and they breathe through the piston which has a domed crown.

OK - they did change ignition and carburettors on successive models, but even so . . . .

Interesting.

Would this grease be the same used in a smaller Seabee for example?
I've got 1 of these tucked away in a corner of the shed awaiting some tlc at some point.

Jon

In any of my precious "greased" gearboxes I use thick gear oil, in Marstons depending on the bearings condition SAE 220, 320 up to 460, all of which seen to emulsify well enough, flow well & all of them can be pumped in with an oil can, via a removed grease nipple, not that any of them get much use.

Industrial oil merchants seem to stock all of these in 20 litre containers, so I get mine from their customers in 2 litre milk containers from a friendly workshop forman for a fiver, which is about cost.

I use ep 460 in my minor..... it has only been in the test tank (just to say it runs) it now sits on its stand in the living room.

got a pic of your Pilot Hugz?

For folk who feel compelled to use grease, I think they will find that 'underwater' grease is more freely available as 'water pump' grease from motor factors, where of course the grease in a water pump application - as opposed to outboard motors - will at least get hot and potentially move around a bit.

Just did a bit of marine greasing of the box. Looked at pulling the box apart but decided to listen to the old adage "if it ain't broke don't..... " I couldn't get a good seal on the nipple with my grease gun so removed the nipple and just butted the gun up to her and got about three good squirts away. The original grease looked good and hadn't separated so will continue giving her a squirt every few runs. Sorta what the manual suggests.

No photo's Nudge but I did a vid a few years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9UswYi1SgA

Thanks for all the advice. It is the motor I use the most.

That is a nice little motor, run well

Yes it has done me proud. Only missed a beat when some silly galah prior to me used plumbers tape to seal the fuel line which dissolved into a glugy mess and blocked up the carby , got me home though. I have another one for spares, haven't used any bits. The Ruskies made a knock off pilot too. I found a Russian forum where they where discussing Bruces vid. Yay to google translation.