Hello - and this going to end in tears?

You can talk about almost anything here

Moderators: John@sos, charlesp, Charles uk, RickUK, Petergalileo

Frankenstein
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:44 am
Location:

Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Frankenstein »

Hi everyone newbie here,

I'm fat (18st) - this is relevant - so please read on.

I was warned not to get one but I've just done it - it's a 1982 featherweight, model 45. It runs beautifully but is the shaft too short for my inflatable? Here are some pics:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f220/ ... 1296229711
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f220/ ... 1296229803
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f220/ ... 1296229985
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f220/ ... 1296230648

The transom length is 15 inches (2 inches longer than recommendation for the model 45).

The boat is a small Seago (2.6 metres). I reckon that with my backside close to the stern I should get a bit more depth - but I don't know how much more, and it's way too cold to get out on the water yet to test it. I've never owned an outboard so it's a steep learning curve for me.
Keith.P
Posts: 2833
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:43 pm
Location: Hertfordshire
Contact:

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Keith.P »

That looks usable, I would move the lump of wood to the clamp side, so the bracket will be flat against the transom,
I sometimes have the opposite problem, too much weight in the boat and trying to keep the cylinder head out of the water.
User avatar
skyetoyman
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:48 am
Location: Glendale , Isle of Skye
Contact:

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by skyetoyman »

I too think it looks about right but I would make the wood larger to stiffen the transom and to fit the whole bracket. As it's a seagull don't expect to able to waterski
LLS c 1961 on a crescent 42 boat c 1980 + wspcl c 1976 + 102 SD8561 c 1944 + 102 ACR 1948
User avatar
Todd
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 6:52 pm
Location: Maine, USA

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Todd »

I regularly run my Featherweight on a small skiff with a 15" transom with no ill effects. It's become a favorite for fishing.

If you're like most other Seagull owners here, you'll continue to disregard further dire warnings and acquire another one or several Seagulls, at least one of which will be a 40+. You may like the extra bit of authority with which it manuvers your inflatable.

Supporting the entire mounting bracket is good advice.

Todd
User avatar
outboard
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:28 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by outboard »

Hi, I would think it should be ok. What might be suggested, your weight at the stern would lift the bow which wouldn't be too clever. You might find it more suitable to sit midship or at least forward.
User avatar
Charles uk
Posts: 4951
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:38 pm
Location: Maidenhead Berks UK

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Charles uk »

I take it that the inflatable is new, if you remove the protective piece of timber from the transom & affix the featherweight, with your weigh amidships it will run perfectly, I will wager half a pint of lager on this, subject to the motor being in good running order.
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
User avatar
Hugz
Posts: 3282
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:41 am
Location: Sydney

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Hugz »

Looks perfect! Low enough for water intake. I run a 9' metzeler which looks very similar in size and I find with the aft pontoon extensions, weight distributions doesn't make much difference to trim. I was 16 stone in my heyday (before all that rowing back to shore, only kidding) with no probs.
Keep an eye out for a earlier brass tank as the those metal ones tend to rust.
User avatar
charlesp
Posts: 2567
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:37 pm
Location: Poole, Dorset, England

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by charlesp »

'I'll wager half a pint of lager' - I say, steady on Charles no need to go overboard...
Frankenstein
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:44 am
Location:

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Frankenstein »

Reassuring advice on both the shaft length and fixing of motor to the transom - thanks to all!

I suspect that I will collect one or two more Seagulls. I'm checking out a 40+ this weekend - I'm told that it's a bit of a wreck which has been left outside for some time, but I fancy the challenge of restoring it (or at least getting it to spark).

ONE MORE QUESTION PLEASE

I intend to use my Seagull primarily for fishing. In the summer I will be with my kids targetting mackerel which will involve trolling at low speed. Provided the Seagull is pumping water, is it capable of operating at very low revs for long periods without overheating or fouling the plug? I'm using Quicksilver 2 stroke oil (25:1) with a Bing carb.
chris
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:13 am
Location: clontarf aus

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by chris »

it will overheat at very low speeds as it won't pump water, all that happens when they overheat is they just stop, no damage is done and will start again when cooled down, they don't seize up. I used my first one a lot trolling for trout in lake sorrell in tasmania, it took awhile before it stopped, there is a thread on the forum somewhere where someone attached a tube to the water outlet and had it coming out lower so the motor would pump at low speeds, the 102's outlet is lower and pumps at low speed,
User avatar
Charles uk
Posts: 4951
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:38 pm
Location: Maidenhead Berks UK

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Charles uk »

chris wrote:it will overheat at very low speeds as it won't pump water, all that happens when they overheat is they just stop, no damage is done and will start again when cooled down, they don't seize up.
Sorry Chris I'm going to have to pass comment on this,
"they just stop" is caused by the piston & cylinder overheating to such an extent that the piston will no longer slide up & down the bore, when the piston temperature gets this high any condensed lubricant on the cylinder walls & piston, get less viscous & tend to be displaced.

If you strip your motor without trying to restart you will probably see fresh shiney scratch marks on the bottom side of the piston & black dust & marks on the cylinder where you used the piston & rings as a brake block.

The black dust is cast iron particles from the rings & cylinder walls

"they just stop" is what's known as a seizure!

"no damage is done" should read, not enough damage was done to prevent a restart this time.
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
User avatar
charlesp
Posts: 2567
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:37 pm
Location: Poole, Dorset, England

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by charlesp »

Hence the idea of a trolling propellor, so you can turn the motor over at a decent speed without all the thrust. The local take here in Poole is hack a couple of the blades off a spare prop, and use that.
User avatar
livewire
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 8:27 pm
Location: Fareham, Hants

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by livewire »

Frankenstein wrote:Reassuring advice on both the shaft length and fixing of motor to the transom - thanks to all!

I suspect that I will collect one or two more Seagulls. I'm checking out a 40+ this weekend - I'm told that it's a bit of a wreck which has been left outside for some time, but I fancy the challenge of restoring it (or at least getting it to spark).

ONE MORE QUESTION PLEASE

I intend to use my Seagull primarily for fishing. In the summer I will be with my kids targetting mackerel which will involve trolling at low speed. Provided the Seagull is pumping water, is it capable of operating at very low revs for long periods without overheating or fouling the plug? I'm using Quicksilver 2 stroke oil (25:1) with a Bing carb.
If the 40+ is a good price go for it, but i warn you, your on the slippery slope to Seagull addiction.

I'm only on my 3rd which has a siezed crank and piston, but i'll get her going again... In the meantime i'm looking for my 4th.

Andy
User avatar
Todd
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 6:52 pm
Location: Maine, USA

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by Todd »

Frankenstein ... any relation to ...? Never mind.

I use my 'Gulls primarily for fishing, trolling for hours for smallmouth bass with both my 40+ and minus. No special prop, no overheating. With a simple extension of the water outlet, Seagulls will pump water until they just stop from lack of momentum.

Image

Simply insert a piece of rust-free tubing into the discharge opening, then slide a section of 1/4" i.d. clear fuel line over it, cut to a few inches above the water. The suction effect will assist the impeller pumping action, and keep water flowing at the slowest speeds. You can leave the fuel line in place or pull it off for a day of running at speed, it works fine either way.

Also, I use a good quality synthetic oil, Amsoil, at 25:1 and have minimal smoke, no bad odor, and in hundreds of hours of use, have never fouled a sparkplug.

Good luck fishing!!

Todd
chris
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:13 am
Location: clontarf aus

Re: Hello - and this going to end in tears?

Post by chris »

I won't argue about the motor damage from overheating but from my experience when I use to use it for trolling when it stopped the motor was never seized, you could still turn the motor over just as easily and it would only start again when it had cooled down a bit, if it was a modern motor overheating I think it would kill it completely.
Post Reply