I'm a new Seagull owner - my 'new' engine being a 1975 40+ in 'much abused but reliable' condition. I'm in the process of bolting the stern bracket to the outboard pad on my trailer sailer.
The previous owners (they bought it new in 1975, I've 'aged it' via the SOS website data) said it has always been run (and should be run) using petrol and a 16:1 mixture of 'normal' engine oil.
Well, after reading blurb everywhere about running these engines on 10:1, and having a number of litres of outboard 2-stroke oil laying around, the ultimate question has been prompted:
What should it be run on? Please, someone give me the right answer!
Many thanks
More 2-Stroke Questions!
Moderators: John@sos, charlesp, Charles uk, RickUK, Petergalileo
Hello Adam,
your Seagull left the factory set to 10:1 mix, with a Villiers Carb I suspect. In 1978 all Seagulls switched to 25:1 with the villiers carb needing a change of needle to achieve this. Only good marine two stroke oil can be used if you lean down the oil to less than 10:1! The days of straight 30 grade oil are long gone!
Seagull offered the needles to all owners of 1968 to 78 Villiers carbed motors, to convert them... you will have to look at the tiny number stamped in the top of the needle to see if yours has been converted.. See the FAQ page for more.
Sadly Seagull ran out of the No 2 needles some years ago, and no one is willing to make them in the small quantities we would now require... I used to sell about 100 a year last I had them....
However you can alter the mix by experiment, if you follow the advice given to me by villiers, and printed for you on the FAQ page. Some get the mix to 20:1 with the old needle, some only to 16:1. Worth doing though.
hope that helps,
Regards,
john
SOS
your Seagull left the factory set to 10:1 mix, with a Villiers Carb I suspect. In 1978 all Seagulls switched to 25:1 with the villiers carb needing a change of needle to achieve this. Only good marine two stroke oil can be used if you lean down the oil to less than 10:1! The days of straight 30 grade oil are long gone!
Seagull offered the needles to all owners of 1968 to 78 Villiers carbed motors, to convert them... you will have to look at the tiny number stamped in the top of the needle to see if yours has been converted.. See the FAQ page for more.
Sadly Seagull ran out of the No 2 needles some years ago, and no one is willing to make them in the small quantities we would now require... I used to sell about 100 a year last I had them....
However you can alter the mix by experiment, if you follow the advice given to me by villiers, and printed for you on the FAQ page. Some get the mix to 20:1 with the old needle, some only to 16:1. Worth doing though.
hope that helps,
Regards,
john
SOS
More 2-Stroke Questions
And by good marine two stroke oil, we mean any oil for two stroke engines, where the container has the designation TC-W3 actually marked on it - usually obtainable from a chandler, or garage near the coast.
The TC stands for Two Cycle (ie 2 stroke) - the W for Water cooled engines only, as against air cooled 2 strokes such as chain saws. Air cooled engines run a lot faster (eg 15000 rpm, for chain saws, instead of 2-4000 rpm, for outboards) and therefore a lot hotter. Do not be palmed off by a garage who says any 2 stroke oil will do - his customers may usually run big air cooled motor bikes, which are not the same at all. 3 stands for the 3rd version of the designation. The designation stems from the American National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and started off with TC-W, which became TC-W2, and finally, for many years now, TC-W3. On the back of most containers, the two are together - so you find "NMMA TC-W3"
Donald A
The TC stands for Two Cycle (ie 2 stroke) - the W for Water cooled engines only, as against air cooled 2 strokes such as chain saws. Air cooled engines run a lot faster (eg 15000 rpm, for chain saws, instead of 2-4000 rpm, for outboards) and therefore a lot hotter. Do not be palmed off by a garage who says any 2 stroke oil will do - his customers may usually run big air cooled motor bikes, which are not the same at all. 3 stands for the 3rd version of the designation. The designation stems from the American National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and started off with TC-W, which became TC-W2, and finally, for many years now, TC-W3. On the back of most containers, the two are together - so you find "NMMA TC-W3"
Donald A