EFPCL Lives!

[Michael]

Re the starter spring, I assume you have the spring, but one end is broken off? If so you can make a new end provided you still have the broken off piece to use as a template. Heat the end of the spring with a blow torch until red hot, then using suitable pliers (normally needle nose) bend the end to replicate the end that broke off. Allow to cool and reinstall.

[Collector Inspector]

Re the starter spring, I assume you have the spring, but one end is broken off? If so you can make a new end provided you still have the broken off piece to use as a template. Heat the end of the spring with a blow torch until red hot, then using suitable pliers (normally needle nose) bend the end to replicate the end that broke off. Allow to cool and reinstall.

My two cents...........Get a replacement spring as the above will fail at the worst possible time with the tide againstya.

BnC

[Michael]

I agree with CI in that the fix I suggested is probably not a long term one, but what have you got to lose if the spring is NLA? Yes a replacement spring is best option if you can find one. My personal opinion of the seagull recoil starter is that it is crap and for that reason I do not use them. I take them off and just wrap a start cord around the flywheel and start them the old fashioned way. Far more reliable. The starter cup on the CDI ignitions does not lend itself well to the start cord method, so what I do is remove the cup ans in stall the black cover from a WIPAC mark II ignition- will need a spacer on top of that so you can tighten the flywheel nut fully.

[Charles uk]

Well I really like the Seagull recoil, all the motors I regularly use have them fitted, some have a Michael's fix spring & some the one they came with.

In the time you can wrap the rope & pull I can pull the recoil 4 or 5 times & with a CDI ignition, that's usually 2 or 3 more than is needed!

That's why I've been collecting N.L.A. spares as many of the post 1980 Seagulls would look strange with a missing recoil!

[sbbloom69]

When I bought the EFPCL, the rope wouldn't rewind. I assumed the spring had just broken or popped loose some how When I got it off, and disassembled the starter (carefully with glasses, gloves, and a rag). I found that the spring was just GONE. I suppose the PO may have taken it out to try and fine a new one. I've had lots of fun with recoil starters: Anyone ever used one of the little Johnson or Evinrude "Mate" 1-cylinder water cooled 2 horsepower motors? The recoil starter cover has this giant 1" diameter flat screw on top. Common sense would dictate that that must the way to take the recoil starter and cover off the powerhead. WRONG. That screw holds the spring pivot pin to the cover. Unscrew it and SPROING, the spring pops loose and unravels under the cover, jamming the flywheel. The cover comes off with 4 small hidden bolts from the underside.

I take it slow with recoil starters.

I'm getting a parts list generated now to see what John and others have, and what Sean has here in the US. Postage is so terrible from the UK for big stuff, that I'm going to compare. I guess small stuff in an envelope isn't too bad.

Right now, I have the blue recoil starter off my dead EFNR (Silver Century) on the EFPCL ( 40+ long-shaft, which is painted black). I'm going to work on the EFNR when I get the time later this summer. I want to finish getting my Potter ready for the season and get onto the lake first. Next year I'm going to try and get to Texas or Florida for their early season small boat regattas (either the Florida 120 (4-days) or the Texas 200 (6-days)). I'm not ready to ocean sail my potter yet. Plus I want to see which of my outboards is the most reliable / easy to use.

Stu

[Michael]

I agree having a recoil starter is a nice feature, but the design of the seagull leaves something to be desired. Then there is the even "stupider" design as found on the 125/170. Same starter but rope goes through the cover and the cover can't be removed completely without either removing the starter handle or removing the starter from the motor. Who came up with that brilliant idea? They are not real easy to get apart (rivets) and the rivets prevent removing the guts unless you smash the inside of them for the gut s to clear, or ren=move the rivets. Plus the fact that the spring is located so deep inside makes them a bitch to work on. So Charles engines take 2 or 3 pulls to start with CDI ignition, which is what I found too. I also found that when i changed from CDI to Wipac mark II it will start with one pull 99% of the time. So in my case a recoil adds little value. I will stick to the 100% reliable rope around the flywheel method.

[Michael]

Postage from the UK is terrible, but I think if you keep the package under 2kg, it is somewhat reasonable. John at SOS will know -he and I work together to manage my packages weight to keep the cost reasonable. Think if it goes over 2kg, the price gets silly

[sbbloom69]

Michael,
I posted earlier about retrofitting an older plate/flywheel to my Silver Century EFNR, since the WIPAC III is dead. I have a chance to get an earlier Villiers powerhead from the 60's. I suppose I would have to drill/tap new holes for the plate, or drill / modify theplate to fit the existing EFNR bolt pattern. I've read that it "should" be possible, but that a WIPAC II would be better (since the Villiers coil is so old).

Do you think it would be worth it? Should I look for the later WIPAC II plate/coil/flywheel? This EFNR is a 1979 model with very few hours on it. FNR gear case shows almost no use. Everything is there and works, except the ignition. I've even replaced the spark coil (separate unit on the Mark III).

Maybe this should be a new thread and I should retire this one.

BTW, I hope John is doing better. He's helped me a lot already (as have the rest of you guys).

Stu

[Michael]

The CDI ignition plate is held in place with 3 bolts that go into sleeve nuts, with the other end of the sleeve nut attached to crankcase bolts. The older villiers and WIPAC mark II ignitions are held in place with a location screw in the ignition base which sits in a dimple on the crankcase collar. I suspect your crankcase will have the dimple already there. In my opinion the WIPAC mark II is the most reliable Seagull ignition made, followed by the Villiers Mark I. For motors that I use, and I only use these motors for racing, I use the WIPAC ignition.

If you convert, you will need everything, complete ignition plate with all is components, NT lead, flywheel, rope sheave and flywheel nut. Regularly for sale on Ebay or I am sure John could organise, but the weight of the flywheel will make the shipping expensive.

I have new CDI ignition units for both mark III (white) and Mark IV (brown/black) but am afraid to use them given how many of these seem to fail and often fail quite quickly.

[sbbloom69]

Well, I put the right tanks on the right motors (well, the recoil starter and tank should be black on the EFPCL, I think (1985 vintage). That starter came off the EFNR, which you can see in the background. The tank was a steel spare the PO had for the FW 40 (has the narrow 40 bolt spacing).

The EFPCL runs great. I can't wait to get it into the water. The Featherweight 40 doesn't seem to have the same oomph that the newer motor does. I may need to check the points again. Also, I tried the quick and dirty water jacket cleaning. It didn't improve very much. The EFPCL puts out a nice stream all the way down to almost idle. The Featherweight 40 stops flowing at about 1/3 throttle.

I guess I really will have to pull the head and clean the jacket.

I'm waiting on some parts from various sources.

One question. From the photo, you can see the clamped spacer I made to raise the long-shaft prop to the correct point just below the waterline on my Potter. Do I need to worry about the extra torque on the drive shaft tube? It can't be as strong as it was when the pivot is up by the crankcase sleeve.

Just asking.