Saving Old Seagulls

Bravo!

Most encouraging. I'll have another go at the manifold.

I concur with Vic's diagnosis; my even older MD2 (1968!) displays the same symptoms.

Unfortunately, circulating descaler through the engine does not really do enough to make a difference, as by definition the most clagged up passageways are the ones that the descaler is least likely to get to.

Vic ...

No, I don't suppose it was! Still going, I think. I went to CRGS (which was fun) and we played rugger against Fram - can't recall who used to win.

Thanks for the very sensible advice.

There is a very simple and reliable test to ensure the quality of your virgin, of course.

You lead her into an orchard and sit her under a tree, wait till midnight and, if she is the real thing, a unicorn will come along and lay its head in her lap.

However, experience suggests that unicorns may ...

I spotted an advert pinned on my sailing club noticeboard and, being unable to resist, acquired a second Forty Plus - FP986CC6. This little engine has led a remarkably sheltered life and has its original plug cap, etc and no corrosion at all.

FP1710J2 is my workhorse for getting to and from the ...

Thank you. I did not know about that.

Could you repeat the email address? Or email me - acraigbennett(at)aol(dot) com
I must have got it wrong, as mine bounced back.

Anyway, yes, I would like a set!

Just to encourage John to go ahead with the stainless fasteners idea.

Thnk you, everybody.

I had a look at my 1972 Forty Plus and decided that the throttle cable was wrongly led and should lead through the hole at the inboard end of the tiller, so I re-located the Villiers throttle as near to the tank as it would go. In this position it is angled over to starboard. Is this right or wrong ...

Interesting. For some reason my FP seems to run cooler than that. At anything short of full throttle for half an hour, the telltake water is not warm at all.

I would certainly recommend flushing through with fresh water each time you put the engine away - not necessarily each time you use it if you are going cruising for a few days. Once the deposits start to build up in the water passages, the temperature of the cooling water starts to rise, which ...

I've lifted this from the Woodenboat website and pointed the chap who posed the question in this direction, this being the greatest centre of Seagull Sagacity in the multiverse:

"To be more precise my Seagull (I think it's a 40 plus) starts perfectly from cold (usually 3 pulls) but once you've been ...

My Forty Plus is much thirstier at full throttle - very markedly so. At half throttle or a little less, I would go along with Seagull's estimate.

which is Chinese for!

"Don't teach your Grandmother to suck eggs"

but I'll say it anyway - it may be best to keep the Seagull tank full overnight, so that there is no airspace in which condensation may form.