Hello and a bit of TLC needed...

[lizardland]

Hi All,

first off, what a great find this site is.

Anyhow... hello to everyone, I am the proud new owner of a 1980 long shaft Seagull which I believe is a Model 55 which I got for the grand total of 30 quid.

I bought the motor as an auxiliary for my RIB (I know they aren't recommended for planing hulls but it's only a 4m RIB and hopefully to allow me to limp back to shore in a bit more style than oars would, it's also all that would fit on the fairly narrow transom). I've managed to get it running a couple of times but not reliably, it's taken a lot of pulling and only fired twice.

I'm just looking for pointers where to start. It's got a spark and fuel is getting to it but I think my first job is draining the fuel and flushing the tank. There was a little bit of fuel in it when I bought it, I just added some new fuel on top to give it a quick test so I think doing it properly can only help. I'd guess the carb needs a good clean up as well? I take it the service manual will cover stripping the carb down? Just to check, there is nothing over the air inlet, no box or filter, is this normal for Seagulls?

Out of interest, has anyone ever added a remote tank? I admit to knowing nothing about these motors but it looks like there is no fuel pump and it's gravity fed? As I said above, my boat has a very narrow transom, it fits but I lose port steerage on the main outboard as the engine cowl clatters the fuel tank. I was wondering about the feasibility of having something I could hang on the RIB's A-frame and ditch the old tank (it's a manky old steel tank as well, looks very brown inside).

Look forward to reading more on here in the future.

Cheers,

Stuart

[40TPI]

As you have already guessed it is total strip and clean of the fuel system from tank to main jet before you look for anything else. (John can certainly supply you with a workshop manual however I have to say you that everything you would ever wish to know, and in greater detail, is available on the back posts on this forum, if you are prepared to use the search feature. ) Steel tanks are an absolute pain.. So much so that many owners ditch them and get hold of an older oval brass tank. (If painted the correct shade of blue they could pass as original since they were fitted during the transition from black brass to blue steel between 78 to 79-ish). When you say 1980 Model 55 I'm guessing it should be a Villiers carb on an EFPC rather than the later Amal 41x series concentric. Exploded diagram is here on main site:

http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/fa ... s_carb.htm

Which shows that there should be an air inlet compensator fitted to the inlet venturi , part 50/558V. Note that there are two fuel filters to worry about. One on top of the fuel tap inside your rusting tank and the other secreted in the carb inlet banjo. There's a good chance that you will have crud in the bottom of the float bowl ( screws off by hand) and possibly also in float shut off valve and main jet. (If you strip the mixing tube assy out of the main body take note which hole the retaining screw locates into on the mixing tube when reassembling. )

You are correct on gravity feed; the good chap from Maidenhead will probably be along shortly and he will know about any wheezes/cludges to fit a crankcase driven fuel pump .............

Have fun!

Peter

[Henrik]

On remote tanks:

In 1962 my father bought a 40+ without the black tank. For an additional cost the standard tank was replaced with a 10-litre steel tank with a brass pump, a rubber hose and a bayonet-type connector for the fuel line of the motor. The hose was connected to the motor, about ten strokes of the pump was applied and off the Seagull went (after a pull or two of the starter cord, of course). After about one hour the motor started sputtering and then it was time to put in another ten strokes or so on the pump. If you were quick you could do this before the motor stopped.

The motor was on the side of the sailing boat and the tank was under one of the benches in the cocpit. The pump added air pressure to the tank, it was this pressure that kept the motor supplied with fuel. On the nostalgia pages you can see a picture of the arrangement http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/no ... ll0007.jpg. This was originally supposed to be used for refilling the standard tank of the motor, but we used it directly.

This is not an arrangement I would recommend, consider the risk of having a pressurized tank containing gas in your boat. But my father used it for almost 40+ years and he (and the boat) is still around. I have the motor and after re-installing a brass tank I now use it as no-wind-help on my day-sailer, a Soling.

Have fun!

Henrik

[Charles uk]

Stuart if you give us the full serial number & the full carb number of your Seagull, we could identify exactly what you've got & then explain what steps you will have to take to change it to a pumped fuel system.

Many of the Seagull racers use a gravity fed system from the existing tank topped by manually pumping from a remote tank, this has been discussed in previous posts.
This is the easiest & cheapest way of doing it.

A fully pumped system will require a crankcase strip down, possibly a carb swop , some machine work , a vaccumn operated fuel pump , a male & female fuel connectors, a bracket to support them & some fuel pipework.

Is it realy worth the effort?

[Horsley-Anarak]

http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/fo ... t=fuel+cap

Just made one for my latest engine, all we need now is an 80 mile long race.

H-A

[40TPI]

all we need now is an 80 mile long race.



H-A

........................nothing to do with an insurance policy to avoid running out of fuel at Lerryn again?


Peter

[lizardland]

Thanks for the info guys.

What I was thinking about with the fuel tank was welding some sort of mount (maybe just a hook) on to the stainless A-frame at the stern of my boat that I could attach some sort of small remote tank to when I needed it. The frame is about 5ft high so I thought if I mounted it maybe a foot or two above the level of the carb then there would be a decent head on the fuel tank to feed it. A bit like a water tank in the loft feeding a sink downstairs. Or is it just a daft idea? Alternatively, I could fit a yacht-type auxiliary engine bracket on the transom which I might be able to stand the motor out the way of the main engine on but they're expensive and doesn't solve the manky steel tank problem.

I'll get the serial number in the morning. From looking at pictures it seems to be a Villiers carb.

Cheers,

Stuart