Electronic Spark?

[rosbullterier]

A lot of excellent advice received recently which was methodically tried and my LLB started on the cord. I had exchanged the complete magneto/ flywheel assembly from a good '77 Silver Century for the original LLB Century assembly - although it was professionally tested (inc. coil) at the garden machinery repair shop and found in good order. My thoughts are now to return the 1958 Century to Ebay after spending day and night for a month on it, with the magneto/flywheel assemblies replaced in their original engines - and concentrate on the '77 Silver Century Plus. My reasoning is (bearing in mind I don't want the chap who has won the Lerryn Shield two years in a row to repeat next time!) that the later engine has a minutely larger HP output and I read the long shaft exhaust produces less back pressure. With the transom clamp adjustment clamp fitted to the tube, the engine can be raised as much out of the water as a standard shaft. The Silver Century comes with a clutch/barge pushing gearbox/prop which I can change for another direct drive box I've acquired, with the choice of straight or daisy petal propellors. Yes, I'm accumulating loads of old parts for what I thought to be a simple project! Enough of this diatribe; advice please: can electronic ignition or a starting HT spark booster be fitted to a Silver Century Plus WSPC, if so where from? Thank you Gents. Andy

[charlesp]

Well first off I'm not sure what you mean by a starting spark booster, but if it means what I think it means I've never heard of one and can't really see the point...

Yes you can fit electronic ignition. You'll need the whole unit from one of the later models. Again, if you have a good Wipac unit there won't be much of an advantage. You'' have trouble getting one and fitting it in time!

The WSPC is a considerably more powerful that the ordinary LS. Best to keep the leg at the correct depth, however. Back pressure is one thing, failure to start caused by too much of it is another.

[rosbullterier]

Thank you for advice Charles. I was trying to minimise any starting difficulty which appeared to be the only weakness which needed updating but if it does not then I'll leave it. It does work as it is. I should be able to raise the long shaft engine on the transom clamp using a top clamp so the drive shaft tube pinch bolt will be just covered (so I read). You may guess I haven't even had a Seagull on the boat yet. And - the Lerryn race came and went last Thursday, I'm aiming now for the next one and other Seagull adventures. Andy

[CatiGull]

I ran Roscoe, my Forty Plus Longshaft mounted at short shaft depth (ie, too deep in the water) for a season by starting it tipped up and then dipping it after it started. This motor was a first pull starter always (except when I got water in the fuel ) so that worked well for me. Even set too deep it easily pushed my Island 17 to hull speed.

If the engine is a troublesome starter then I wouldnt recommend this.

Apologies if John covers this in FAQs - I do believe I have read this somewhere in my 'Gull lit somewhere....

[rosbullterier]

Stephen, are you saying a long shaft cannot be set at the same height on the transom as a short shaft? You say 'mounted at short shaft depth (ie, too deep in the water)'. Cannot either be fixed on the clamp shaft to set the optimum depth in the water? I am not in disagreement - just haven't got to trying for myself yet . . . Andy

[CatiGull]

Andy - I bet that it can be, Ive just never explored this option!!


THanks for pointing this out.

[charlesp]

You can buy a depth adjusting collar - try John.

Or you can use two of the plastic bits from your other Centuries on a temporary basis - that is what the collar is, after all.