I've spent 10 years restoring a Lightning sailboat (11900 - built 1972) for daysailing around Charleston Harbor in South Carolina and we have sailed it with great success a few times. Getting it out into the harbor into the good winds down a mile long tidal creek is a challenge. My wife and I effectively emigrated from Oxford in 1992 seeking our fortunes and the US has been kind to us... though I miss England and much what is represented in these august pages a great deal. We have 3 teenage boys - and now will probably stay here.
To solve the issue of a motor for our Lightning, I researched and chose a Seagull - it seemed to fit our values well and I loved the idea of making something old work well again, and that it could take a dunking if we capsized. I have already ruined a $20k Honda engine when our beloved C-dory sank at the dock in a 7 inch rainstorm when the bilge failed ( that's another story).
So a week ago I looked across e-bay and craigslist and found in Raleigh NC a Century 100 Long shaft CPCL 566C5 made in March 1965 -the pics seemed to show it in excellent condition. Fully chromed exhaust and drive shafts with little wear, no gunk of any kind. Started on 2nd pull when I visited ( he started it out of a barrel and I asked him to shut it down right away). Got it as a trade from a "guy in California" and I imagined a decade of use on lake Tahoe followed by 30 years storage in the boat shed under oily rags. All good. Seller told me it needed "1:25" mix. Paid $460, probably too much, but it was close and other options I'd seen around $300 needed $150 worth of shipping or travel. There was a beautiful one fully restored in Florida by clearly an expat Seaguller for $650, but that was an 8hr drive away and the price seemed firm.
At home measured up the transom of my Lightning and realized would need to raise the long shaft to keep only an inch or so under the waterline for easy starting, so bought an expensive mount that raises and lowers ( Garelick) and set it with a back plate. Looked great. Then started on the Century - took the Villiers carb off, cleaned all that I could see but there was no gunk. The Taper needle had a "3" on it, so 1:10 is the correct mix and the first doubt about pedigree crept in. Cleaned out the fuel system ( very dirty), put a gunk removing cleaner in the cylinder head, fitted a new Champion D16 plug (gapped to 20), stripped a clumsy layer of paint off the fuel tank to reveal a beautiful old brass and black lacquer, cleaned the fuel cap - good as new- and mounted it on the Lightning for a barrel test (able to lower it using the mount into a 20 gal barrel). Used Penzoil premium marine 2 stroke at 10:1. Started on 2nd pull. Felt like a hero and my family responded as such. Great videos, and perhaps will post one to YouTube. Engaging the prop splashed the water out of the barrel. Cooling water flowed well - like a pencil. Could not find SAE140 anywhere even to order, but lower unit was leaking some brownish stuff in the barrel test, so I thought there was enough lubrication of some kind to give it a safe try...
So after that preamble, yesterday I put the Lightning hull (no mast) in the water in our local creek ( Hobcaw creek on the Wando river) for a boat test. I stored the Seagull on its side for the short journey to the boat ramp to save my transom. At the dock, with family videoing .....wouldn't start. Got son to sit on the bow to lift the stern out of the water. Did start after 20 pulls or so. Then when I engaged the prop, power faded away and we got 5 yards and cut out. Was mystified - Started again though, and was more careful with the throttle, engaging prop and throttling up quite quickly to apply power and we were off - but only got up to about 4 knots, certainly not hull speed. Hull only weighs 700lbs or so, and I expected more from my "barge pusher". Subsequent starts were tricky - 20+ pulls - but we got home back up the creek. No longer feeling like a hero and had to buy some flowers for my wife this morning (we are on stay-cation).
So any help would be great from this forum to get the engine going and put me back in good standing with my wife.
So issues now:
1) Perhaps the unknown lower unit gearing has a high resistance and needs that SAE140 oil. I will order some online. That might explain the soft torque and low performance.
2) Seemed very sensitive to water depth over exhaust pipe and back pressure - son on bow pulled transom higher, and that seemed to help, but did not cure.
3) Could loss of power be low compression - piston rings worn? Will test if I can find the tool. Looking inside the block it seemed clean and the original spark plug was clean.
4) Is this most likely a fuel supply problem? None of the above explain the poor starting. I can see some debris back in the hose,and know that the mesh on the fuel tap is shot. I didn't clean the jet when I took the Villiers carb apart, cleaned only what I could easily see taking the top cap and bulb off. What would the effect of running at 1:25 mix be? Seemed to start OK in the previous owners hands - had I been too cocky?
So lots of history and questions here. I hope you can all help - I would very much like to put my 49 year old motor on my restored 42 year old sailboat and sail it around Charleston harbor by a couple of 55 'ishers
Thanks to you all- I've loved following your stories, have read every word of the SOS and other sites, and enjoyed the video's n YouTube. I feel connected back to the UK again, through my old engine..
Iain Sanderson.
