Where should I start

[Arbian]

Pre '68 so shouldn't have been converted ... has to run on 10:1. Just make sure and clean out any old crap from inside tank, fuel line and carb bowl with some clean fuel and fill with fresh 10:1 mix. Don't let her rev too high with the prop off as no resistance and don't let her idle on very low revs too long as cooling water flow will stop and she will overheat. Water in bucket a couple of inches up the exhaust tube only.

[flyguy]

Thanks Arbian, that helps a lot, now another question, can I simply undo the hose clip and drain out the fuel from the pipe and whatever is in the tank, then flush with fresh fuel before reconnecting the hose?
Hope I am not being a pest

[Oyster 49]

Yes that's the quick way to clean out the tank if it is really gunned up you may have to take tank off to do a deep clean. However give it a quick flush and don't forget to check the fuel line is clean. Just undo the clips to remove the fuel line.

[Arbian]

As Oyster says a proper clean of the tank will mean taking it off, swill around some fresh petrol and inverting to get any crud out the filler cap as the worst of the crap should be retained in tank by a fuel filter (fine wire gauze) which is attached to the tap on the end which screws up inside the tank. Or you can unscrew fuel line at tap and then unscrew tap and flush tank out through hole while upright and still attached to motor. I filter this crud filled fuel through a gauze / thick kitchen roll into a container, to catch the crud, and then repeat with the filtered fuel until no more crud comes out. There is another gauze filter in the banjo screw arrangement at the carb end of the fuel pipe on these Villiers carbs.

[flyguy]

Those tips are great thanks, with a bit of luck I might not need to take off the tank but just in case I have Wednesday booked as a day off too

[flyguy]

I am not sure if this photo is good enough and I think I said I haven't a clue what I am doing
my 40- has a shaft that measures 18 inches from the bracket to the centre of the Prop
is this going to be long enough for this boat

[flyguy]

I drained off the fuel and I think it was quite fresh, no rotten smell, the inside of the tank looked clean too, I guess the bloke I bought it off had checked it out before selling it. I will flush it just to make sure, I looked and I think the tank won't be a problem to remove.
Tonight I opened the gearbox plug and looked inside, it was almost empty but what was in there looked right, a thick coffee coloured gunge so I refilled with EP 140 gear oil, it took almost 1/3rd of a ltr, could I have overfilled it?
Darlington is only 40 minutes from me so I bought the Smith and Allan brand that is advertised on here. That Smith and Allan shop looked very interesting.
The spark plug took me a while to remove, a soak in WD40 worked, I followed the advice on here and put the new one in by hand to avoid cross-threading, then I hit my first snag the old plug has a screw top that attaches to the lead, the new plug has a nipple, it took me a couple of minutes to discover that I needed to unscrew the nipple, (see I told you I haven't a clue
The old one was a Champion 8 COM its contact is offset compared to the New Champion D16
Which one is best?
The more I look at this Seagull the more it looks like its not had a lot of use.

[flyguy]

bit of advice needed please
can I put too much gear oil in?
which sparkplug is best Champion 8 or Champion 16?

[Oyster 49]

Ah yes, but now you do have a clue, you are learning fast

Oil, putting too much is not going to be a problem, apart from more seagull droppings on the floor 0.3 of a litre is around half a pint, plenty for a small gearbox like that. You will know as it will probably be oozing out from the propshaft Fill until it comes out of the filler hole when standing upright is a often used guideline, change a regularly if used in salt, less so if in freshwater. Always change if storing for any length of time.

8 COM plugs are quite rare now, so I'd suggest keeping it safe and using the D16.

I feel the force is gripping you, and a new flock could be emerging..

[flyguy]

I think you could be right about a new flock emerging
I was so tempted last night by a 40 plus, it went for less than £90
I am off work tomorrow and its going in the wheely bin to start it up
I will post a video as long as its not pouring down
this site is full of great tips and hints, both the FAQs and the posts in the forum
thanks lads

[flyguy]

I decided to do as I was told, I took off the fuel tank and just as well, I put new fuel in and left it for a while then tried draining off the fuel, I think the crud has blocked the filter so its rinse and repeat until its clear

[flyguy]

Next it's the Carb, I looked on here and found taking it apart is well covered so I opened it up
still not confident I know what I'm doing but I think if I give it a blast of Carb cleaner it might not do any harm
also as already pointed out to be the fuel pipe has some deposits in, so Carb cleaner for that one too.
off to my local motor part shop for some Carb cleaner and just in case some easy start

[flyguy]

Well the Carb cleaner is doing a good job, it took the deposits out of the fuel pipe, I have connected back onto the Carb and filled it with more cleaner and am leaving it to soak, the tank has had a good long blast of cleaner both up through where the pipe attaches then I sprayed a minutes worth of Carb cleaner inside and tightened it back and going to soak it for an hour turning it round so all surfaces are coated
now I read on here of someone that filters off the crud with fine gauze pouring the filtered fuel back into the tank and repeating until its clear
that's another great tip, now I can't find any gauze but I am sure I have seen a pair of stocking in this house somewhere
nobody will notice

[flyguy]

I see that the 2 washers on the transom thumbscrews are loose, I can actually pull them off
can anyone tell me if they should be screwed in, I can see the end of the thunbscrew bolts are drilled but I cannot see if they are threaded
or do I tap the brass end down with a hammer?
I am off out to put the fuel tank into place
testing is postponed til tomorrow
its Snowing!

[Oyster 49]

The thumbscrew washers are pushed into place and the the end peened over to create a burr to stop the washer coming off. Seaguls in the snow, loving it.