Saving Old Seagulls

Our camping trips are 14 mile journeys down the river Severn from Bridgenorth to Bewdley. My wife takes me and my Ten year old to Bridgenorth in the van and picks us up 14 miles downstream in Bewdley a day or so later -



We camp on a island near to Hampton Loade.



Will swims



I make fire and cook









We have icecreams at Upper Arlley






And play computer games on the phone



Mum picks us up and we head off home which is minutes away.





The above boat is now sold and it has been replaced with this -





one very similar but lighter - the mercury engine will replaced by the seagull too.

Wow looks like you are well sorted.

Good combination camper bus and boat.

I am sticking my small boat on the T5 when I go on holiday.

Looks like you want to use your Seagull seriously, the head bolts are like tossing a coin, some you win.

A bit of heat can help, as can hitting the heads of the bolts with a drift.

At the end of the day it is fingers crossed, 5/16" B.S.F. use the correct ring spanned or socket.

If they shear off, just hope you are left with a stub of bolt. This can get red hot and get mole grips on.
This is worst case, all of these broken bolts did come out after heating and tapping on the end of the broken bolt.

If they do shear off then I would remove the cylinder, makes it easier to work on without damaging other bits.

H-A

That's an excellent use of a seagull.

I would also recommend an overhaul of your cylinder as per H-A's suggestion. Clean out the waterways, wirebrush and repaint, clean out the carb, reassemble with new bolts and gaskets. You will be good for years to come in fresh water.

Horsley-Anarak wrote:Wow looks like you are well sorted.

Good combination camper bus and boat.

I am sticking my small boat on the T5 when I go on holiday.

Looks like you want to use your Seagull seriously, the head bolts are like tossing a coin, some you win.

A bit of heat can help, as can hitting the heads of the bolts with a drift.

At the end of the day it is fingers crossed, 5/16" B.S.F. use the correct ring spanned or socket.

If they shear off, just hope you are left with a stub of bolt. This can get red hot and get mole grips on.

century.jpg

This is worst case, all of these broken bolts did come out after heating and tapping on the end of the broken bolt.

If they do shear off then I would remove the cylinder, makes it easier to work on without damaging other bits.

H-A

Yes I thought you might say that re the head removal - very similar scenario to the exhaust studs on my vw a/c engine - hit or miss. Miss means stud extractors heat etc.

T5 eh? -

I will have a look at it in the week see if I feel confident or not - meanwhile i have already been soaking the bolts with penetrating oil.

Thanks again.

Malc

poptop2 wrote: T5 eh? -

H-A

Horsley-Anarak wrote:

poptop2 wrote: T5 eh? -

vw.jpg

H-A

Where is that like button?

Anyhow back on topic - I just took the bull by the horns in the last half hour and did this as advised - the penetrating maintenance oil did the trick no upsets yet!











Now what?
Does anyone know where can i get a replacement gasket and which is the best sealant to use?

Malc

Wow the seagull gods really rewarded you for some kindness you have shown the universe in the past. Admirable that you were so brave as to have tried. Maybe pull the exhaust leg off as well so you can give the block a proper clean. Great job for a small boy.

Your new gasket and fresh SS head bolts are available from the guy who pays for this forum:

http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/bu ... spares.htm

re sealant your pics kind of bear out the opinion of a well loved board member who 'once' voiced concern that you end up with reduced water flow and reduced heat transfer for little gain. put it back together dry with new bolts well coated in "never sieze"
tourque evenly to spec and most likely you wont have needed the sealant. I can see sealant being required on the crank side but there is no way it is going to add anything to a new copper gasket's ability to seperate atomosphere, water and combustion.

david doyle wrote:Wow the seagull gods really rewarded you for some kindness you have shown the universe in the past. Admirable that you were so brave as to have tried. Maybe pull the exhaust leg off as well so you can give the block a proper clean. Great job for a small boy.

Your new gasket and fresh SS head bolts are available from the guy who pays for this forum:

http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/bu ... spares.htm

re sealant your pics kind of bear out the opinion of a well loved board member who 'once' voiced concern that you end up with reduced water flow and reduced heat transfer for little gain. put it back together dry with new bolts well coated in "never sieze"
tourque evenly to spec and most likely you wont have needed the sealant. I can see sealant being required on the crank side but there is no way it is going to add anything to a new copper gasket's ability to seperate atomosphere, water and combustion.

Its karma

Thank you for that info and the link - I take it the " exhaust leg" is the tube below the cylinder that is clamped on?

Any advice on what i should use to clean the block with - i mean what do others use is there a tried and tested method?

Oh and i apologise completely to the site owner for my obvious "durr" moment there - I will recompense soon by ordering the bits I need and handing over some of my hard earned

Best search around on here to see what the more experienced guys use on the chemical front but to start put a pair of glasses on the boy give him a selection of small screwdrivers, broken chopsticks, brass brushes, coat hanger wire...... it is a poke and scrape operation. Do not do the bulk of the work on it yourself. The seagull gods will punish you for missing a chance to addict the next generation.

Yes the exaust tube, when you take it and the water tube fitting off you will have more access.

Since you are a fresh water user and have an hier it is worth getting it 100% clean.

Looking at the condition of your cylinder , remove the exhaust tube & check the walls of the exhaust port for cracks before doing anything else, they will be on the crankcase side of the port if it's a bad one.

Charles uk wrote:Looking at the condition of your cylinder , remove the exhaust tube & check the walls of the exhaust port for cracks before doing anything else, they will be on the crankcase side of the port if it's a bad one.

Is it the soot that makes you say that?

cracked cylinder or not resist any urge to part with that little merc. Seagulls are great but rotted 50 year old motors, no matter how cool, count for little when you just need to get the boy to the fishing grounds/campfire/sunset. Lot easier to find a spot in the bus for the merc then for a weeping stinky antique . That being said I expect to own a dozen gulls before I am done !

david doyle wrote:cracked cylinder or not resist any urge to part with that little merc. Seagulls are great but rotted 50 year old motors, no matter how cool, count for little when you just need to get the boy to the fishing grounds/campfire/sunset. Lot easier to find a spot in the bus for the merc then for a weeping stinky antique . That being said I expect to own a dozen gulls before I am done !

Anyone can buy a Mercury engine but that is not so satisfying as doing what i am trying to do - That said i will keep it