Saving Old Seagulls

I have just come back from holiday to find the Little Forty F1207 that I bought off e bay has been safely delivered.
It was in a superb wooden box and has suffered no damage in transit.
The engine is in visually good condition. It appears not to have been meddled with. The chrome plated tubes are in very good condition. The screw heads are as new - it even has the locking wire (original?) to the head of the clamp bolt. The HT lead is the larger 0.37 dia. The 8 COM plug still has all its plating.
The seller informs me that it was found in the attic of a house in which it had lain for 40 years.

The really interesting thing about it to me is that the block, head and crankcase are different to F201. On F201 the head and block are smaller and with 1/4" bolts, as has the crankcase; whilst F1207 appears to be the same size as other FVs ,utilising 5/16 fasteners.
If anybody would like to see photos, I will take some and post them.
Jeremy

Yes please, and well done! That is, as I have said, the Seagull I would most like to own.

I was aware of different fasteners, but your example has indeed helped to narrow down the change point.

I am so relieved it has ended up with a known - and knowledgeable - person. I was dreading seeing the individual parts coming up on eBay!

Charles,
I was surprised that the head, block and crankcase were the same size as the FV. You mentioned a change point. Was that in respect of the small head and block to the bigger 'FV type'? In other words the change was more significant than just the fastener size.
Within what dates and/or serial numbers did this change occur? The flywheel dates (I guess these are Villiers manufacturing dates) for F201 and F1207 are October 1948 and January 1949 respectively.
Thanks for your help and interest.
Jeremy

Nice to see this going to a enthusiast! Great buy Jeremy. It's good that we will see and hear about the engine here too. I'm surprised these little 40s are not more in demand, very cute and collectable little engines, and restorable if you are careful.

I didn't realise that the F was produced in two different versions:-
(This is based on a sample of two so a little speculation/guesswork has been employed!).

1. F201 is what I would call the 'Small Block Version'.
The main width of the block is 2.7"- (later ones appear to be 3.0"). As a result of this the cylinder head and crankcase are different castings and smaller than later Fs. These early Fs had 1/4" studs (later ones had 5/16"). There might be other significant differences. Can anybody elaborate on this?

What I would like to know is:-
Does anybody else have a 'Small Block' F?
How many 'Small Block' Fs were made - ie when was the change to the later size made?


2. My recently acquired F1207 is a later one with the main width of the block at 3.0".
This engine appears, with the obvious exception of the Amal carburettor and throttle lever, to be very similar (perhaps the same?) as the FV. Although I notice that the magneto plate is a different casting to my oldest FV (FV1786), but visually the same as F201.
Charles P has informed me that the V in FV indicated the Villiers carburettor, so it could be that there was a seemless (for BS!) change from the F to the FV - when the carburettor (and the throttle lever?) was changed from Amal to Villiers.

I look forward to comments on the above.
Jeremy

I do have this leaflet anyway but someone else may be interested.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1950s-British ... 527wt_1328