Saving Old Seagulls

Hi

I've just finished building a wooden dinghy, so have just bought my first Seagull. I got a 1976 forty plus without a carb, and I've just added a bing carb to it. I have a few newbie idiot questions that I hope you will be kind enough to help me with.

1) I bought some standard motorcycle 2 stroke oil rather than marine grade before I found out that this is frowned upon. Since I have a whole litre of the stuff, and I don't have a 2 stroke motorcycle, can I continue to use it in my Seagull? Will anything get harmed? Will it work ok? Obviously I will buy the proper stuff next time.

2) Since I have a bing carb, I know that I need a 25:1 mixture. How in practice do I achieve the right ratio? Should I make up a bottle with markings on to show me how much oil and petrol to add, then shake it up and pour it into the Seagull's fuel tank? What's the best practical way of getting the mixture right?

3) On tick-over, no water circulates. On half throttle, water does circulate, but the water coming out is quite hot - I can just bear to hold my finger under it. Is this normal or is this too hot? (This is in a bucket of water on a workmate, not on a boat in open water).

Many thanks in anticipation for your help.

Current best advice is that you should use a 2 stroke outboard engine oil but much before the time your engine was built there was no special oil for outboards.
Most 2 stroke oils are sold as suitable for small outboards although being for air cooled engines they are a little heavier than oils specifically for outboards.

I have in the past often used the same oil for my Seagull as I do for the lawnmowers.

I would not worry unduly about using it but if you get the opportunity of flogging whats left to a neighbour for his garden machinery do so and get the right stuff.

Measure the oil in what ever way suits you. Some people have a little bottle marked with the correct amount for say 1 litre. You can buy mixing bottles already calibrated I believe.

I know its over the top but I use a plastic conical laboratory measure for the oil and a calibrated plastic jug for the petrol. convenient because I need different mixes for different things (50:1 for the main engine, 16;1 for the mower and 25:1 for the Seagull)



Putting the oil in the tank first then sloshing in the petrol gets it fairly well mixed but putting the petrol in first and adding the oil doesn't do so well.

Often don't pump well in a bucket but do in a larger tank. Even the Featherweight I use on my tender barely pumps at tick over.

A bit faster than tick over here



A wheelie bin is better than a bucket but tip out the garden rubbish first

I'm just returning from a week in the Loire Valley, and tonight's hotel has Wi-Fi, so I'm peeking at the forum. I'm struck by the factr that someone has a set of questions that have been fully answered with illustrations in a few minutes. Now that's not bad.

Even in the old days of British Seagull, it would have probably taken them longer to find someone to task to you over the phone, never mind the pictues.

Great stuff

Hi,
just a reply about mixing, I use a gallon of petrol in a can and add to that a measure of oil. I have a marked milk bottle and about 1 1/2" of oil does the job. I mix in the can so as not to dump neat oil into the fuel line, I can also top up when running and not hang off the back with oil and fuel. Sometimes I even put my cigarette out first!
Regards
Phil

Many thanks for your informative replies.