Saving Old Seagulls

My recently purchased Forty Featherweight was delivered with a busted Bing carb bowl and a frozen shaft. I don't know if it took a serious drop in transit and bent something or if it’s just stuck from age and disuse.

Since I am not sure if the piston, crankshaft, or drive gear is stuck, I thought I should start by removing the drive shaft from the lower portion of the crankcase and separating the lower end of the silencer tube from the top of the exhaust flange. That should at least isolate the problem so I will know how to proceed. (Bing USA had a new carb bowl.)

Two nuts (part 1289) bolt the drive shaft casing tube to the crankcase but I can't get a socket on the nut between the drive shaft and the silencer tube nor can I get an open end wrench on either because of the proximity of the silencer tube.

What am I doing wrong? Should I be disassembling the pump and gear drive unit first so I can get the silencer tube off first?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I thought I was getting an engine in running condition but it seems I have a major restoration project on my hands.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Pete
Anchorage, Alaska

Main SOS website ie John has tool kits for sale with all the spanners you need.

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

Hugo

Yes That spanner is a must!

Is that a Seagull sticking out of that motor glider.

I think you must be the only member from that state, Welcome!

When does your water start to freeze up, there can't be much of your season left.

pdb wrote:Since I am not sure if the piston, crankshaft, or drive gear is stuck,

As a general rule if the flywheel is stuck solid then it is the piston that is stuck. If you can rock the flywheel a little it is the box. Personally I would prefer it to be a stuck piston. If this is the case take off carby and remove plug and fill with penetrating oil or diesel and let soak. You may need to use a piece of timber to tap piston through plug hole. Be careful as a piston can be easily be cracked/shattered/broken/buggered etc. If this doesn't free it up you may need to remove flywheel (see faq's main site) and tank etc and soak the whole motor upside down in a bucket of diesel for a week or so... easy hey!

Guys:

Thanks so much for the words of wisdom... I will contact John for the magic wrenches and pick up a gallon of diesel on the way home and hope like the devil that it's the piston which is stuck. I have a set of the manuals, owners, service, and spares, so that's one less problem. Thanks to your help, I now have a plan of action which is the most help of all.

Freeze up is still two months away and the absolutely best Rainbow trout fishing is now through the end of October so I have some hope that the Seagull will be running before things ice up. Then I will rebuild it over the winter, new carb, new hammer finish on the flywheel, and new paint on my absolutely undented, pristine tank.

In respose to Charles's question, that is not a Seagull on my motorglider. However, the Wrights initally flew with about 8hp so if I could turbocharge a Kingfisher, perhaps....


Best Regards,

Hi,

I hadn't found a source for those in the States. Might I ask for the web site or phone # ?

My bowl's fine but scarce as they are, I'd like to order a spare.




Thanks,

Ted

Ted:

Here is where I got my Bing Carb bowl:

http://www.bingcarburetor.com/

Pete

Thanks! I'll give a ring and see what's in stock.


Ted