Saving Old Seagulls

Hello all,

My name's Steven and I'm new here.

I have recently become the new and proud owner of a British Seagull Silver Century serial starts with WS.

Basically I have the engine delivered last Wednesday and it arrived whilst I was at work, My missus being the weight lifter she is (not lol!) thought she would lift it for some reason, however it was too heavy for her and instead of picking it up she knocked it over?!?!? thus intern smashing the choke housing and air re stricter (the black plastic bit), I wouldn't have minded but the engine managed to survive 30 odd years and in one go she knackers it!

In a state of disbelief when I got in excited to start it, I rang John who was a godsend

He sent me a replacement choke housing, plastic bit, split pin and then just be safe I bought a new HT lead and spark plug with cap

My questions that I hope you friendly people could answer are:

What is the easiest way to fit the split Pin? I have managed to start getting it in but I don't want to break it.
Also once I have got it sorted, I have attempted to get the choke housing to sit the right way up when tightened it always managed to tighten upside down, any suggestions here?!?

The cap for the spark plug, spark plug in one end then HT lead in the other, do I screw the HT lead into the thread end?

Any answers greatly appreciated

Thanks all

Steve

Hi Steve

You were lucky - the choke housing is an easy fix, the tiller arm lug is terminal to the power head casing !

I kmow what you mean about the choke housing - screwing up tight in the wrong place - but they are usually so stiff it does not matter. Maybe a bit of ptfe tape on the last turns of the thread ? Someone may have some better ideas.

The plug lead screws in to the plug cap. Sometimes helpful to measure the distance to the base of the screw from the end of the cap shroud - then mark that on the lead. They are a bit stiff to tighten right up. Marked, you can see how far its screwed in. I have just made up a load of new leads with new rubber caps and after the first I marked them !

I'll have a look at my amal choke flaps tomorrow. I think they are actually an interference fit pin ( there's a proper name for it I'm sure) - as opposed to an actual split pin with an eye at the end. Many of my spares are fitted with split pins - but the parts drawing shows a straight pin. If its straight, parallel pin it needs tapping in, or pressing in. Be careful to wedge the gap in the alloy where the flap is with something while you tap it in. But as I say - I'll look tomorrow and get a better idea. I've looked at them but never actually had one out.
You have the broken old bit - take a look at it. If its the same straight pin, get a small flat ended nail or pin punch and tap it out. You'll get a sence of what is required to insert the new one.

Johns site has all the serial nos indentifying the model etc - but you have probably sussed that out.

They are 'facinating' engines ! - I say that, as someone who uses a Suzuki 2 hp on the tender, but has a Silver Century longshaft on the boat pulpit rail as a back up main engine, plus another four now in the shed. Lena on the pontoon at Dale, Milford Haven

Edit -

update. I have just stripped one with the original pin, Pic here. It taps out easily with parallel punch - or flat end nail. 3mm will go through easily. The pin is a tight fit in the choke flap - so it helps to stick a bit of wood in when replacing it - to align the hole up in the plastic flap. When you tap the pin in it pushes it out. As I said above - the alloy is weak on the slot, although the flap takes it up a bit. Worth getting a shim in there to pack it if using anything but gentle force !




Geoff - Bristol

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for the info, well I had her running tonight, and was over the moon, I had never started an outboard engine before but had read up extensively on the Seagulls.

Once I realised I had to set the throttle... 1st time starts, everytime:)!!!

Put the choke housing on upside down lol! I think the idea of ptfe tape is a good one and will ask a plumber friend of mine for some, the smell of 2 stroke woohoo!!!! All over my garden, the neighbours wondering what the hell lol, loved it.

I saw you had your boat in Tenby... I'm from Bridgend, where do you moor your boat now?

Steve

Thanks for the pic:D

That makes good sense, did you manage to get the housing to sit back in the upright position when you re-screwed on it on again?

Steve

Seagull themselves used a leather washer on some motors, & Loctite on all the late model Amal 400 series carbs

I've tried PTFE tape but after losing at sea a complete new choke shroud, I came to the conclusion this might not be good enough.

I now use 3 or 4 drips of the weakest Loctite I can find, on both the plastic & aluminium shrouds with no further problems, they will undo if you hold the shroud in the vice & unscrew the carb out of it.

Thanks for the reply,

So does loctite wor in a similar way to superglue then? but can be undone with some force? so as in semi- permanent?

I believe the correct name is a roll pin. A drill press is the normal way of pushing them in with a timber backing underneath the other end of the hole

Similar to superglue but different, comes in many strengths, sets in a couple of minutes in the absense of air, don't over do it or you won't be able to remove the shroud.

stevo7790 wrote:Hi Geoff,
........
I saw you had your boat in Tenby... I'm from Bridgend, where do you moor your boat now?

Steve

Hi Steve
We only stopped overnight in Tenby on the way to Milford last year. She is moored at Weston on the R Axe.
Tenby is ideal for getting down Channel - I can get to the Helwick by LW - then Camarthen bay seems ok going West against the tide, so long as there is not too much sea going. Tides seem odd around that area. Hopefully off down that way Friday for a week if the weather behaves.

Geoff

Does the shroud need to be threaded all the way? Because I am experiencing an issue where once tight the shroud is upside down if say there was a 2mm gap between the shroud and the end of the thread would that make a difference?

I've solved that problem by using a couple of loops of string and then screwing the shroud hard against it. Tis a bit of a trial and error.

Hello Hugz,

I'll give that a try when I get in.

Thanks

At the risk of sounding a little silly, especially of my earlier comments can somebody please explain in the simplest terms how to start the silver century and how to keep it running. And at what point am i supposed to see the steady stream of water running from the top from the cooling mechanism thingy me bob

I got her going again tonight in a bin of water but after 2 starts she cut out and I couldn't get her going again?!?! rather then try in vain and possibly damage the engine I thought I'd ask you wonderfully helpful people

Thanks

Sounds as though you need to do a fuel flush. Clean tank, line, filters and carby. Fresh fuel and away she will go.

Hello, Hugz thanks for that

I could do with some more help please.

Today I did as Hugz suggested and was quite right the carb was flooded. Emptied the carb and cleaned the fuel line. Got the engine running again but briefly though as the water is still not exiting out of the top, the smooth trickle?!?!

Any suggestions as to how to figure this one out? could it be the impeller?

Thanks all

Steve