drive spring

[albert]

Hello all,

After a 10 to 20 hours running, the hook of my drive spring brakes off. It is the piece which hold the prop, the outer part. This happens without running aground or hitting an obstruction. When I take a new spring, it happens again after 10-20 hrs. When I take a look the broken spring still looks new, with the normal angle. It only happens with my Century 100. With my 102plus I don't have this problem.

I don't haven the slightest idea what the problem could be..

Any help appreciated.

[headcase]

Hello Albert, that sounds unusual. Are you possibly engaging gear with the engine revs too high?
Regards
Steve

[albert]

Hello Albert, that sounds unusual. Are you possibly engaging gear with the engine revs too high?
Regards
Steve

Thanks for the reply, Steve, but:
The Century is a direct drive, so that can't be it..

Regards, Albert

[Colin]

a couple of suggestions based on a process of elimination and I'm really picking at straws here as I've never encountered a similar problem on any engine. The first thing I'd look at is the integrity of the shaft (Is it true?) and the prop's balance.

[charlesp]

2 questions after a bit orf head scratching..

1... Is the 102 a long shaft and the Century a short shaft?

2... Have you tried a new spring in the Century - just to see if you've got a poor batch of springs? )There are some on the market that may not be of British Seagull original origin)

[albert]

Hello Colin and Charlesp,

Thanks for the reply and headscratching. But don't do that too much as there are plenty of springs in the world. Loosing your hair will not be that easy to repair.
The 102plus has a new prop with a used drive shaft from John. The engine runs fine and never causes trouble.
The century has a new drive shaft, a new bevel pinion and a new pinion bush. The prop shaft and bushes are not new but in good condition. It almost doesn't loose gear oil. The prop is a used one. Also the century runs fine.(what else, it's a seagull)
All my spares come from John, including the drive springs I use. One week ago I broke my 3rd in a row with the century. (Yes, I use the century a lot..)
The 102plus and the century are in use on the same boat. A 20 feet flat bottom fishing boat.
Both engines are long shaft.
I use the 102plus when I sail on the lakes and the big rivers here in Holland. I like the 102plus most of the two because it is so powerfull and a little less noisy.
I take the century when sailing around here on the shallow waters of the polders(hope you understand that word? is it English?). Then the century is much better: it has a smaller prop and much smaller gear box, so you don't run aground so fast. In fact I (almost) never do that.
This is the information a can give you..

I am afraid it doesn't make it easier..

Regards,

Albert

[Colin]

Hello Albert.

I have to admit without seeing the engine, although I think you have covered everything, it would seem somewhat of a baffler. Hopefully someone has encountered a similar problem and can offer you a solution.

polders I assume they are shallow marsh areas or potholes in areas of limestone rock. I don't think its an English word, but perhaps it should be. I certainly like it and will try to use it once the meaning is verified.

[StephenRT]

I think that Charles is probably correct and that you have springs that are either not genuine Seagull parts or are from a defective batch and are too brittle to accommodate the torsional stresses involved.
British Seagull Service Sheet 19 states:
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[albert]

Hello all,

Next time Iwill try the 102 spring on the century. Maybe Iwas unlucky with my springs with the century. Time will show.
Thanks for all the replies!

And for you Colin:
A polder is a piece of land which is below the sea level. To keep our feet and wooden shoes dry we make dikes surrounding it. With those dikes we keep the water out. But there's also water inside the polder. Those water is pumped away by a good old windmill or, and that's more common nowadays, a pumping station. But also inside the polder there are many canals to collect the surplus of water and bring it to the mill or the pumping station. These canals are also used for fishing or transport. The polder I live is connected by a sluice (lock) with the river Rine. The Rine is connected with the rest of the world.
Enough reasons to have a few Seagulls, I think..


Happy Seagulling!

Albert

[CatiGull]

ALbert - certainly once John digs out from the mails after his 'vacation' Im sure he can check the batch for you...that is a puzzler though. Is there any slop in the end play of the prop shaft? Im thinking maybe the prop is catching on something to be breaking so frequently as opposed to being flexed...

Polder was taught to us as reclaimed land from dikes in grade school in the USA...but the US COnsitution was the biggest gift the Dutch gave us (with help from Britain of course0

[Colin]

Enough reasons to have a few Seagulls,...

Enough reasons indeed Albert, and thank you for the excellent explanation.

[John@sos]

Hello All, reading with interest the comments on the springs. I have had two other owners and customers suffer the same thing!

I can only assume Seagull had a bad batch of these springs.... I buy them in by the hundred and so far have only heard of about 12 that have gone like this. Sadly the other owners ditched theirs.... I think they were all in a batch I had last Spring.

I have not had any more comments... This will open the flood gates of course.

If anyone has any broken ones and can send them back I will forward them on To Seagull. we do not want this to continue do we!
In the meantime I will double check what I have in stock at the moment, to ensure they have no apparent flaws....

Regards,
John
SOS

[albert]

Hello John,

As I am not throwing everything away, I still have a broken spring for you. Broken as I described it. I will send it back to you, if you want..

Regards,

Albert

[John@sos]

Hi Albert,

Would love it if you could! and anyone else with a problem spring too. I will Let my supplier, sheridan know.

Cheers,

john
SOS

[albert]

Hi John,

The spring is underway now, but as you know already, It is a long, long way by snail mail from Holland to the UK.

Regards,

Albert