Saving Old Seagulls

Does anybody know what the thread is in the four holes that hold the recoil starter part to the frame that bolts to the crankcases as the ones in there are rusty and one is obviously wrong or the thread is stripped as it has a nut on the back of it.

A photo would help at this stage Andy, personally I don’t like the things makes the engine look deformed. Hay everyone has an opinion!

I know what you mean about making the engine looking ugly but was going to use engine for a two day trip down the Severn and maybe try and do the Thames later in the year and thought it may be easier to use when stopping and starting with the refreshment stops on route, will try and post pictures tomorrow

Thanks

Andy stubbs wrote:Does anybody know what the thread is in the four holes that hold the recoil starter part to the frame that bolts to the crankcases as the ones in there are rusty and one is obviously wrong or the thread is stripped as it has a nut on the back of it.

Thread size is 2BA, have just been down to shed to check.

H-A

P.S. "River Severn Seagull Meet" ?

HA to the rescue again, are most of the electrical small threaded items BA then ?

Not a Seagull meet more a few chaps having a break from the misses and visiting the local pub's on the way, I have to check this route out soon and see how far it is and see if it's possible against the river flow. There are two of us with Seagull's that are going to participate if it's possible, might have to put two 40+ on the back to keep up??, should be a laugh
Thanks for the information H-A

The thread sizes are probably more correctly 3/16" BSF, which is directly interchangeable with 2BA, where 2BA nuts/bolts are more freely available today than the equivalent BSF.
However the 2BA nuts bols on the Villiers magneto setup are probably 2BA!

RickUK wrote:The thread sizes are probably more correctly 3/16" BSF, which is directly interchangeable with 2BA, where 2BA nuts/bolts are more freely available today than the equivalent BSF.

I would say 2BA
Siba say use a 2BA spanner.

2BA is a very common size, used alot on my 1957 Land Rover.

H-A

The ones I took out were slotted cheese head screws not bolt headed, but they have probably been replaced in the past with wrong ones.
Trying to get hold of anything but metric in stainless these days is getting hard, used too get everything from a place called Moorehouse fasteners, but they do not keep the stock they used too any more and have changed names to Balls Fasteners and deal on E Bay now, will have to find them on there. The information that is given on here is excellent and makes it much easier to repair the trusty old things, Thanks to all

Andy

For imperial fasteners in stainless, look as Customer Fasteners in Newtown - web address for their on line catalogue is something like customfasteners.co.uk

I think the original bolts were cheese head slotted, and this is one type Custom Fasteners are weak on.

Looks like 2BA then! I guess Seagulls had the same sophistication as Land Rovers!

Like i said damed ugly things
SIBAs that is!

Yes pig ugly but makes starting easier but to be honest its not that hard just using the rope around the flywheel.
Will try and remember to put pictures on tomorrow. Thanks for the information about the fasteners

As I didn't know a fastener described as a cheese head slotted until now, I thought I would post a pic of an example.....

Siba recoils may be ugly but they do stop you whipping your family and friends on start up!

JERSEYMAN wrote:Siba recoils may be ugly but they do stop you whipping your family and friends on start up!

I have never had one, If your seagull starts first pull, I cannot see the point in them, OK your shipmate may have to duck once in a while or suffer whiplash.