Saving Old Seagulls

HELP!!!

All went well until I tried to separate the engine from the drive and exhaust assembly. Following service sheet 1, at stage 3 I removed the flange nuts. The joint rfuses to come apart. I have gone so far as to remove the drive shaft, but when I open the flange joint (only possible with wedges) it opens for about 1.5mm and springs back as soon as the wedges are removed. Has anyone had this problem.

This is normal, just jammed around bottom of exhaust pipe and the water cooling tube. I turn the engine upside down, put my fut on the tank and pull the gearbox and wiggle it a bit, it ususally comes off with that although if you don't want to risk denting your tank, just lever the flange above the drive shaft tube with a flathead screwdriver and it should free. To avoid this happening in the future, clean all around the bottom of the exhaust pipe and cooling tube. (you will see the copper cooling tube only when removed.)

Thanks, Alistair.

I got it off eventually, but only after loosening the exhaust and the undoing the top joint on the water tube. The tube is well and truly bonded at the gearbox end so I might leave it like that and reassemble in reverse order.

Whilst I am writing, I am looking at the crankshaft. The magneto end shows almost no wear for the middle two thirds of its length and the bush is .001 oversize (.626 dia). The shaft measures .622 Dia at each end. Do you think a top bush replacement is advisable? I have running problems with the engine refusing to come to full speed without full choke and I suspect air leakage through the main bearings, changing carbies did not help.