Saving Old Seagulls

Hi,

Thanks for the great site. I picked up a SPCL off ebay that looked like it was in good shape. It wasn't well packaged and in shipping the skeg was bent a little, don't know if there is other damage.

I fired it up today and it ran fine and was pumping water well and left it running for 15-20 minutes. Around the top of the exhaust tube I was getting some seeping of oil and a touch around the cylinder head. Exhaust was leaking around the bottom of the tube where it fits into the gear housing.

It sounds like pulling the head to replace the head gasket isn't fun so I may just live with that.

Is the seepage at the exhaust tube and the leaking exhaust at the bottom normal? I want to be sure the hit that bent the skeg didn't cause some additional damage.

After I shut it off I hung it back up vertically on the mount on the wall and now looking at the engine after a few hours from the bottom of the exhaust tube a lot of exhaust/oil has leaked out and the whole top of the housing has oil over it. Normal?

Thanks!

Shawn

don't worry all normal
if they aren't leaking something somewhere there is something wrong with them

lot of exhaust/oil has leaked out and the whole top of the housing has oil over it. Normal?

Yes, at least my Featherweight does the same. The amount rather depends on how much has already leaked into the boot of the car!

Thanks, glad to hear that is all normal.

I might see if I can get a little bit better seal around the bottom of the exhaust tube as it seemed like much of the exhaust was coming from there. Is that just a pressure fit?

I also need to run it in a much bigger tank so I can engage the clutch and get the prop spinning to make sure everything is OK there. The tank I had it in yesterday was just big enough to get it pumping water.

Thanks,

Shawn

Quote: I might see if I can get a little bit better seal around the bottom of the exhaust tube as it seemed like much of the exhaust was coming from there. Is that just a pressure fit?

Try it on a boat and it will be OK. No pressure fit, just sloppy, which is perfectly normal.

Seagulls are made for boating, not for tank testing!

I definitely agree with Albert ...however..

a sunny sunday afternoon (ideally with HID having buggered off to the shops of some such ) and all the flock lined up to go for a swim and a bit of a burble in the 44 gallon Specialist Seagull Test and Experimentation Facility

Ahhh the sweet perfume of hydrocarbons in various stages of combustion (or not) and a few loving wipes with the oily cloth

A beer on the go,... all a bit blissfull

Thanks.

"Seagulls are made for boating, not for tank testing!"

I still need to work on that part as I am doing things a little out of order. This Seagull is destined to be an auxilary/backup on a larger sailboat then my current 19' Flying Scot. With the long shaft the SPCL might suffer from some hydrophobia as it would be quite deep on the Scot which has a transom height more suitable for a featherweight. Also that big prop would be closer to the rudder then I'd like, hard to port and it would likely hit. Now if I could add a regular shaft 40+ to the flock....

For now at least I can only play with the SPCL in the tank..... but I'm working on that....

Shawn

Seagulls are made for boating alright, however, there is nothing wrong with a little tank testing to belay the withdrawal symptoms

As for what you unkindly class as 'leaks' or slightly better as 'seepage' these are merely 'undocumented features'. It is well known that as part of a good scheduled preventative maintenance scheme a program of externally applied surface lubricant ( rub down with an oily rag ) after each use is beneficial, your seagull has a built in 'visual reminder' to do so and helpfully also an 'external lubrication supply' situated rather cleverly in two places ( top and bottom of motor ) so it can be duely spread with said 'external lubrication medium' ( rag )

".... these are merely 'undocumented features'."

And they make the Seagull self-fogging too!

Shawn