Saving Old Seagulls

Just thought I would make my first post and say Hi.

As a kid in the Fifties I grew up with people like Ruben Cod who farmed Skomer and use a clinker dinghy with a seagull century outboard to get back and fore across Jack Sound.
Later in the Sixties a friend bought that boat and motor and we fished with it.

This week I bought a Century with the Serial No LLS3948.
The man I bought it from had never used it or even attempted to start it. It had come as a second engine with a fishing boat he’d bought and had subsequently sold but the Century had remained languishing in a shed.

The motor looked dreadful with lots of corrosion and cobwebs, fortunately it turned freely and showed signs of compression also the throttle slide moved easily with the leaver.

When I got it home there was oil in the gear box and surprisingly fuel in the tank.
So removed the drive spring and put it in a barrel of water, petrol on full throttle and choke tickle carb. First pull sounded good, second pull she started!! Subsequent starts first pull!

Not advocating that you should neglect your seagull but they are fisherman proof!

Dave.

Welcome to the forum. It’s amazing what punishment these little engines can take!

Oyster 49 wrote:Welcome to the forum. It’s amazing what punishment these little engines can take!

Thanks for the welcome.
Talking about punishment as far as I can remember we just mixed ordinary engine oil with the petrol, looking at the price of marine two-stroke oil does any one still use engine oil?
Dave.

I generally use two stroke oil, as the modern stuff is designed for outboards that run at lower temps due to the water cooling and give less smoke also. The biodegradable stuff works well, and less pollution too.

Oyster 49 wrote:I generally use two stroke oil, as the modern stuff is designed for outboards that run at lower temps due to the water cooling and give less smoke also. The biodegradable stuff works well, and less pollution too.

Ha Yes you are right I hadn’t thought about the environmental side of things just the economics.
The first run for it will be to a friends wedding, he and his bride are very eco conscious so it wouldn’t be politick to turn up in a haze of blue smoke
Thanks, Dave.