Saving Old Seagulls

I have always been told that British seagull HT leads never came with a suppressor and it was a customer add on, (The oracle)
From what I can remember being told, it was something like the suppressor wasn't compatible with the ignitions system.
The problem is, I have seen quite a few HT leads with them fitted and to my eye, they didn't look to be a DIY job, as they look to be fitted in the same place on each lead.
So I did a little looking and reading for once.
According to JohnSOS , In 1978 Seagull made thousands of HT leads with suppressors, but they suffered from water ingress and had to be replaced, so seagull passed it on to the dealers to sell, as they did with problem parts, plus no come back.
Also I found this, with proves the point really.
I think I'm right Oracle, I'm not right that often, so I have to make the most of it.

Nice bit of work, Keith.

I can't remember where I read the don't use HT leads with suppressors statement probably in one the Seagull dealer handbooks, never thought it significant enough to be very memorable.

Proved your point perfectly, My apologies!

I thought the same as you Keith! Only I didn't go and look

Yeah - I'm sure read in the dim and distant that suppressors were to be discouraged, but don't know the reason - no other old outboards use them do they?

I suppose there is more of a likelihood of folk fitting suppressed plug caps inadvertently -seems there a far more of these in circulation than non-suppressed caps.

More than likely, Seagull distanced themselves from the suppressed HT lead, after they sold them off to dealers, so they had no comeback.
Didn't they do the same with the one ring piston, seagull passed them on to the dealer to sell on?
If someone cuts of the spade off the end of an HT lead and fit a screw on cap, I would expect this type of caps would have been fitted with a suppressor as standard, and the decision to fit a suppressed on non suppressed cap didn't come into the equation, it's just a plug cap to most people.

Yeah - who cared if a passing Seagull made trannies buzz? (trannies for the younger generation being transistor radios - not the new meaning of trannies!)
Could a suppressor put more of a resistance on the coil?

Rick

I vaguely remember that it was a legal requirement that suppressors be fitted down under though l cant find any info to support that. Maybe it was an export consideration. Then carbon fibre leads came in.

House light switch dimmers had to be redesigned for the same reason.

Come to think of it, it has been a while since I've heard interference on my radio. All my old appliances have died l think.

The gentleman who for years ran their repairs department told me that the first thing they would do to a motor returned to them for fixing was to replace the plug lead, and they didn't fit a suppressed one.

They must have fitted some seagulls with them, as the add shows one fitted to a seagull, but replaced them for standards leads if they ever returned to BS.

Yes you're right. I always believed that they never fitted them, but the advert you found absolutely proves how wrong I was. Well spotted!

I would have bet money as well Charles, Keith has just proved, proper research can't be beaten!

There’s still loads of those suppressed leads about though!

It would be good if one is found to take a pic to prove they where put on the engines and not just in the art work.
Not the first time something has been put on paper and didn't make it to production, due to it not working.

I have 2 on some of my motors, photos coming soon.

I have seen plenty of HT suppressed leads, that's why when I was told the they were put on by the owners of the outboards it got me thinking, why are they in the same position on every HT lead, so I started looking.
Finding an example with one fitted is easy, finding a new unused motor not so easy, how many times have I seen a motor that the owner says, its never been run, with oil running down the exhaust tube.
This is from an old Ebay listing, NEVER RUN.