Saving Old Seagulls

New needle, jet and throttle cable arrived last week (Thanks John) and fitted without any hassle. There are no adjustments whatsoever on the Bing carb other than the height of the needle. I've fitted mine on the 2nd groove up from the taper.

I've also tapped the two holes in the exhaust and blocked ...

Found out why my Seagull dies if the throttle is opened more than halfway.

The carburettor jet is missing!

Previous owner must have lost it and, by refitting the needle in the top groove, managed to get the engine to start and run. Quite remarkable.

New needle and jet on their way from John.

I thought that's what the hole in the tiller arm was for.
Is the hole for a spare prop split pin? Can't see one of them breaking like a proper shear pin, but dropping one over the side is a possibility.

Can anyone explain the cause and symptoms of 4-stroking in a 2-stroke engine like a Seagull. It's mentioned in numerous threads, but I've no idea what to look, or listen, for.

It's alive! It's alive!

With the new machine screws from John I started to reassemble the engine. First I had to clean up the threads in the castings. Easy enough with the correct tap, inherited I think from my grandfather. I had to shorten the one that goes into the locating hole in the pinion ...

Thanks Charles. Looks like I'll have to heat and expand the casting and somehow persuade the pinion back into position.

Looks like I'm the better idiot in your signature line.

Before Lunch: Got the pinion and bush out by heating the casting and slamming it down on the worktop a few times. I'll ...

New problem.

Does the machine screw circled below go into a locating hole in the bronze bush? If so, I have a problem. I removed the driveshaft, as advised on this forum, by inserting a long rod down the driveshaft, holding the driveshaf and giving the rod a good clout. It actually took several ...

Doh! Blatantly obvious once pointed out. Thanks.

Not the threaded studs on the bottom that secure the tank to the engine, the unthreaded ones on the front and back of the tank. What are they for?

Managed to drill out and tap the bottom clamp for an 8mm bolt. Took longer to make up a clamp jig for my pillar drill than to do the job.

That centre bolt! I ordered a longer slotted screwdriver bit for my impact driver so I could get it down in between the clamp and the exhaust. I then applied ...

Bit of a setback today.

Took the prop off so I could run the engine in my test tank (a plastic dustbin). It started 1st pull and roared into life and at first I thought all was well. Then I noticed there was only a dribble of water coming out of the tell-tale hole in the block. I increased the revs ...

Fuel tank drained. It had a nice coating of thick, black gunge. Poured in 1/2 litre of Thinners #3, which is a pretty aggresive solvent, and shook it around for 5 minutes. Removed the fuel tap and poured it out. Tank now clean. I expected the gauze filter on the tap to be blocked but it came out ...

I was given this engine a couple of days ago. Why? Because I mess about in boats and have a couple of dingies to get me out to my yacht on its mooring.
This engine spent at least the 30 years propelling two elderly gentlemen around Loch Awe in a heavy 12' mock-clinker grp dinghy; stopping only for a ...