Saving Old Seagulls

Galvanised studs have no rust and gaskets are rust free, look like they are galvanised or tin plated.

Excellent, obviously a fresh water only engine

It looks a very professional cleaning tank, Allan. A very good way to get everything in a state to examine and process. It is very nice to see the parts looking almost like new.

With regard to Spiro's question about what sealant to use on the steel plates, what do you intend to use?
If FV12206 has not previously been stripped, were the steel plates covered with black sealant?
Yes, I strongly suspect that the original plates were galvanished, which technically is a sound thing to do. I paint them with a zinc rich paint.

Jeremy

What are the sacrificial anodes on your boat made from & why?

Charles,
I think you know the answers to both those questions.
So, I suspect that you are merely testing me.
Go on, just tell me what is on your mind.

Jeremy

If it was Zinc on these gasket plates it would be the first thing to corrode galvanically.

Do any of our readers have ready access to an XRF so we could find out for sure?

And the steel plate itself would be the last thing to corrode.

Yes that's right, but as soon as you have some reactive iron available to the electrolyte then the Aluminium will also become an anode & we've all seen what that does to the head & crankcase.

It's very difficult to say for sure, we're talking about the very late 1940's early 50's, severe material shortages, if these plates were hot dipped individually, then tin becomes a stronger contender as H-A suggested, much lower melting point & almost everything you had in the store cupboard was in a tin coated sheet steel container so the technology was readily available as was the 18 gauge sheet steel.

Charles uk wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 9:01 am If it was Zinc on these gasket plates it would be the first thing to corrode galvanically.

Do any of our readers have ready access to an XRF so we could find out for sure?

What about SD drive tubes and cylinders
they are both coated in a zinc like metal could be tin. But is definitely coated in some grey metal.

My FV studs are almost certainly hot dipped galvanized, as you can clearly see the crystaline structure of the metal, also it is a relatively thick coating and irregular.
Gaskets have a thinner coating of grey metal, and the sides of the gaskets are plated. My guess would be electro plating as dipping would give variable thickness, not what you want on mating services.
The cylinder was also plated under the black paint, this was not primer but dull grey metalic plating.

Was electro plating being done by seagull or did they farm it out?, I have transom brackets that are plated, and don't forget lots of the nuts and bolts are plated.

I would not rule out Zinc on the gaskets, but analysis will be needed to be conclusive.

All back together, did not take long.


Pinion bush held in place by gearbox cap retaining screw if you happen to take the gearbox apart.
Will see if it runs tomorrow.

https://youtu.be/LVij8U6el50

A squirt of WD40 to see if it will run.

Roll on the summer

Allan,
That must have been the quickest rebuild on record! Congratulations!
It looks really good and seems to make the right noise. Well done.
Great to have another Early Series Forty up and running.
Yes indeed, roll on summer. Let's get the dingies out on the water with the FVs clamped on the stern. They are the very best and useable Seagull. (I am only slightly biased!)

Jeremy














9

Out of curiosity, what is the smallest Seagull?

Regards
Spiro

Spiro,
My knowledge of the complete Seagull range is very limited. However I would put forward the Early Series F model of 40cc as possibly the 'smallest' in terms of weight and engine capacity.
Perhaps somebody could state the capacity of a small pre war Marstons......

Jeremy

Gannet wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:18 am
Perhaps somebody could state the capacity of a small pre war Marstons......

Jeremy

They are not so small, massive 78cc