New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

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niko_1472
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:10 am
Location: Glasgow

New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by niko_1472 »

Hello all!
What a great forum (and website) full with info about the outboards.
I have recently purchased a working 40 plus and I was hoping that you might be able to help me learn more about it.

The idea behind buying this outboard was to learn a bit more about how outboards work, have something that I can put apart and learn how to do maintenance on put it back together, etc. And in particular with the British Seagulls I love the fact that you're buying a piece of history with it. (And might I add the golden ticket to join a nice community as yours.)

I've spent some time reading the information on the website (and some of your posts) since I bought the outboard at the end of December, but I have a lot of questions that was hoping you could help me with. Unfortunately, I am as new to it as I can be so some questions will probably be extremely basic for you guys, on the plus side - I am a blank canvas, so please share your best practices.

Right, here we go:

- I am hoping to find a manual for the 40 Plus, so I can read a bit more about it. In the meantime, could you please let me know what material is the seagull made from? Is it aluminum on the shaft? Is that brass on the top spinning thing (what do you call it? )

- What would you use to clean the oil ? What would you do to remove the rusty spots (for example in photo N7)?

- I read a lot about the Villiers carburetors, I believe mine has this type - correct? Is there a choke on it?

- Not quite there yet, but just out of curiosity - how do you stop the engine? Do you just throttle down until it stops, say "Please, stop!" or hit it with a big spanner?

- Does anybody know what it used to say on the top of the fuel tank?

- I believe my model does not have a clutch, could somebody confirm that and does this mean I should do anything differently when starting it?


I will attach some photos I've made of the outboard. Please excuse the fact that I still don't have a frame for it.

Many thanks for your help! I am sure more questions will come up, but these are the ones that I have for the moment.

Best wishes,
Nik
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beerjam
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Location: Headley, Hampshire
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Re: New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by beerjam »

Hi Nik, welcome to the group.

I am fairly new here too, and also have a couple of earlier Forty Plus motors.

Your motor has a Villiers carb, the choke is a flat metal plate that pivots between the air intake and the main body of the carb. In the closed position it covers the air intake (choke on). Pretty much as soon as the engine starts open it fully for the motor to run freely.

There is no clutch on your motor. On models with a clutch there is a short lever attached to the crankcase and a linkage rod to the gearbox.

Both my motors were in a similar condition to yours, when I acquired them. I cleaned them up with a rag dipped in the same fuel and oil mixture that you put in the tank. That got most of the gunge off. Because I intend to use my motors on boats, I will not be trying to restore them fully. I polished the worst of the rust away with AutoSol chrome polish.
Be sure to change the gearbox oil before running the motor for any length of time. The oil, if there is any still in there, is very thick. I warm the gearboxes with a hot-air gun (a hairdryer on high might work) before trying to drain them. Don't melt the nylon drain plug!

Have fun with your motor, and I am sure others will be along with more advice in due coarse.

Cheers, Mark
Journeyman
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:26 pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by Journeyman »

Hi Nick,
Welcome to the group.
The motor looks good, do you have the complete clamp?
To answer your question there are two manuals the first is the original “Seagull Workshop Manual” that John can supply, there is also a "Spare Parts List" and lastly an "Owners Handbook" that would have come with the engine, again get them from John SOS.
The other manual is British Seagull Service-Repair Handbook by Clymer. It was published in the states, Clymer are like our Haines Manuals and they usually cover Cars and Bikes.
The Original Manual from John covers every thing you need to know the Clymer is more of a collectors thing nice to have.
The top spinning thing is the Flywheel, it’s made of aluminium and is painted a sort of Gold.
It is the Magneto and contains the points (that you can clean and set,) the coil and associated magnets.
The large diameter exhaust tube is made from aluminium, the smaller diameter tube houses the drive shaft it's made from chrome plated steel, it acts as a torque tube.
Yes to stop the engine you just close the throttle.
As you suspect no Clutch, when you are on the water you are away as soon as she starts!
Always row out into clear water before starting as when she is cold you need full choke and full throttle. The choke will keep her from revving up to much but as you take off the choke and decrease the throttle you need to be pointing in the right direction :).
If you are testing the motor in a tank it pays to remove the prop spring otherwise the water in the tank becomes so agitated the impeller can not pump the cooling water.
The writing on the top of the tank is just the name and the fuel mix, again John can supply new transfers if you want to repaint the tank.

Happy fiddling, Dave.
PS I see Mark has answered as well :)
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Collector Inspector
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Re: New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by Collector Inspector »

Welcome aboard Nik

Clean it really well so as to look its best first. Then away you go on your adventure after that.

Working on something really clean on the outside instills confidence.

Do you have room for the other ones that will come along? :P

BnC
A chicken is one egg's way of becoming others
niko_1472
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:10 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by niko_1472 »

Hello guys and thanks a lot for the tips!
I will definitely write to John and ask about the manuals, as well as some other bits and bobs that I do not have yet like - gearbox oil, 2-stroke oil, etc.

I do have the clamp, I realize I have not included it with the pictures, now that you've mentioned it.
Collector Inspector wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 5:56 am


Clean it really well so as to look its best first. Then away you go on your adventure after that
BnC

[/quote

BnC - any suggestions on what you would use to give it a wipe?


Journeyman wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:56 pm
The large diameter exhaust tube is made from aluminium,
Dave - does the exhaust tube get very warm after prolonged work of the engine? Is it something that I have to be careful with?
Journeyman
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:26 pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by Journeyman »

Hi Nik,
Yes the exhaust will get to hot to hold but will cool down quite quickly, it does not get as hot as a motorcycle exhaust. Don’t remember ever burning myself on the exhaust as normal running you are nowhere near it. Usually leave it to cool down on the transom after a trip before lifting it off. But you can lift it off by the tank and carry it by the drive tube when its hot if you don’t have time to wait.
Good advise from Bruce start making space for the nex one! :twisted:
Dave.
niko_1472
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:10 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: New to British Seagulls (40 Plus)

Post by niko_1472 »

Cheers, Dave!

Haha, yeah - that always seems to be a problem with boating stuff , haha! There's always something else that you want to get.... :D :D
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