Hello, I'm planning to dismantle and restore my FV soon, but after checking how agreeable it might be to come apart, I think I will ask for some tips
The head nuts came off ok, but the head doesn't want to budge despite a few rubber mallet taps. It has steel gaskets, so I'm guessing there will be some rust holding things together. Is heat a good approach for this? I also tried to get the leg off, took out the retaining screw on the exhaust tube, and the collar on the drive tube.. again, nothing wanted to budge. So, to reduce the risk or damaging things, can someone with experience on this model give me some advice/tips?
Thanks all.
Last edited by whigum on Fri Jun 09, 2017 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Heat and more heat is your baby the caskets mybe stuck solid to the threaded rods if you don't need to strip it I'd leave alone or if you have to knacker the caskets then replace....as for the drive tube it's knurled at top end and threaded at bottom. ..once again heats your best buddy..
Roll me up and smoke me when I die
Regret is just a memory written on my brow
Thanks Tam. Heat it is then. If I'm going to restore it, I'd rather do it properly and strip it right back so I know what's what with everything.. otherwise I just won't be happy Knurled and threaded drive tube? Sounds like fun and games ahead! Worth it though, I think the entire thing (down to the throttle lever!) was coated in paint and lacquer before the guy sold it to me, so the chrome is very good.. will look great with done! Cooling fins are hacksaw mangled though..
What nobody has told you is that these Seagulls are very fragile with no new spares availability! (apart from a few ignition bits)
So unless you have a very delicate hand & access to an engineering workshop, it might be better to perform a light external restoration, as head studs, cylinder heads, con-rods & water pump housings are often damaged or need replacement during restorations, if you damage anything important, you could be the next source of spare parts!
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
Thanks for the caution Charles, I'm well aware of the situation with these engines, that's why I'm being extra careful and asking for advice from somebody experienced. Pics will follow
Thanks, very helpful photo. I can see that's going to give me some entertainment! How agreeably does that knurled section tend to slip out of the the crankcase? I'm thinking heat and rubber gloves for grip.
Top knurled part is normally not that hard i usually just chap gearbox end with a rubber hammer as for the pump housing I'd clamp drive shaft tube in a vice and use a piece of wood between the exhust tube end and drive shaft end apply some heat and turn....hope this makes sense. ..
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Roll me up and smoke me when I die
Regret is just a memory written on my brow
The thread is often of one the most difficult jobs a lot of pump housings get broken, aluminium oxide seems to work better than Locktite, hence broken head bolts on Centurys, often caused by head bolts locked by oxide where they pass through head bolt holes.
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
After thinking about it.. In case things are far from straight forward, I'm not going to strip it right down until after the season, as I want to use it on my tender. I am just going to clean it up to look smart for now. I've started with the flywheel.. it popped off easily with a suitable hammer, it's so light I just held the flywheel through the holes in one hand, and knocked the nut with the other
My idea of polishing is not to remove all the age, I like the imperfection of old things.. shows a bit of history, makes me think about where it's been and what it's done. I also repainted the lettering in black paint.. that took patience! Here is the result:
