Saving Old Seagulls

90 is good - I have engines I cant get to read over 75 which all run great.

greetings from upstate NY!!!

Thanks. Where do find parts for your Seagull ? I use to deal with Sailorman in Florida but they sold out to West Coast in San Fransisco. I also have dealt with Ron in Vancouver but he has retired and I have been unable to get through to the person who took over his business . I ordered a new mark 4 ignition from Sean at West Coast the first week of June. He told me it would take a couple of weeks. I didn't get the mark 4 until the middle of Aug. I installed it immediately however it would not start. Sean told me my motor was probably done. He did not know that the motor needed a mark 4 flywheel. Not sure Sean knows what he is doing. I have one issue to fix and that is the gas shut off valve is not working. It is my understanding that if I take it a part there is a cork seal that I should be able to soak and put it back together.

Larry
Cleveland ,OH
Edgewater Yacht Club
Capri 25

I have one issue to fix and that is the gas shut off valve is not working. It is my understanding that if I take it a part there is a cork seal that I should be able to soak and put it back together.

Yes the cork dries out. Take the whole centre out, don't lose the little screw, and boil in in some water for a few minutes. It is possible to replace the corks when really necessary.

However there is advice in the FAQs on the website IIRC so read what is written there. Also on there, I think, is a suggestion for storing it so that it does not dry out again during the winter.

I have boiled the cork for about an hour an a half. It still will not close. How do you replace the cork ?


Larry
Cleveland, Oh

I repeat:- "there is advice in the FAQs on the website IIRC so read what is written there. Also on there, I think, is a suggestion for storing it so that it does not dry out again during the winter."

The instructions for removing/replacing the cork are also there!

This is the link Vic is referring to:

http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/fuel_tap.htm

It's a diagram of the cork seal, referring to the necessity to peen over the end of the shaft.

I have found that a blowlamp or similar used to heat the shaft will soften it - they can become work hardened and almost impossible to peen.

Ive bought a couple of spares from John so that if I have a problem with one of my Gulls, I just swap the fuel tap for a good one (stored in a bag with some two stroke oil per the FAQs) rather than having to deal with it right before a sail. I impressed the Admiral (aka SWMBO) when we had a leaky fuel tap on our Cape cruise and I fixed it in 2 minutes.

And my record for stripping the Bing and unplugging a main jet is 2 minutes.