Saving Old Seagulls

back to the gearbox.



after a little bit of cleaning, things don't look too bad after all.
pinion gear ok, no missing teeth or any real signs of heavy wear,and the bearing has minimal play (fore/aft and left/right)
crown wheel ok, just a little rust between the teeth but this should clean up ok.
the shaft is a bit "groovy" where the prop sits but i have other 102 gearboxes in bits that i can rob better parts from.
the end cap has a little surface corrosion around the central boss.


so, better than i was expecting

found this in a box under the bench.
completely forgot that i had it. must have bought it for something else i was doing at the time?

core plug/welch plug on this block are slightly different compared to what the original "blown" block had.

hex head on the left and slotted type on the right.
the slotted type are the same as gearbox bungs on the 40's/100's.

but with this block the hex head ones are NOT interchangeable. FINE threads on the hex type, course thread on the slotted type.

Could you measure the threads and tell the size/type. The slotted one looks to be the original.

hi stelios
i dont have measuring device with me at the mo. have to go to work to get it.

original block with hex type core plug/welch plug.
replacement block with slotted type core plugs.

its the closest i've got as a direct replacement so i'm going with this.
just needs a quick "touch up" paint job and this will be good to go. lovely clean water jacket. (been soaking this one with car battery acid for the last 2 days)
just so you know i switch between caustic and acid and finish off with a final scrape and probe with stiff wire just to be as sure as i can with regards to the cooling system.

Since the slotted one is like gearbox plug I can measure it, don't bother. And if I remember correct it's BSF. The other one is something that produced British Seagull or something modified by a previous owner?

The gearbox plug is 3/4 BSF I believe, I think the slotted water jacket plugs were actually the same part.

this one is for another day



C1655L just in case you can't see the serial number.
notice the core plugs!





is this where stelios gets jealous?

I thought I am lucky having an SD beautifully restored but you pal have the whole history of British Seagull in you shed! Well done!

I will remain calm

Yeap I notice it. It should be used at some point and then changed to the slotted ones.

adrian

slight confusion between different plugs.

hex head have fine thread
slotted head have course thread (same as gearbox bung)


could it be one of those things that's perhaps unique to 1946 models D and C ?
remember d9666 had hex head plugs before the block "exploded"

i've seen before (if memory serves) 47/48 models with slotted plugs. any ideas?

stelios

this is my problem hex head will NOT fit in the block that has slotted plug and vice versa.
slotted plug will ONLY fit the block that slotted plug came from.
not interchangeable!


anyone got any ideas? its not going to bother me much as the block i have decided to use will do just fine, its just not an EXACT match but its close enough i think.



jon

A little bit different block, I think everyone could live with that. After all it has plugs. Other 102 blocks have only press fit plug so I think you are in the right way!

My D has a welsh plugs. Original? And what is the 3T?
Oh gould. Now I need to find a "C". Is there no end to this collecting

hugz

addictive this seagull lark aint it?

c1655l came into my possesion as a powerhead only. then i bought a job lot of old gearboxes which included some SD boxes. some good, some bad. a lot of them are still seized. so the "C" has been put together from parts (still a long way to go with it yet) but it does run.

i am wondering whether or not BS were using up parts that were left over from the WAR motors to make these "D" and "C" models. as to whether your "D" has retained its original block i guess we'll never know. interesting stuff though to see the "discrepencies" in the blocks. dont forget though that according to the data on the engine number identifier the "c" and "d" models were only made during 1946 before going on to the ac and ad models. does this make "c" and "d" models more desirable than an unmentionable (marston) ? speaking of which i missed out on a straight leg unmentionable last year (sooooo cheap) it was just missing the piston but in bits. and got outbid ? (curses)

jon

I don't know whether the D and D models are moree desiorable in terms of actual monetary value, but for me they're better things than the SDs. This was British Seagull starting up after a productive war time which saw their output soar from pre-war days, and to my mind they addressed some of the problems with their motors.

The finish is quite good on these motors, and they are rather less common. As an aside, a D model was my first 102, and I still rather cherish it.

The original core plugs were those with the slot and the coarse thread - the same thread as the 1947 gearbox oil filler. They are in fact the same component. Hexagonal headed plugs were used in later servicing because they were available from plumbing supply shops.

Coming back to the value of these motors I would say that the scarcity, the early brass bayonet fitted tank with the classic decal, and the much coveted bracket, ought to make them more valuable. But the wacky world of Seagull values doesn't see things my way!

My D 701 has no core plugs, but the cylinder has an E12904 pattern number, low inlet stub, coolie hat ignition, brass bayonet tank, straight out the back exhaust & an SD style gearbox & prop.

I've no idea if the cylinder has been replaced in the last 68 years as it was built before I was born.