siba
Moderators: John@sos, charlesp, Charles uk, RickUK, Petergalileo
Horrible things originally. Nicely engineered ratchet mechanism with a roller to protect the starter cord, unlike Mariner/Mercury/Tohatsu, where you have to take the thing to bits every year because the string has frayed.
But the welded steel tube cage was awful. Ugly, prone to rust, easily clouted out of alignment. I much prefer the simple pulley and string approach, and I remove these starters when a motor arrives wearing one. If you take one off the crankcase bolts should be replaced - the ones supplied with the starter are a little too long in the unthreaded shank.
The later approach was better with the alloy enclosure, of which various versions exist. This was a British Seagull fitting from the factory. The firm refused to endorse the Siba 'add on' version. They judged it to be a danger - you could trap a finger between the revolving flywheel and the cage. Way-Hope said he 'wanted nothing to do with it'.
I can send you a photo of one if you like, PM me if required
Charles
But the welded steel tube cage was awful. Ugly, prone to rust, easily clouted out of alignment. I much prefer the simple pulley and string approach, and I remove these starters when a motor arrives wearing one. If you take one off the crankcase bolts should be replaced - the ones supplied with the starter are a little too long in the unthreaded shank.
The later approach was better with the alloy enclosure, of which various versions exist. This was a British Seagull fitting from the factory. The firm refused to endorse the Siba 'add on' version. They judged it to be a danger - you could trap a finger between the revolving flywheel and the cage. Way-Hope said he 'wanted nothing to do with it'.
I can send you a photo of one if you like, PM me if required
Charles
There's a lot more I don't know than I do know. Most of what I know comes from ex employees of the company who live within a couple of miles of me, so it's their knowledge and experience that I am usually quoting.
I especially don't know anything about their war time exploits. I have not unearthed a single verifiable story about the years from 1939 to 1945. I'd love to know how many they made, where they went, what happened to them, what types etc etc etc.
I still don't know which building they occupied in 1938. I know the road, it's less than a mile from where I am sitting.
I started a while back trying to write it all down. I spent ages at the keyboard, and have put quite a lot of research into it. Each time I think I have understood something I learn that it wasn't quite like that and I have to start again.
The Little Model Forty is a good example. I really reckoned I had photos of all the variations, and was happy to put that bit to bed - after all it's one model that didn't last long. Then I discovered that in fact it had a different bracket to that found on later forties. Then I discovered that the first ones had Amal carbs. I now reckon that in the first five years of the forty series there were dozens of variations. 102 models are worse.
Researching the subject is taking a lot longer than I thought, and I am now more pleased with the acquisition of new knowledge than I am with the arrival of a new motor.
My ex British Seagull chums, I'm sure, play a bit of a game with me. Every now and then one will throw into the conversation something starting with ' I don't expect you'll have seen one of these before.....' and I am left holding some artefact that I have never dreamt existed. ( This week it was a bracket for a forty, entirely normal save that it was one of a batch constructed of aluminium. I don't think many escaped from the factory, those that were made rapidly broke)
In fact I think I'm the most confused Seagull afficionado, my girfriend simply thinks I need counselling. My daughter is convinced that I should be locked up...
I especially don't know anything about their war time exploits. I have not unearthed a single verifiable story about the years from 1939 to 1945. I'd love to know how many they made, where they went, what happened to them, what types etc etc etc.
I still don't know which building they occupied in 1938. I know the road, it's less than a mile from where I am sitting.
I started a while back trying to write it all down. I spent ages at the keyboard, and have put quite a lot of research into it. Each time I think I have understood something I learn that it wasn't quite like that and I have to start again.
The Little Model Forty is a good example. I really reckoned I had photos of all the variations, and was happy to put that bit to bed - after all it's one model that didn't last long. Then I discovered that in fact it had a different bracket to that found on later forties. Then I discovered that the first ones had Amal carbs. I now reckon that in the first five years of the forty series there were dozens of variations. 102 models are worse.
Researching the subject is taking a lot longer than I thought, and I am now more pleased with the acquisition of new knowledge than I am with the arrival of a new motor.
My ex British Seagull chums, I'm sure, play a bit of a game with me. Every now and then one will throw into the conversation something starting with ' I don't expect you'll have seen one of these before.....' and I am left holding some artefact that I have never dreamt existed. ( This week it was a bracket for a forty, entirely normal save that it was one of a batch constructed of aluminium. I don't think many escaped from the factory, those that were made rapidly broke)
In fact I think I'm the most confused Seagull afficionado, my girfriend simply thinks I need counselling. My daughter is convinced that I should be locked up...