starting them

[ade]

how do you start the damn things?

[charlesp]

Easiest thing in the world! Fresh fuel, freshly mixed, correct proportions of petrol/oil - that's the first trick. You may have to drain tank and carb first. Then half throttle, and full choke if it's got one (especially if it's as cold where you are as it is here today).

Wrap cord round starter plate, and smartly pull. Repeat until running - shouls be a couple or so attempts. This assumes you have compression and you have a spark - a proper one.

Good luck

[ctaylor]

All a seagull needs to start are three things - sparks, fuel at the right mixture and exhaust back pressure. For the first, clean and set the points, ditto the plug, check there's a spark when you pull the cord. Fresh fuel is essential, and clean out the carburettor and fuel line if its got old fuel in it. Exhaust back pressure is caused by having the engine at the correct depth in the water tank. Remove the prop first, try it with the water an inch or so above the top of the gearbox casing. My forty plus usually starts firts or second pull, the silver century requires a little more effort - three or four pulls. Both are well over 40 years old and still going well. The 40plus was siezed when I got it.

Chris

[ALAN]

Make sure you have no stale fuel in the tank.

Make sure you have no oil left by evaporated fuel in the carburettor bowl or fuel line.

I am assuming the ignition system is in good order, points, plug, lead.

Give it choke, turn on the fuel, pull the cord.

Regards.

Alan.

[chris]

undo the breather on the fuel cap
turn the fuel on
tickle the carbie untill it is pouring out of the hole on the fuel bowl
give it full throttle or half if you have a neutral
wrap around rope and pull
don't have a choke, don't reckon they need them.
My 1942 102 usually always starts 1st pull