Saving Old Seagulls

I am almost the proud new owner of a 1974 Silver Century 5hp. I went sailing with a friend last week and he decided after having problems getting it to start to let me have it for a small price. I just need to pick it up.
We finally got the engine running and it ran well. I look forward to tinkering with it and using on my boats. I noticed there was an electical cable hanging off the motor with a plug in connector on the end of it and I was wondering what this is. I checked around the site and havent see it on any of the other motors.

If it looks like this, then you have an alternator.



Use it to charge your battery.

Thanks, I was thinking it could be an alternator, but I didn't know they were available on a Seagull. I was searching the net today doing research on the engines. I don't have the engine with me, but it looks very much like the one you posted rikanaka. It has the recoil with an alternator. I think it's got a 4 blade prop and a amal 416 carb. We had a very hard time starting it for the first time. It was out of the water so back pressure wasn't a problem. The mix was 25 to 1 which could have been wrong without the modification. After about 200 pulls it finally came to life, after which it fired up on the first pull everytime. We changed plugs several times during the attempted starts. I think the gap may have been off. The plug it worked with was the original one that the owner took out before we left. I look forward to using it on my sailboat. I have an old 6hp evinrude that I use now, it runs great and starts on about 3 pulls usually, but it has no character. I think a seagull will look just right on my boat



Thanks for your help. When I pick up the motor I'll look up the numbers on it to figure out what it is and post pictures

Keith

Hello Keith

if you have both parts of the plug and socket, and they are not corroded up, you will find you can connect them in one of two positions 1 to 1 (numbers on plg) give max 4 amp output 1 to 2 on the plug and it gives you 2 amp.

If no plug and socket, remove what is there to reveal 3 wires. 1 is Green and Yellow. that is negative. Join the other two together for positive. Use a waterproof plug and socket, from the local garden centre for pond pumps, and you have 4 amp output and a better sealed connection. connect directly to battery, it is already rectified to give DC output!

hope this helps,
John
SOS

gaffrig24 wrote: I think a seagull will look just right on my boat

I have to agree with you, the Seagull will really add some character to your boat and its probably about the only reliable engine that can do that for you.

Welcome aboard; John runs an informative site and you'll meet some fine fellow sailors and Seagull enthusiasts here.

Cheers.

200 pulls? I have no sympathy for this at all....

Sounds like the plug was fouled indeed. I have found the adage that if it doesnt start in two pulls, then I stop and put right whatever is wrong.

Hello Stephen, you wrote:

I have found the adage that if it doesnt start in two pulls, then I stop and put right whatever is wrong.[/quote]


But:

My Century needs 3 pulls when temp. falls below 5 degrees Celsius .......


Happy Seagulling


Albert

gaffrig24 wrote: I look forward to using it on my sailboat. (cut) I think a seagull will look just right on my boat


Keith

What a lovely yacht! Am I right in thinking that you are a Back Yard Yacht Builder? http://byyb.org/pn761/index.php I have a paper model of a BYYB Weekender on my mantelpiece built from a file downloaded some years back. Printed it on A4 and made a model pretty enough to still be on display and accurate enough to recognise yours immediately.

Enjoy your boat and seagull they will look so right together!

You would be right sakean99, I'm the rear commodore of the BYYB group. It's great bunch of folks and we get together many times a year and sail. I don't think we have anyone from England in our group right now. There is guy from Finland who built a Weekender and lauched it last year. I think he's the closest to you. They are fun boats and they sure get a lot of attention on the water. There is nothing on the water in my area that comes even close to looking like a classic sailing vessel.
I hope to pick up the engine this week sometime and give it a go on the boat Saturday or Sunday.

I've learned a lot about these engines on this site and others. I'm almost positive the plug gap was too wide when I was trying to get it started before. It caused it to flood out and the owner replaced the plug with a new one leaving the gap as it was from the package, which was most likely .035.

The alternator does not have the female plug with it, so I will most likely take your advise John and get a waterproof connector for it. It will be nice to be able to give a charge to my battery when I need it without hooking up to shore power.

I sure hope I can get her to come alive with just a few pulls, my arm was sore for days after my first encounter.

Thanks for all your help

Keith

If you look at the links page you will see a link to my other website, www.eventides.org.uk the biggest website in the UK devoted to home built boats and those by the Yachting Monthly designers, headed by none other than Maurice Griffiths and Alan Buchanan!

See the pic at the bottom of the SOS home page for my back yard build boat!

Regards,
John
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