Saving Old Seagulls

I'm just refurbishing a forty plus which is now running and has been tested in a wheelie bin. My question is that is it right that it only squirts water from the cylinder block when the engine is revved highly? Back on tickover it doesn't.

Any clarification/guidance appreciated. It was purchased from a local car boot sale and acquired out of curiosity. Plug sandblasted, carburettor stripped and cleaned, tank rinsed, fresh 10:1 fuel and away it roared. Thanks.

This is normal at low rpms. See the FAQ page on the main Saving Old Seagulls website here

https://saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/faq2.html#cooling

It should be fine without water flow here and there. Happens all the time with clogged intakes. Seagulls run quite cool, so if you hear hissing while running that’s a sign to check the cooling situation.

Can you post the serial number from the crankcase?

Thanks Andrew - Fears calmed.

Serial number is GFP 432 GG7 which comes up as July 1977. Chrome flaking almost to zero and plenty of frosting on the mazak indicate to me that it's been saltwater used and not rinsed. But it works so they must be pretty robust. Probably been chucked in a shed for years and was bought from a local car boot near Littlehampton in West Sussex.

Glad to hear it came back to life pretty easily. Did you clean/set points and out of interest does it still have a Bing carb?

Didn't clean the points as there was already a good spark. Stripped the Bing carburettor, rinsed in petrol then blew through on the airline at 120 psi. Steel tank rinsed - luckily no weep along the seam. Fresh petrol at 10:1 oil, plug sandblasted, and it ran first pull. Just need to empty and refill the gearbox with EP90. I suspect it had just been laid aside after last use, so a really simple recommission.