British Sea Gulls out there in USA?

joetheis

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
308
I'm a "Odd Thing Lover"!
If it's
1) Old
2) Worn out
3) Odd
It's for me!
Doesn't matter if it's my house, trucks, cars, bikes, sailboat, powerboats, and now outboards!
It IS much easier now that we have computer to find ANY part and info, not like the "olden days"!
I got a 19' Grumman SF for my wife when she got addicted to fishing, (I'm the driver, I don't care WHAT I'm on, I just like being on the water) to go fishing out of.
It has a 70 "rude as a main motor. I HAD a 9.9 Mariner with controls as our "trolling" motor (up and down the St. Lawrence River near Clayton N.Y.).
Sold the 20' cuddy ( my last years project), AND the mariner.
Now I need a small outboard,to replace it. Has to be light weight, can push the boat up to 4 MPH, easy on fuel.
Then the Sea Gull came to mind.
Hear and read a great deal about them.
Tough work horse motors, but some odd features.....
10:1 oil mix on the one I'm looking at
Lower unit oil is 140 SAE gear oil, (water leaks in and oil leaks out of these.)
I HAD though when I first looked at this, "I'll use that grease/oil mix the BSA and Triumphs used in their gear box".
Nope this won't work, as the oil/water has to mix and oil has to "suspend the water".
I see the oil on E bay from across the pond, I guess I could buy enough to hold me for a few months.
What do owners here in USA use as pre-mixed oil AND lower unit oil?
Thanks!
Joe
One day I'm gonna buy a "normal" item............................ Naaaa what fun would that be?
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
I think you may find fellow Sea Gull lovers. They actually "race" them.
Not sure if in the USA. I do notice they spend a lot of time trying to get them started.
Mostly displacement style hulls 2 people, operator and crew. Extra long tillers some operators standing.
Mostly fun.
 

joetheis

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
308
After digging deeper on line, here is what I've found......
If it's takes more than 4 pulls, it's too deep in the water for the exhaust to excape, fire it up tilted!!!!
You can use straight 140 wt gear oil from Napa, D-9 S/plugs.
Any GOOD marine 2 smoke oil will be good, (synth. = less gas).
Can run on E-gas as almost everything is copper or cork.
I'm going to look at it tonight.
If it has spark, has compression, no rust or Uck! in lower unit, hey I"ll try anything once!
Joe
 

joetheis

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
308
Well, after slipping a little sand paper between the ppoint contacts and re gapping, cleaning the carb bowl and throat, dumping the REAL stale gas out of the tank,
I dumped the lower unit oil that was like syrup, dropped in SAE 80-90 that I had (got the SAE 140 from Napa).
Put fresh gas in at 10;1 mix, (that's A LOT of oil to a gallon)!!
Cleaned the old plug with brake clean and some sand paper (have 2 new ones from Napa)
pulled the fuel shut off out, "trickled" the carb.
Held my breath and 4 pulls later it was purring like a tiger!
Sounds a bit "throaty", with a the holes in the exhaust tube, and yes Virginia it does smoke REAL GOOD, (people will know where I am, maybe even from space)!!
Now, it the weather ever breaks and I can test it in the "real world"
Joe
There is just someting abot "odd" things that draws me near
 

joetheis

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
308
The vin tells me it was built in July 1969, a 4 HP long shaft Century 100 model.
I'll have to take a few pics of it and post it here.
Over all it's clean, but, was not stored well and looked a bit "cruddy" before I pressure washed it and cleaned it up.
I'm trying to figure out some type of canvas top to put over the flywheel and carb. out of the elements when it on the trailer.
I ordered a cover off Amazon, that was supposed to be for a 2HP-15 hp motor, but it looks like it will cover my 70 Rude.
Last weekend I made a throttle linkage assy., so I can work from the front seat of my boat.
I took the tiller handle off and made a linkage to hook it up to my big outboard.
I SHOULD be able to sit and steer from up front when I troll, (or when my wife trolls and I drive)!
Joe
So many odd boats and motors, so few $$!
 
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