1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

Greetings to all,

I am starting this thread to share my progress with the group as I work to get my old OB running.
What I have is a '59 Seaking (OMC/Gale) sold by Montgomery Wards, M/N: GG8997C, 35HP, electric start.

I bought the motor, the 1970 Elgin(14ft) f-glass boat it was mounted on and the trailer for this past November for $20. The boat may have been savable by some on Iboats, but not by me, so she got cut up and consigned to the dumpster at work. My buddy was happy to take the trailer and i was happy to be left with looks to be a good motor.

I have not tested the starter yet and therefore have not made a compression test but it pulls over nice and smooth and seems to have good compression on both cylindersso wish me luck. i originally planned to put the motor on a 1956 Lonestar Clipper (16') aluminum boat that i hoped to restore some day but i sold that boat and baought a 1952 lonestar Admiral (14"), also aluminum.

This first time around i am looking to get the motor and boat running in time for the AOMCI Tx Chapter meet @ lake LBJ in October... that is if the budget and other obligations allow.





Here are a couple of photos of the motor to get us started, I will try to get back later tonight with a progress report and some more pics.

I hope everyone enjoys the thread, I look forward to the comments and conversation.

Toodles,
Marty

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

The longest jouney begins with the first step. Enjoy the adventure.

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

Well, I am finally getting back to up-dating the thread with what I have gotten done so far which is really not much more than pulling components from the powerhead and dropping the lower unit off then getting some inspection done. I have also promised myself that i would take lots of pictures along the way, both to share here but also to serve as a "memory base" when going back together.

here are some shots from my teardown so far....


These show with the two sides of the cowl removed then with the top too. I really dig the Aluminum cowl this motor has, especially considering that the Johnsons & Evinrudes that this motor is likely considered a step-sister to had moved on to much less cool fiberglass cowls by the time this was built.


Yup, the lower gerarcase is gonna need seals...


Im gonna submit this post and start another at this point, I am not sure how many pics the forum will let drop into any one post.
Stay tuned... more to come.

Marty

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

Back from the comercial break...



This shot shows where the paint has become compromised around thr head gasket and has some alum oxide growing. To me it looks superficial, now indications of discolored/over-heated paint around the head or oil stain from the head gasket.

Yay to that!!


I'm not sure why, but I think the intake silencer is just too cool.


Another thing that I like about this motor is that it is equiped, from the factory with a pump supplied fuel system. I understand from what all I have read that the Js and Es were still using the pressurized fuel tank system, this will be an up-grade that I will not have to make. I really don't care to have to search out and restore a fuel tank too, pluse that thought of can of gasoline pressurized with air/fuel miixture in the boat with us just does to tickle my fancy.


The inside of the intake silencer. looks like something worth taking apart for inspection from time to time.

Gotta go for some hunny-doos.

Back soon

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

Ok, back to getting a few more pics posted.



The interior of the intake & reed valves and the carb really look good and clean.


Other than being goopy the impellar and othe parts of the pump look good to be in good shape. The impellar is even still plyable, go figure.


Even the gear case looks to be in really good shape too.
The dogs on the shifter ring and fwd/rev gears have only minor wear and no bangs or dings. Pretty happy about that.
Other than seals, etc. the only thing I think I am going to do the the gear case is replace the tapered roller bearing at the front of the prop shaft, the race is grey and hazy showing some wear but chips or cracks in the hard casing.


Overall I must sya that i am very encouraged by what I am finding in this engine so-far.

My plan is go back together with new seals in the gear case, fresh water pump kit as well as carb and fule pump kits, new spark plugs/cables-etc.... the usual mantenance type items. I have already gotten my hands on a complete wiring harness and completed some work to referbish it.

Hoepfully that is will be all this gems needs.

Wish me luck.

I will post more as I progress.

Toodles,
Marty

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

Got a question...



I managed to remove the lower mixture screw with no problems, but the upper is not cooperating.

The o-ring tube un-threads just fine and the needle screws out but once the threads are dis-engaged the needle turns smoothly but it will not slide out of it's bore the carb. I have pulled pretty firmly by hand but no budge yet. I do not want get too rough with it and damage something.

Any ideas on what I can do?

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

I never had a manual, and haven't been that far into mine. Any chance there's a retaining spring clip?

Watching your progress, though... (Wish I could get that right side up... it is at "home".)

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

And a matching kicker motor too!! That is just too kool Chip.

The paint on your two Seakings look to be in much better shape than that on mine. This 1st time around I am just looking to get her running reliably. I am hoping to get that far in time for the TX Chapter of AOMCI meet in October.

Be patient with my progress. I am at the point now that I will need to start spending $$. And you know what THAT can do to a project.


Later on I will get into striping her down and getting back to fresh paint and decals, for now I will bw happy to be running.

As for your pic... most (but not all) photo viewers/editors will have a couple of "rotate image" buttons on the top or bottom header of the viewer window, one will rotate clockwise 90 deg at a time the other, counter-clockwise. On my computor they look like a wedge shaped triangle with a rotated "gost" image and a curved arrow indicating the direction of rotation. If you can manage to rotate your image then save it, it my retain that orientation when opening it after that. Good luck.

Check you message box, I will be sending you a PM.

Toodles,
Marty

Re: 1959 Seaking 35HP, Get'n the Ol' Girl Running

Marty, thanks on the PM info.
I already tried your recommendations on the pics when I cropped/resized and re-saved. Must have missed something... ugh.
The motors are both survivors, unrestored, and original. The 35 is a 1958, bought by my father 'mail-order'. Have the original cable/controller and Gale dash panel, too. The kicker I found on CL about ten years ago just by chance. The guy had it hanging on a fence, and offered to start it up (dry!) to show me that it worked. I said thanks but no thanks on that one. Just paid him his $75, and said thanks!

(That boat is currently being re-powered with a 50 hp Honda 4-stroke. Most of my boating is on reservoirs, and to me, it just seems more appropriate.)

very nice i have a 1956 7.5 hp elgin motor and it wont start and i just got new plugs for it and it wont start so i think i need to clean the carb but it has a (fuel injector?) screw that goes through the air flow filter and i dont know how to pull the screw out so i can get to the carb, do you or anybody know how to take it off so i can clean the carb?

Welcome to iboats, noblo. Now, please start a new thread specific to your Elgin so we can see what you are asking about. It is not related to this Sea King, whatsoever. I read all the way through this long thread only to find out the last post was about an Elgin.