Restoring Lena-Contact-Sailing Home-Sailing Logs-Uphill photo Tour
Seagull No 2

Couldn't resist this one - someone at the Wharf was having a clear out. I was tempted by another as well, a smaller 40 series. So I have one for the boat and one to play with ...!

This was really quite intact - all there, bits wise - but J.... kindly pointed out he'd epoxied a repair on the water jacket. This would have been a no-no to me - but a further digging through the pile came up with a spare block and piston, crankcase and tiller arm - from a WSPC MM5 - essentially the same engine, standard shaft, late 75.

The original piston and block has been running on J's workboat - despite the water jacket bodge - but will be better to keep the later piston with the later block. Not sure how wise it would be to plit piston and bore. Ideally, if new rings are available ( new pistons and rings are - quite cheap too ) it would be better to deglaze the bore and fit new rings.

The spare block seems very good - still in its orginal silver.

Its a real beast - the biggest engine Seagull made I think - the large low ratio gearbox, with the 11" five blade prop. It still sits on the same 22" transom height - but the massive extra size on the gearcase makes this thing stand really tall ! Its also got a lovely chrome flywheel nut !

SPCL 974 C8

- that makes it a Silver Century Plus, with clutch, longshaft - dated at March 68.

Its a twin barrel Amal carb - but the magneto baseplate is different to the Silver Century I have - which is 72 - and has a wipac. These engines also have a different downtube - in that the swivel is in a recess, so you cannot slide the engine up the tube. I'm thinking it is a heavier tube - but they have kept the top end the same to utilise the same bracket patterns.

Another detail below