British Seagull Outboard – Series 102 – AC41082 -1954

I found this old 102 sitting unloved in a junk shop. The store owner said it had been in the same spot for twenty years and I was the first customer he could ever remember showing any interest in it. It was a positive sign that the flywheel turned and there was good compression. A bargain was struck and I took it home. The thing with Seagulls is no matter how bad they look in the rough, they were made from materials that were meant to last. It’s all brass, various cast metals including bronze and a small number of plastic pieces. Stripping the engine down confirmed that this was a low hours machine, all internal tolerances were very good, particularly the brass crank and prop shaft bushes. The fuel tank was in pretty bad shape and would need major work. Although the piston had not seized and was moving freely, there was no spark. A close look at the ignition system showed all parts were original with the coil likely to be the culprit. Over time, the insulation on the copper wire that makes up the windings breaks down and here we were dealing with a part around sixty-five years old. No surprise that it had failed. Happily, many of the parts for these old engines can still be sourced from suppliers in the U.K. so with a new coil, points and condenser fitted the spark returned. The rest of the re-build involved detailed cleaning of all parts, honing of the cylinder and fitting new piston rings. Bronze parts were bead blasted and sealed with lacquer. Other metal surfaces were either re-chromed or machine polished to a mirror finish. Topped up with fuel and oil, this old 102 came to life with the very first pull of the cord.

Supplier contacts for parts:
Saving Old Seagulls – John is a guru when it comes to these engines and I thank him for all of his help http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/
Sheridan Marine – https://www.sheridanmarine.com/
Villiers Ignition Parts – http://villiersparts.co.uk/