Buying a new outboard.....maybe....

[Shawn]

Seagull's are fun engines. They were built for salt water (based on 1930s tech) and even built to have salt water inside their gearboxes. Instead of worrying about keeping it out they just put in 140 weight oil, large bronze bearings and let the oil/salt water turn into an emulsion. Of course that also lets it leak out slowly and leave Seagull droppings. Later Seagull's had sealed lower units.

In the last 10 years or so of their life British Seagull changed what materials they used for the drive tube and tiller tubes. Those rust/rot out more than on Seagull's built 30+ years earlier.

Shawn

[skip1930]

I dumped the hypoid modern gear oil out of the Mercury's bottom end a few years ago [somebody here made comments about the plastic bag tied to the lower end that caught the droppings seen in a posted photo] and I replaced that oil which is used in the transmission, rear end, and steering box with my Ford Model 'A' 600 oil. It's a steam engine oil and is not to be confused or considered to be 600 W, It is not 600 weight.

This stuff is so good as a lubricant and with such long chain of molecules that it won't leak past shaft slingers, or felt seals. It just doesn't leak past anything. Found in any model 'A' parts supply house.

skip.