My first Gale 3gp (1947/8 SeaBee 1G4)

[Phil Budne]

When my mother was downsizing she offered me my father’s old SeaBee, and I turned it down. Not long after I got a vintage aluminum boat (1960 AeroCraft runabout) with a 1960 10HP Johnson with a bad lower unit, and well, I was off to the races collecting old outboards (replaced the 10 with a 1961 Fastwin, got a Martin 40, was given a 1959 Fastwin Electric and a 1960’s Fisherman parts motor, and picked up a 1962 Johson 5.5 at a meet). But the SeaBee “Snoopy” has been “the one that got away”.

When I got to Freezingham last weekend, I spotted a SeaBee 1G4 and picked it up. I THINK it’s close to what my father had: I know it was rope start, and had clamshell covers on the block (which I think rules out the 1.5 & 5hp models). I think the major difference between the (1946) 1G1 and the 1G4 is that the latter has “reverse”

I cleaned (but have not properly gapped) the points and got about a 1/8″ blue spark. Thankfully the 1947 sportsman manual has a 3D diagram of the points!!

Pulling it over with rope, I see only 55 PSI, with a drill I got 60. Should I expect more?? The same (long hose) gauge got 80 PSI on the CD (which remains untested) which has smaller cylinders.

There was some water in the gearcase, but the gears seem clean of rust. The rotor is loose on the eccentric, but seems like it would pump a little.

I haven’t opened up the carb yet…

“fun features” (which didn’t seem to have set the world on fire) are the self-pulling flywheel, and the water inlets on the trailing side of the prop…

I was underwhelmed that the two gearcase screws (fill / vent) are at the same (mid) level, and the aluminum screws holding on the water pump cover….

So far I seem to be missing:

The little “snap on” cover for the lower unit nut (worth replacing, or will it just fall off?)

The port side clam shell (there’s a starboard on ePay for more than I paid for the whole motor).

If there’s a mechanism to release the reverse lock, I’m missing it…

In my minds eye, the gas cap was plastic and was knurled. Mine looks like a black iron plug that was tapped for the (brass) vent screw!!

Pictures of originals and advice welcome!!
Thanks!
Phil B
(Yankee Chapter)

http://www.omc-boats.org
http://www.aerocraft-boats.org

• This topic was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by Phil Budne.

[Phil Budne]

Oh yeah, the paint is a mess: it was painted over in too dark a blue (I remember it looking something like duplicolor “Old Ford” blue) and the tank is peeling…. Thankfully these seem like the right decal design: https://americanoutboard.com/decals/goodyear/goodyear.htm

http://www.omc-boats.org
http://www.aerocraft-boats.org

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