I have bought a 30 year old sailboat with an atomic 4 engine. It ran
last fall but was not properly winterized. How do I check it while its
in drydock? Thoughts on replacement if its cooked?

Thoughts on replacement if its cooked?

take ten to twelve grand or more to your local, friendly marina and have them
install a smelly, noisy, vibrating, expensive to maintain, finicky fuel system
diesel engine.

or spend a few minutes and make the Atomic 4 run for yet another season or ten.

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 19:31:18 +0000, martin v pool wrote:

I have bought a 30 year old sailboat with an atomic 4 engine. It ran last fall
but was not properly winterized. How do I check it while its in drydock?
Thoughts on replacement if its cooked?

Contact Robert at Atomic 4 Engine Service:
http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/Atomic_4...vice/index.htm

He knows All There Is To Know about the Atomic 4, and has several options for
replacement. I bought my Westerbeke/Universal engine off him - I'm VERY pleased
with it and with his service!

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 19:31:18 -0700, martin v pool
wrote:

I have bought a 30 year old sailboat with an atomic 4 engine. It ran
last fall but was not properly winterized. How do I check it while its
in drydock? Thoughts on replacement if its cooked?

Check the compression. If the compression looks ok, more than likely
it's good to go for another season.

Cylinders three and four tend to have sticky valves due to exhaust
water getting back into the back of the manifold. If you have no
compression in either of those cylinders, a stuck valve is probably
the cause. You can squirt a little Marvel Mystery oil into the
cylinder and let it soak. Just the right sized allen wrench can be
stuck through the plug hole and slid over the stuck valve. Tap the
valve free. Turn the engine over and see if the valve sticks again.
Repeat until the valve no longer sticks. Old timers used to ad MMO to
the gas, but how much I don't remember.

A real weak point on those engines is the electrical system. Not a
bad idea to change out the coil, points, plugs, condenser, rotor,
rotor cap and and plug wires.

Also, the carb tends to get gummed up. A rebuild, or cleaning, is
more than likely in order. A4s like to be choked when starting, even
if they are warm. If the engine will sputter along while the choke is
on, but not when you turn it off, you've got a clogged carb.

Not a bad engine, but they take "lots" of attention. You should be
personally very aware of how to maintaint both the fuel and ignition
systems.

For some reason A4s seem to get a big thrill of not starting when
you're about to go under a draw bridge. At that point they're about
as useful as the information Jax gave you in another post.

bb

1) go to www.sailnet.com and join the Atomic 4 mailing list
-- lots of knowledge there

2) Go to WWW moyermarine.com and get his A4 manual -- more
information than you will ever need; $50, but worth 10x as much.

Don is a great guy and will often give free advice over the
phone. He'll also do a rebuild if you need it.

The A4 is a wondrous machine -- you will swear at it, mash
knuckles, contort your body into positions you didn't think
possible, but in the end it will be like an old friend, and
someday you will be just a little sad to move on

martin v pool wrote:
I have bought a 30 year old sailboat with an atomic 4 engine. It ran
last fall but was not properly winterized. How do I check it while its
in drydock? Thoughts on replacement if its cooked?

A real weak point on those engines is the electrical system. Not a
bad idea to change out the coil, points, plugs, condenser, rotor,
rotor cap and and plug wires.

yeah, a genuine weak point. the damned points, condensor and rotor/cap only
lasted eight years before I had to replace them. crummy engine.

Also, the carb tends to get gummed up. A rebuild, or cleaning, is
more than likely in order.

yeah, gasoline does gum up a carb after a few decades. a serious problem, that
is.

A4s like to be choked when starting, even
if they are warm.

yup, a serious problem, *IF* you have the manifold bolts loose.

If the engine will sputter along while the choke is
on, but not when you turn it off, you've got a clogged carb.

yup, a common problem once every few decades. NOT since 1970, but if you have
gas older than that in your tank, check it out.

Not a bad engine, but they take "lots" of attention.

yup, it is *SO* time consuming to change spark plugs ever spring.