Hi, and thank you for reading this. I have a 1972 Columbia 30 with a fairly well pampered Universal Atomic 4 gas. I'm looking to install a fresh water flush out device. I took a look at installing a bronze 3-way shutoff valve with adapters to connect the raw water hose coming in from the seacock and going out to the engine, and also a threaded fitting for the garden hose. HOWEVER, with this config., under power, the raw water would come into the valve and have to make a 90 degree turn out the other end, so not a straight shot thru. Would this create a problem getting enough water into the engine under power? or am I overthinking it. Perko has a device called the Flush Pro, but not in the diameter I need. Would appreciate input/suggestions.
Atomic 4 Fresh Water Flush - Need advice
- Thread starter Seaojoy
- Start date
Don't know if you have the room for it, but I reused the OEM thru hull and shutoff. Unscrew the hose barb, replace with a nipple and tee. Put the hose barb on the straight-thru. On the tee, put a nipple, shutoff, and a garden hose fitting. This way you can flush out, and install anti freeze if needed. AND, with just a short length of hose, you can pump out the bilge if you keep the thruhull shut off.
@Seaojoy Welcome to the best place on the web to share boat ideas.
One trick I have learned is to upload a picture with my questions. This way you can get info from more folk. Not everyone has seen or can understand the issue you are struggling with because some of us have not seen the limitations of your boat. Post a picture and you trigger the genius of many members. Some who are very accomplished engineers. And very skilled at solving problems even if they do not have the same boat as you.
Welcome and look forward to your help on the forum.
One trick I have learned is to upload a picture with my questions. This way you can get info from more folk. Not everyone has seen or can understand the issue you are struggling with because some of us have not seen the limitations of your boat. Post a picture and you trigger the genius of many members. Some who are very accomplished engineers. And very skilled at solving problems even if they do not have the same boat as you.
Welcome and look forward to your help on the forum.
DO NOT under any circumstance hook a pressurized water connection to an A4 engine unless you have a desire to repower. The water will backfill the combustion chambers, valves and just about everything else. Read this from Moyer Marine: http://www.moyermarineforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=628 The A4 service manual specifies not to continue cranking a hard starting engine for the same reason. Buy one.
I had an A4 in my 1968 Morgan 30. I would do exactly like Ron20324 in post #2 suggests. But do not pressurize a hose to flush. Instead, connect a short piece of hose to a bucket, feed the bucket from a hose, and let the engine pull fresh water through itself. That is exactly what I do with my current auxiliary and gen-set. Easy to add antifreeze also.
In fact, if you want to flush the block as well as the exhaust manifold, you need to do it this way and run the engine until hot. The thermostat is a special- when cold it bypasses cooling water to the exhaust manifold, and when hot it closes the bypass and water from the block flows to the exhaust manifold. So the only way you can really flush the engine is to run it with a supply of fresh water until it is fully hot. I use a 10 minute run on my engines after full temp to flush.
HOWEVER, do not apply hose pressure to the engine or you will fill the cylinders with water.
In fact, if you want to flush the block as well as the exhaust manifold, you need to do it this way and run the engine until hot. The thermostat is a special- when cold it bypasses cooling water to the exhaust manifold, and when hot it closes the bypass and water from the block flows to the exhaust manifold. So the only way you can really flush the engine is to run it with a supply of fresh water until it is fully hot. I use a 10 minute run on my engines after full temp to flush.
HOWEVER, do not apply hose pressure to the engine or you will fill the cylinders with water.
Thanks! Sounds like great advise. I'm going with the 3-way brass shutoff first. If I don't get good results, I'll go with your suggestion. Again, appreciate the reply.
So disconnect the hose from the nipple on the thru hull and just put it in a bucket of fresh water. Quick question... what if the pressure from the garden hose was minimal, and I was watching it like a hawk during the flushing process?
Thanks, Rich! I think I'm getting the idea. I don't really want to reach down through my bilge into the thru hull to disconnect the intake house and put it into a 10-gallon bucket of each time that I've come back into my slip. Wondering if I can connect a shut-off along my 4' of intake hose to close off the raw water and have a small hose attachment to draw up the fresh water from the bucket?
Thanks! I don't need to winterize my engine because I sail year round. However, the garden house flush does sound potentially disastrous. I'll use a bucket or 10-gal sparkletts bottle with fresh water and have it draw up under it's own pressure.
Nor do I use the method in post 2. I have a Yanmar. The garden hose I hook up is connected to the 40-gallon water tank. This serves the purpose of emptying the tank to winterize, and it runs fresh, clean, house water through the engine. I didn't think I needed to run through every step in the process, but for those who do no know, you wouldn't connect household water directly into your boat's water system. You need a pressure regulator.
I have raw water strainer that I take the lid off of and put a hose into it with control valve at the end of the hose. Just monitor the flow and keep water in the strainer. If you don't have a raw water strainer you should have one. Cheap insurance. Less than a $100. For everything A4 go to http://www.moyermarineforum.com/forums
Thank you for the advise. I've just acquired this Columbia 30 and in the process of learning and doing as much as I can on that A-4 engine. While I'm not the handiest out there, between you tube and great advice from folks like you, I'm feeling a bit more confident.
Seaojoy- Take a look at this thread. My reply with pictures is #3. Although the thread is about flushing and winterizing, you can just do the flush.
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/i...rize-engine-in-the-water.182339/#post-1337708
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/i...rize-engine-in-the-water.182339/#post-1337708