I have a Atomic 4 engine.She runs great but sometime not all time after I have been out sailing she does not want to start.She starts right up in the morning but after rocking around very hard to start.Have installed fuel-water seperator but still same . Thanks
- Status
This brings back fond memories (not)
The Great Atomic 4. A wonderful engine that was the standard in sailboats for many years. I had one that I rebuilt in my last boat. I also had a running problem. Mine would simply falter and stop at any random time. Very annoying. After literally years of troubleshooting this gem, I believed that the problem was the mechanical fuel pump. When hot, it would drop in output pressure to less than 3/4 of a pound. According to the expert (long since retired) at Universal, the pressure should be between 1.25 to 1.75 pounds. So I replaced the fuel pump. Seemed to fix the problem - for a while. The pressure was now 1.5 pounds all of the time, and it didn't drop with temperature. However, the problem or perhaps I should say the same symptoms returned. This time I traced the problem to the ignition coil. By cooling the coil, the engine would immediately restart. I used a piece of ice on the side of the coil to do this. So I replaced the coil. Twice. After the second time I put a heat shield between the engine block and the coil. That seemed to help. The bottom line? Well, it has to be either the fuel or the spark. That is all there is. I did observe that the spark was weak and yellow in color (or missing) when the coil was hot. And I know that the fuel pressure was greatly improved with a new fuel pump. (BTW, I have a spare pump that I bought used and never used if you want it.) I believed that considering all of the problems that I suffered with for as long as I suffered, the answer was that there were MULTIPLE problems, all with similiar symptoms. Any single problem can be diagnosed and fixed, but when there are multiple faults, the difficulty is 10 times worse. Good Luck. Rich
The Great Atomic 4. A wonderful engine that was the standard in sailboats for many years. I had one that I rebuilt in my last boat. I also had a running problem. Mine would simply falter and stop at any random time. Very annoying. After literally years of troubleshooting this gem, I believed that the problem was the mechanical fuel pump. When hot, it would drop in output pressure to less than 3/4 of a pound. According to the expert (long since retired) at Universal, the pressure should be between 1.25 to 1.75 pounds. So I replaced the fuel pump. Seemed to fix the problem - for a while. The pressure was now 1.5 pounds all of the time, and it didn't drop with temperature. However, the problem or perhaps I should say the same symptoms returned. This time I traced the problem to the ignition coil. By cooling the coil, the engine would immediately restart. I used a piece of ice on the side of the coil to do this. So I replaced the coil. Twice. After the second time I put a heat shield between the engine block and the coil. That seemed to help. The bottom line? Well, it has to be either the fuel or the spark. That is all there is. I did observe that the spark was weak and yellow in color (or missing) when the coil was hot. And I know that the fuel pressure was greatly improved with a new fuel pump. (BTW, I have a spare pump that I bought used and never used if you want it.) I believed that considering all of the problems that I suffered with for as long as I suffered, the answer was that there were MULTIPLE problems, all with similiar symptoms. Any single problem can be diagnosed and fixed, but when there are multiple faults, the difficulty is 10 times worse. Good Luck. Rich
As I remember,
MoeMac: As I remember, they don't rebuild these units when they are worn. You buy a new one, and they are about $300.
MoeMac: As I remember, they don't rebuild these units when they are worn. You buy a new one, and they are about $300.
My Two Cents Worth
Hi Moe Mac, My 76 Catalina 27 has a 97 Atomic Four engine. The previous owner installed a valve in the exhaust hose to prevent water from making it's way down to the sparkplugs after heeling. Prior to this modification, he too experienced trouble with the engine. What this means is when I am under sail power I close the valve and when I motor I open it. Thus far the engine has been totally reliable. Best of Luck Melody Miller
Hi Moe Mac, My 76 Catalina 27 has a 97 Atomic Four engine. The previous owner installed a valve in the exhaust hose to prevent water from making it's way down to the sparkplugs after heeling. Prior to this modification, he too experienced trouble with the engine. What this means is when I am under sail power I close the valve and when I motor I open it. Thus far the engine has been totally reliable. Best of Luck Melody Miller
- Status