Atomic Four woes

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D

Devian

.
Jan 6, 2008
32
-Columbia 28 mk something or other Pier 39, San Francisco
What I've got

Actually its funny. I have a 2-stroke 9.9 HP Mercury Outboard on it right now. The damn thing keeps dying on me. I tried to move it to the other side of the peir a while ago and ended up stranded. I had to call the Marina Office to have them tow me. I think its a fuel tank issue but I'm not sure. Its jus that a lot of people think it won't take much to get the A4 running and if its better than the outboard (which sucks) I'm all for it.
 
D

Devian

.
Jan 6, 2008
32
-Columbia 28 mk something or other Pier 39, San Francisco
What I've got

Actually its funny. I have a 2-stroke 9.9 HP Mercury Outboard on it right now. The damn thing keeps dying on me. I tried to move it to the other side of the peir a while ago and ended up stranded. I had to call the Marina Office to have them tow me. I think its a fuel tank issue but I'm not sure. Its jus that a lot of people think it won't take much to get the A4 running and if its better than the outboard (which sucks) I'm all for it.
 
sailortonyb Allied Mis

sailortonyb Allied Mis

.
Jun 12, 2004
1,181
Allied Mistress 39 Ketch Kemah,Tx.
A lot of people think....

"a lot of people think it won't take much to get the A4 running". Are these people that have seen the engine or are they encouraging words from people on here? Wanna know if its worth fixing?. Find a marine mechanic and have him look at it. That will reduce the guessing by 70%. Your problems may be minor or may be major. Listen to well meaning folks on here and you can be nickled and dimed to death by advice from people that have not seen it in person. All we can do from here is guess, and wrong guesses can cost you a lot of money. IMHO Tony B
 
sailortonyb Allied Mis

sailortonyb Allied Mis

.
Jun 12, 2004
1,181
Allied Mistress 39 Ketch Kemah,Tx.
A lot of people think....

"a lot of people think it won't take much to get the A4 running". Are these people that have seen the engine or are they encouraging words from people on here? Wanna know if its worth fixing?. Find a marine mechanic and have him look at it. That will reduce the guessing by 70%. Your problems may be minor or may be major. Listen to well meaning folks on here and you can be nickled and dimed to death by advice from people that have not seen it in person. All we can do from here is guess, and wrong guesses can cost you a lot of money. IMHO Tony B
 
higgs

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,710
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Reuild

I spent less than a $1000 rebuilding my A4 back in "93. I had the machine shop put together the short block, but did everything else myself. It ain't that hard, I suspect that one could do the same for pretty close to that price even today.A rebuild is pretty much like a new engine. For a mechanically handy person, the A4 is fine. If you are a person who lets the yard do all the maintenance, then look for a diesel.
 
higgs

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,710
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Reuild

I spent less than a $1000 rebuilding my A4 back in "93. I had the machine shop put together the short block, but did everything else myself. It ain't that hard, I suspect that one could do the same for pretty close to that price even today.A rebuild is pretty much like a new engine. For a mechanically handy person, the A4 is fine. If you are a person who lets the yard do all the maintenance, then look for a diesel.
 
higgs

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,710
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Reuild

I spent less than a $1000 rebuilding my A4 back in "93. I had the machine shop put together the short block, but did everything else myself. It ain't that hard, I suspect that one could do the same for pretty close to that price even today.A rebuild is pretty much like a new engine. For a mechanically handy person, the A4 is fine. If you are a person who lets the yard do all the maintenance, then look for a diesel.
 
higgs

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,710
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Reuild

I spent less than a $1000 rebuilding my A4 back in "93. I had the machine shop put together the short block, but did everything else myself. It ain't that hard, I suspect that one could do the same for pretty close to that price even today.A rebuild is pretty much like a new engine. For a mechanically handy person, the A4 is fine. If you are a person who lets the yard do all the maintenance, then look for a diesel.
 
higgs

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,710
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Reuild

I spent less than a $1000 rebuilding my A4 back in "93. I had the machine shop put together the short block, but did everything else myself. It ain't that hard, I suspect that one could do the same for pretty close to that price even today.A rebuild is pretty much like a new engine. For a mechanically handy person, the A4 is fine. If you are a person who lets the yard do all the maintenance, then look for a diesel.
 
higgs

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,710
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Reuild

I spent less than a $1000 rebuilding my A4 back in "93. I had the machine shop put together the short block, but did everything else myself. It ain't that hard, I suspect that one could do the same for pretty close to that price even today.A rebuild is pretty much like a new engine. For a mechanically handy person, the A4 is fine. If you are a person who lets the yard do all the maintenance, then look for a diesel.
 
S

Steve Dion

.
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I have no doubt that it will run again!

Devian: We had one in our marina that had not been started in 18 years. The biggest problem with that one was the valves were frozen. First thing to do as Rick D mentioned was to dump the fuel & clean the tank. The carb is probably gummed up too, but you should change the hoses and filters before you try to start it. Use a small remote gas tank with clean fuel and a load of fuel cleaner to flush out the carb. I would also service the distributor before you try starting it too. Like everyone says, you need to change the oil and oil the top end of the engine. I would use a good amount of WD-40 in the cylinders too. Let it sit overnight before you crank it over. Once you have rotated the engine several times you should be ready to fire it off. It took them a couple of weeks of running to work out all the problems, but she ran fine after some work.
 
S

Steve Dion

.
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I have no doubt that it will run again!

Devian: We had one in our marina that had not been started in 18 years. The biggest problem with that one was the valves were frozen. First thing to do as Rick D mentioned was to dump the fuel & clean the tank. The carb is probably gummed up too, but you should change the hoses and filters before you try to start it. Use a small remote gas tank with clean fuel and a load of fuel cleaner to flush out the carb. I would also service the distributor before you try starting it too. Like everyone says, you need to change the oil and oil the top end of the engine. I would use a good amount of WD-40 in the cylinders too. Let it sit overnight before you crank it over. Once you have rotated the engine several times you should be ready to fire it off. It took them a couple of weeks of running to work out all the problems, but she ran fine after some work.
 
RichH

RichH

.
Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
WD40 is NOT a rust penetrant.

Use MMO or if the engine is 'solid' use PB-Blaster (but dont get PB on any rubber seals, etc.)
 
RichH

RichH

.
Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
WD40 is NOT a rust penetrant.

Use MMO or if the engine is 'solid' use PB-Blaster (but dont get PB on any rubber seals, etc.)
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Marvel

Marvel Mystery Oil works great for freeing up frozen cylinders and you won't have to worry about the PB Blaster eating engine seals..
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Marvel

Marvel Mystery Oil works great for freeing up frozen cylinders and you won't have to worry about the PB Blaster eating engine seals..
 
Ross

Ross

.
Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
There exists a population that resurrects

small engines. And it seems that no engine is beyond new life at the hands of an enthusiastic mechanic. If you want it to happen you can make it work. Some of the same people on each side of this discussion also weigh in on the question of whether or not a beat-up fiber glass boat is worth the effort and money to return it to service. Everybody is right from their perspective and everybody is wrong for exactly the same reasons. If you want to have the satisfaction of restoring an old engine to useful life then do it. It won't cost more than a new diesel and an A-4 was and is a good engine. One of my slip neighbors has an A-2. I had never heard of such but that is normal. He told me that some of the parts were the same as Wisconsin air cooled engine parts.
 
Ross

Ross

.
Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
There exists a population that resurrects

small engines. And it seems that no engine is beyond new life at the hands of an enthusiastic mechanic. If you want it to happen you can make it work. Some of the same people on each side of this discussion also weigh in on the question of whether or not a beat-up fiber glass boat is worth the effort and money to return it to service. Everybody is right from their perspective and everybody is wrong for exactly the same reasons. If you want to have the satisfaction of restoring an old engine to useful life then do it. It won't cost more than a new diesel and an A-4 was and is a good engine. One of my slip neighbors has an A-2. I had never heard of such but that is normal. He told me that some of the parts were the same as Wisconsin air cooled engine parts.
 
Fred Ficarra

Fred Ficarra

.
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
Hey Ross! Why

is it an A2? Because he couldn't get two of the cylinders to work? Or because he cut the block down after the crank broke? ;)
 
Fred Ficarra

Fred Ficarra

.
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
Hey Ross! Why

is it an A2? Because he couldn't get two of the cylinders to work? Or because he cut the block down after the crank broke? ;)
 
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