Thanks for your long-standing tip about checking the choke closure if the engine is hard to start. My engine suddenly was very difficult to start, so I checked the choke. As I found the last time I had to adjust it, at first glance the choke looked like it wouldn’t close any further. A litttle push on the linkage showed that it did, indeed, need a small adjustment to make it close tighter. Did that after much agony and blood (tight quarters in my Pearson 33). She started right up.
Don: I can't believe how difficult it is to find sae 30 weight detergent oil for the A4. Any suggestions? Is there an alternate, more available oil that will work in the engine ( I've tried an outboard motor shop, auto supply store and West marine and another local chandlery? Also, the oil drain plug on my A4 in the 1978 catalina 30 is blocked by the boat structure. What's the best way to remove old oil....pump out through dip stick hole? In reading some posts, seems like the dip stick hole won't allow enough tubing length to reach the bottom of the oil pan???
Hello Don, this is James King, My wife and I met you earlier this year in Annapolis at a dinner with Ed and his wife and Paul and Trina. I just got a shipping quote for new seals for my water pump and a new impeller. The parts are quoted as weighing less than 1/4 of a pound, but the shipping cost Ken quoted me was over $13.00. That seems very high for three very small items. If you will give me an address where the parts are kept, I'd rather invest the money in the cost of gas to get there from Salisbury this weekend.
Uncle Don, I have potentially stupid question! Can I put a couple of gallons of 2 stroke gas/oil 50:1 mixture into my A4 16 gal. tank in my Tartan 34C? The 2 stroke mixture is from last season and has some 'enzyme' storage stuff.
Keep well, Klaus.
Don,
Don, Thank you for recommendation to open exhaust pipe at manifold and direct cooling water manifold outlet to bilge let me check for excessive backpressure. Engine came up to speed in fwd gear the way it is supposed to. Looking forward to a trip further downeast! Doralda.
Don, I have a newly rebuilt A4 (by MM) for my 1973 C&C and it runs great! I recently installed new temperature and oil pressure gauges with new senders. The temperature never gets above 130. Was a thermostat installed as part of the rebuild or do I have to install one? Thank You, Mario P.S. I'm having trouble finding out how to post in the community forums.
Don, I have an old Grampian,with the A-4,and use the champion J8 plugs just did them less than 3 months ago,boat was running on limited or not all four cylinders the other day ,pulled one by one turned ignition all had no spark,replaced with I feel are better plugs have never had problem with NKG,substitute and she now purs? why are they old plugs bad so soon?