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Winterizing your Atomic 4
Here is a rather free paraphrasing of Chapter 9 (Winterizing) from our service and overhaul manual:
Winterizing an Atomic 4 should not require more than an hour or so. A list of tools and materials is shown at the end of the procedures.
GENERAL:
Moisture-related damage and cracked castings caused by water freezing in water jackets are by far the biggest threats during winter lay-up. While the potential for cracked castings is rather easy to visualize, moisture related damage is somewhat less obvious.
Moisture can lead to corrosion on points which will almost surely cause hard starting in the spring. Moisture also can condense out of the atmosphere within partially filled fuel tanks and cause corrosion in carburetors, pumps, fuel lines, etc. And, even more troublesome, moisture can corrode valve stems enough to cause sticking valves by the time winter has run its course.
In areas where moisture is known to be excessive, it is sometimes necessary remove the plugs and turn the engine over on the starter while adding a bit more Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO) to the combustion chambers to prevent sticky valves in the spring.
OIL SYSTEM:
Step 1: Drain oil. Draining oil at this time will set you up for an easy spring startup, since you shouldn't have to drain oil again until next fall (unless you exceed the recommended oil change interval of 50 hours).
NOTE: The next step assumes that there will always be approximately a quart of oil remaining above the intake of the oil pump after draining. If, as you are running the engine in step 2, oil pressure should drop from normal, add a second quart of Mystery oil.
Step 2: Add one quart of Marvel Mystery Oil. Run engine for about a minute to circulate the MMO-rich mixture throughout the oil swept section of the engine. I followed this practice for years to prevent internal corrosion (mainly on bearing surfaces, cylinder bores, and valve stems) and to facilitate re-commissioning in the spring when you need only to add enough new oil to bring the level to the full mark. It will save some time if you can look ahead and set up to accomplish Step 1 of the cooling system section while running the engine in this step.
NOTE: In the years since we originally wrote these procedures, some folks have expressed concern over the use of Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO) in the crankcase on a continuing basis. While we still see no downside to leaving up to a quart of MMO in the crankcase during the winterizing process, if an engine is used very little, following our procedure could result in a concentration of MMO in the crankcase (over several seasons) which could exceed "one quart per oil change" as listed in the instructions on the MMO container. In all cases, if oil pressure ever lowers below what has been normal for a particular engine, or if you suspect that you may have more than one quart of MMO in the crankcase, the oil (whatever the mixture) should be removed and the crankcase refilled with straight viscosity 30 weight detergent oil.
FUEL SYSTEM
Step 1: Check all filters, paying particular attention to sumps which can (and should) collect free water if any is present. If any water is discovered, I would definitely take the precaution of draining the bowl of the carburetor as well as the main jet passage. Any moisture in the carburetor will surely turn into a chalk-like muck by spring and cause all kinds of trouble throughout the next season.
NOTE: It would be good to manually operate the fuel pump to refill the carburetor before trying to restart the engine so as to limit starter cranking. All mechanical pumps have a "U" shaped lever hinged below them for this purpose. If that lever feels completely free when you try to pump with it, it simply means that the engine stopped with the cam shaft already deflecting the diaphragm. All you have to do is run the starter for a fraction of a turn and you should then be able to manually operate the pump. If you have an electric fuel pump connected directly to the positive terminal of the coil, you can fill the carburetor by simply leaving the ignition switch on for a few seconds (maybe 10 or so) before attempting to start. If you have an electric fuel pump with an oil safety switch, there's no easy way to refill the carburetor except to bypass the oil safety switch electrically while the ignition switch is on.
Step 2: Top off the fuel tank. Add Mystery Oil as usual and if you've had any moisture problems, you may consider one of the moisture inhibiting fuel additives on the market.
COOLING SYSTEM
Step 1: If you operate in salt water, draw in at least one 5 gallon bucket of fresh water through the "T" fitting (which you should have previously installed between the raw water intake and the intake to your engine driven water pump). When the hose cavitates as the bucket empties, race the engine slightly for a second or two to partially evacuate the block and, more importantly, the exhaust system. This few seconds of running, after the bucket empties, will leave less water behind within the engine to dilute the antifreeze when you draw it in later. If you've installed fresh water cooling, proceed to step three.
Step 2: Remove the two drain plugs in the side of the block behind the starter and alternator, and the single plug in the rear of the exhaust/intake manifold. If crud has settled out behind any of these plugs, it's best to take a wire and open up the area behind the plug holes so as to reestablish drainage. Reinstall drain plugs.
NOTE: In engines with raw water cooling, I always felt it necessary to remove the thermostat prior to step 3 and to temporarily squeeze off the bypass hose to the thermostat housing. This precaution insures that antifreeze has to flow through the block.
Step 3: Draw at least one gallon of recreational type antifreeze in through the "T" fitting previously used to draw in fresh water, or until you see antifreeze come out the exhaust.
Step 4: For early models with thermostat, I recommend drawing in one gallon of antifreeze with the thermostat installed so as to get antifreeze circulated throughout the block and manifold, and then a second gallon with the thermostat removed and re-circulating hose pinched off so as to force the antifreeze through the exhaust system.
UPPER CYLINDER AREAS
Step 1: When all other reasons for running the engine are past, remove all spark plugs. Put several "squirts" of Mystery Oil in each spark plug hole. Attempt to aim the Mystery Oil toward the center of the engine (away from the manifold side of the engine) as opposed to straight down from the spark plug holes, which would be toward the valves.
Step 2: Start the engine and run for just a few seconds. The goal is to shut the engine off in time to let the valve stems coated with Mystery Oil. If you have any RV antifreeze left, you may want to draw it in at this time as in step 3 above. Some antifreeze will be pumped out during the several seconds of running in the final step of the procedure, but this loss of antifreeze won't have any negative impact, since any air left behind cannot freeze.
Needed materials include:
Two quarts of Marvel Mystery Oil.
"Squirt" type of oil can (with Mystery Oil).
Five-gallon bucket.
Two gallons of recreational antifreeze.
Several gallons of fuel, as necessary, to top off tank.
Three 7/16" hex-headed brass 1/8" pipe plugs to replace whatever style of plugs were previously installed in water jackets.
Normal hand tools plus a needle-nose vise grip (in case any of the drain plugs stick).
Best regards,
Don Moyer
Winterizing an Atomic 4 should not require more than an hour or so. A list of tools and materials is shown at the end of the procedures.
GENERAL:
Moisture-related damage and cracked castings caused by water freezing in water jackets are by far the biggest threats during winter lay-up. While the potential for cracked castings is rather easy to visualize, moisture related damage is somewhat less obvious.
Moisture can lead to corrosion on points which will almost surely cause hard starting in the spring. Moisture also can condense out of the atmosphere within partially filled fuel tanks and cause corrosion in carburetors, pumps, fuel lines, etc. And, even more troublesome, moisture can corrode valve stems enough to cause sticking valves by the time winter has run its course.
In areas where moisture is known to be excessive, it is sometimes necessary remove the plugs and turn the engine over on the starter while adding a bit more Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO) to the combustion chambers to prevent sticky valves in the spring.
OIL SYSTEM:
Step 1: Drain oil. Draining oil at this time will set you up for an easy spring startup, since you shouldn't have to drain oil again until next fall (unless you exceed the recommended oil change interval of 50 hours).
NOTE: The next step assumes that there will always be approximately a quart of oil remaining above the intake of the oil pump after draining. If, as you are running the engine in step 2, oil pressure should drop from normal, add a second quart of Mystery oil.
Step 2: Add one quart of Marvel Mystery Oil. Run engine for about a minute to circulate the MMO-rich mixture throughout the oil swept section of the engine. I followed this practice for years to prevent internal corrosion (mainly on bearing surfaces, cylinder bores, and valve stems) and to facilitate re-commissioning in the spring when you need only to add enough new oil to bring the level to the full mark. It will save some time if you can look ahead and set up to accomplish Step 1 of the cooling system section while running the engine in this step.
NOTE: In the years since we originally wrote these procedures, some folks have expressed concern over the use of Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO) in the crankcase on a continuing basis. While we still see no downside to leaving up to a quart of MMO in the crankcase during the winterizing process, if an engine is used very little, following our procedure could result in a concentration of MMO in the crankcase (over several seasons) which could exceed "one quart per oil change" as listed in the instructions on the MMO container. In all cases, if oil pressure ever lowers below what has been normal for a particular engine, or if you suspect that you may have more than one quart of MMO in the crankcase, the oil (whatever the mixture) should be removed and the crankcase refilled with straight viscosity 30 weight detergent oil.
FUEL SYSTEM
Step 1: Check all filters, paying particular attention to sumps which can (and should) collect free water if any is present. If any water is discovered, I would definitely take the precaution of draining the bowl of the carburetor as well as the main jet passage. Any moisture in the carburetor will surely turn into a chalk-like muck by spring and cause all kinds of trouble throughout the next season.
NOTE: It would be good to manually operate the fuel pump to refill the carburetor before trying to restart the engine so as to limit starter cranking. All mechanical pumps have a "U" shaped lever hinged below them for this purpose. If that lever feels completely free when you try to pump with it, it simply means that the engine stopped with the cam shaft already deflecting the diaphragm. All you have to do is run the starter for a fraction of a turn and you should then be able to manually operate the pump. If you have an electric fuel pump connected directly to the positive terminal of the coil, you can fill the carburetor by simply leaving the ignition switch on for a few seconds (maybe 10 or so) before attempting to start. If you have an electric fuel pump with an oil safety switch, there's no easy way to refill the carburetor except to bypass the oil safety switch electrically while the ignition switch is on.
Step 2: Top off the fuel tank. Add Mystery Oil as usual and if you've had any moisture problems, you may consider one of the moisture inhibiting fuel additives on the market.
COOLING SYSTEM
Step 1: If you operate in salt water, draw in at least one 5 gallon bucket of fresh water through the "T" fitting (which you should have previously installed between the raw water intake and the intake to your engine driven water pump). When the hose cavitates as the bucket empties, race the engine slightly for a second or two to partially evacuate the block and, more importantly, the exhaust system. This few seconds of running, after the bucket empties, will leave less water behind within the engine to dilute the antifreeze when you draw it in later. If you've installed fresh water cooling, proceed to step three.
Step 2: Remove the two drain plugs in the side of the block behind the starter and alternator, and the single plug in the rear of the exhaust/intake manifold. If crud has settled out behind any of these plugs, it's best to take a wire and open up the area behind the plug holes so as to reestablish drainage. Reinstall drain plugs.
NOTE: In engines with raw water cooling, I always felt it necessary to remove the thermostat prior to step 3 and to temporarily squeeze off the bypass hose to the thermostat housing. This precaution insures that antifreeze has to flow through the block.
Step 3: Draw at least one gallon of recreational type antifreeze in through the "T" fitting previously used to draw in fresh water, or until you see antifreeze come out the exhaust.
Step 4: For early models with thermostat, I recommend drawing in one gallon of antifreeze with the thermostat installed so as to get antifreeze circulated throughout the block and manifold, and then a second gallon with the thermostat removed and re-circulating hose pinched off so as to force the antifreeze through the exhaust system.
UPPER CYLINDER AREAS
Step 1: When all other reasons for running the engine are past, remove all spark plugs. Put several "squirts" of Mystery Oil in each spark plug hole. Attempt to aim the Mystery Oil toward the center of the engine (away from the manifold side of the engine) as opposed to straight down from the spark plug holes, which would be toward the valves.
Step 2: Start the engine and run for just a few seconds. The goal is to shut the engine off in time to let the valve stems coated with Mystery Oil. If you have any RV antifreeze left, you may want to draw it in at this time as in step 3 above. Some antifreeze will be pumped out during the several seconds of running in the final step of the procedure, but this loss of antifreeze won't have any negative impact, since any air left behind cannot freeze.
Needed materials include:
Two quarts of Marvel Mystery Oil.
"Squirt" type of oil can (with Mystery Oil).
Five-gallon bucket.
Two gallons of recreational antifreeze.
Several gallons of fuel, as necessary, to top off tank.
Three 7/16" hex-headed brass 1/8" pipe plugs to replace whatever style of plugs were previously installed in water jackets.
Normal hand tools plus a needle-nose vise grip (in case any of the drain plugs stick).
Best regards,
Don Moyer
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