12 year olds rebuild

[2dogsfishin]

Great post and family effort!

If the top and bottom parts of the cylinder are sound, you can easily have a competent machine shop re-sleeve an A4 block. I have had this done several times with no problems. Depends on your neck of the woods, it can be reasonable priced. Down here, I have had all four cylinders bored and sleeved for $330 USD.

You can do it!

Please keep us posted.

Tom

[sastanley]

Since we are onto this discussion...what other problems may arise with sleeving? Does the block's integrity with respect to water jackets stay sound? Would those of you that have a few rebuilds under your belt recommend fresh water cooling for a sleeved block?, etc.etc.

[hanleyclifford]

Shawn - Dead right, Brother - and this engine is a silent witness to the value of fresh water cooling. This thread has also started a thought of redirecting the antifreeze (partially) to the two block drains. Regards, Hanley

[UsailIbail!]

Better photos

Hanley,

Here are the photos you thought might be interesting. The cover plate seems to shoot the raw water right through the effected area.

We are VERY interested in your block. Ebbens grandmother lives on Cape Cod... I can't remember Ebben being so interested in visiting her... maybe something to do with a ferry terminal to Marthas Vinyard close by? ; )

I am going to challenge him to dissmantle the 2nd block from memory.. should be lots of fun watching!

J

[High Hopes]

Cut your losses. Ditch this engine.

There will be many other opportunities for joy, just not with this block. Find another A4, a diesel, rig an outboard, go electric, row it. Boats are amazing and have a life of their own. Go with the flow.
-Steve (of High Hopes)

[hanleyclifford]

Jay and Ebben - Those pictures do indeed tell a sordid tale but as 2Dogs and I have both indicated the block is still salvageable, albeit at a cost greater than simply getting another used engine and marrying up the good parts. That said, I urge you to save everything in good order, not discarding anything even if it looks like junk. Since you have expressed an interest in an engine I have, I have dragged it out from under the bench where it has accumulated layers of dust and dirt for 12 years. The pictures that follow are raw "as dragged" except where I tried to wipe the brass plate on the gear box cover. All the parts that are missing I have except the cylnder head. Next I will clean the exterior with compressed air etc. I hope this will be the beginning of a successfull "before and after" saga. All the best, Hanley

[UsailIbail!]

she's beautiful!

Hanley,

Speechless.... I feel like a first time father looking at the EKG of his 2nd child! I'm in love!

Even more exciting is that I can't wait to show the moto on-line pin-ups to Ebben who is at this moment is in his woodworking elective in middle school. I'll have to teach him how to adjust his eyes and see the beauty! I can tell you.... at first glance he'll think we've got to be kidding him, but WE'LL show him! Adding to the charm of the project is your extraordinary "look what we got here" photos!

Don't bother with the air compressor too much... but if you wouldn't mind spraying it liberally & lovingly with some penetrating oil once a week (or more!) Ebben could be dismantling it while his mother is driving us back to the shop! - how she puts up with us I'll never understand.

J-

[hanleyclifford]

Despite appearances the cylinders have been kept oily and the engine turns freely with the crank. Note the original copper head gasket. I don't believe this engine has ever been taken down.

[keelcooler]

Hanley, Make sure you tell Ebben that Don feels the early model castings are of superior alloy to the late models. He will be one of the few to have an original brass oil change pump.
You‘re the type of member that draws me to this site often. Take a photo of the pick up and loading. Next set of plugs are on me mate. Do you like them hot or cold...I'm sure Ken has your address.

[sastanley]

Hanley, got any more blocks floating around? I can't tell if mine is rusting away from the inside out or the outside in!? Despite an old salt at a local watering hole this afternoon telling me to ditch the gasoline (turns out he worked for Westerbeke when the went up and shut down Universal in OshKosh), my plan is to build another motor in the garage and have it ready to drop in when needed.

I am half joking..I think I have a few more years left on this engine..I am trying to convince the wife that the fresh water cooling is an investment!

If only someone was still casting A4 blocks!

[hanleyclifford]

Jay and Ebben - Last night I set all pistons at half stroke and filled the cylinders with MMO. Overnight all except #3 held the oil, but this does not necessarily mean trouble. All 4 cylinders are smooth with no scoring whatsoever. Pistons are marked 2.5605. A compressed air blast revealed the original color. I will now start soaking with WD 40. All the best, Hanley

[msauntry]

Hey Shawn,
I don't bother listening to "old salts" anymore, especially at bars. When they are grumbling about installing a new Yanmar (after only 10 or 15 years) or whinning about bleeding diesel lines or replacing injectors, I tell them they should get rid of those blasted diesels and switch to gas! Then I tell them how sweetly my 40 year old engine purrs along, and (hopefully) still will be when their "new" engine packs it in a decade from now.

[Administrator]

A single injector for a Westerbeke diesel engine is roughly $500 these days, not counting labor to install. The Westerbeke water pump is about the same price.

Bill

[sastanley]

[hijack]
I hear ya Micah....from the looks of this guy and the way he was putting back drinks (and I like a few beers as much as the next guy), it sounds like he's spent a lot of years grumbling at the bar. It was still a much better discussion than making small talk about sports and the weather...don't usually find too many other sailors I don't already know at the local Outback.
[/hijack]

[hanleyclifford]

Actually these are not hijacks because they bear on the very important matter of preserving the remaining limited number of A4 engines which continue to prove their usefullness despite the ballyhoo of the dark diesel community of conspiracy engineered by Westerbeke. What a "thorn in the side" the Moyer organization must be to the Westerbekes of the world!