Bowen Island Paint Job

[Marty Levenson]

Hello,
I just bought a rebuilt A4 to replace our rusting 1967 A4. I want to go over her completely, strip and repaint as it has a poor paint job, and add fresh water cooling. The photo below is an old photo of our old A4...very rusty now, but expect I'll be able to rebuild her as well. Want to get her out of the boat so I can rewire and clean up the engine room.
Millions of questions! To start with I'm trying to figure out what year our new A4 might be. Has a MM head and MM manifold and was rebuilt in 2009 and then run only 4 hours.
Has a sheet metal flywheel cover, oil fill forward, has the little snap open oil fill box just forward of the water pump, has the big Delco distributor with points.

I like the cast iron cover so much better, as well as my old style starter. Could I swap over both....maybe need to swap flywheel as well? I'm out of my depth here, don't know if that is possible or a bad idea.

I put electronic ignition on my old, small Prestolite dist. Can I swap that over to the new A4 as well and replace the Delco?

Any reason not to make these changes (if I can)? Is the bigger style starter better?

Lots to sort out!

Thanks for any advice,
Marty (1967 T 27 Poseidon)

[hanleyclifford]

You've got a real "cobble job". New style head, early gearcase cover, late distributor, early starter and (obviously) early flywheel but with late flywheel housing. Somebody went to work. Oil fill forward suggests late block. Starters and flywheels, early and late, go together. If you don't already have one I suggest you get the Moyer Marine Overhaul and Service Manual available on this site.

[jpian0923]

I swapped my big Delco distributor out for the smaller Prestolite with EI over a year ago. It works and I have better alternator belt clearance.

[sastanley]

Marty, the block date is stamped on the block behind the carb & just under the breather hole & valve cover.

Mine is 041976 - which I am pretty sure indicates April 19, 1976. Ignore the pretty 6 digit embossed number nearby.. I think it is some kind of casting number & is the same on lots of blocks.

Here is a dim picture where you can see the casting date just above the flame arrestor.

[Marty Levenson]

swaps from 1967 to rebuilt

Thank you for your replies. Just to be clear, the photo on post #1 is of my old (now rusty) 1967 A4.
Good to know I can swap distributor.
So, if I want to use my old cast iron flywheel cover I need to also swap:
flywheel
flywheel housing
starter
....is that correct?

...thanks!

[jpian0923]

I think bolt pattern is the same for the fly wheel covers. Not sure about starters though, but I suspect they are the same too.

Can you Put the two engines in the same room and check?

[Marty Levenson]

Serial numbers

I think it says 052379 on the block, above the carb...does that make any sense?
I removed the blue paint (who would paint that?) from the copper lubrication instruction plate on the transmission. Almost all the info is gone, but at the bottom can still read stamped UJ 74688. Probably an older tranny?

-Marty

[Marty Levenson]

flywheel cover + SN

Thanks Jim,

I was posting when your reply came in. Old A4 is on the boat (Vancouver). New A4 is on an engine stand here on Bowen Island.I'll bring home the old flywheel cover later this week and compare. So, Do the two types of starters need different flywheels?

So SN = block is May 23 1979?

Thanks!

[hanleyclifford]

You can definitely use your old cast iron flywheel housing with the early starter and flywheel. In some cases (mine for example) I use the new (Delco) starter and flywheel with the cast (early) housing. Don Moyer has a discussion of this in The Manual.

[Marty Levenson]

flyweel cvr

Thanks! Didn't know that was in the manual....I'll bring that home tonight.

[jpian0923]

yes, May 23 1979

[Marian Claire]

"I removed the blue paint (who would paint that?) from the copper lubrication instruction plate on the transmission. Almost all the info is gone, but at the bottom can still read stamped UJ 74688. Probably an older tranny?"

Based on my tranny/engine # 77414 your tranny is pre 1965. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[sastanley]

If it is late model Marty, the serial number itself is stamped right next to the oil fill, above the flywheel cover. If your stamp date is indeed 1979, your serial number may be over 200,000...one of the later blocks.

[Marty Levenson]

Starter question

Can anyone tell me if this is a match for the A4:

Replaces Part Numbers:

DELCO 1998310

OEM(s): Delco
Type: DD
Voltage: 12 Volts
Rotation: CW
Teeth/Splines: 9 Teeth/Splines

Thanks,
Marty

[Marty Levenson]

new starter

Well, on e-bay I found a company selling new, unused Delco starters for the A4. Spoke with them on the phone, and these starters are listed as replacements for #1107679. That number matches the Delco # on Robert Hess's site.

http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/atomic4/atomic4specs.htm

There are more available: the e-bay item # is: 120691637753 Cost is $159.95 + shipping.

Hope that is useful to someone!

-Marty