Hello and Thanks

[GlennGustafsson]

Thanks in advance for all of your posts. I have been busy reading all the threads as I am new to this blog and only a 2 year sailor. I am however on to my second boat already having just sold my 23 FT ODay a few weeks ago.

I just purchased a 1973 28 FT Sabre with an Atomic 4 in Mayo, MD. Her name is RESTLESS if you ever have seen her down in that area. My thanks to the previous owner who took great care of her.

Last week we sailed her up the Chesapeake to her new home in the Havre de Grace Marina. We left at 6:00 AM to calm seas so we had to motor the first part of the trip. We were using about 1/3 throttle. About 1 1/2 into the adventure, the engine started to bog down and sputter but did not shut down. It just wouldn't accelerate like it was getting no gas and we noticed that the oil pressure was less than 20.

We shut the motor down for an hour and it started up again and she ran perfectly for about another 1 1/2. Then the same thing happened. Then a third time.

I am replacing the fuel filter tomorrow and checking the hoses for blockage or sagging. I assume this is where to start.

Has anyone had this happen or can you offer more thoughts?

Thanks for helping and I look forward to being the new rookie of the group. I have got a lot to learn.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Let's Start With This

Welcome to the forum. You're at the right place for all things A4 related.
The fuel tank vent may be marginal. Try running with the fill cap loose to vent the tank that way.
Do you have a mechanical or electric fuel pump? (electric fuel pumps have a wire going to them) If electric maybe the fuel pump is failing.
What was the OP before it was 20 PSI? An at what RPM - cruise or idle?

TRUE GRIT

[sastanley]

Glenn, 20 PSI is a little low, but not cause for concern just yet. Don Moyer says that 1 PSI per 100 RPM is a safe margin. We can deal with that later.

John's suggestion is good. Troubleshooting one thing at a time helps find the issue more quickly. If you can, go motor with the cap cracked and see if it helps. Some of us have a $15 mechanical fuel pressure gauge just before the carb that always tells you if the carb is receiving adequate fuel pressure. (Mr. Gasket #1561 is the one I use.)

Clean and adequate fuel sounds like the priority initially.. Resist the urge to do too many things at once, so we know what actually fixes the bogging.

[BunnyPlanet169]

Glenn: Another welcome to the forum!

I'm with the others in thinking it's fuel related, but I'll add that I wonder if it isn't heat related too - E.G. is a fuel line / vent line close enough to something that warms up so that it collapses at a bend or something, only to cool off and resort to normal.

New boat for you - so I'd check all the gas lines to see that they're newish A-1 UL listed for gasoline. John and Shawn have suggested two good ideas and questions. Is it an electrical pump or mechanical, and a good idea to put a fuel pressure gauge right off the carb.

Last thought - If you don't have it already, please get the A-4 manual from our Forum sponsor MMI. We all have one, and I would guess most of us re-read it from time to time.

[thatch]

Glenn, All of the info so far is good, So I'll just give you my "maiden voyage" story. My 78 Catalina 30 was purchased in San Pedro about 8 years ago and needed to be moved to Oxnard, about 60 miles north. The first (motoring) leg was in rough seas and the engine was running extremely rough when I arrived at MDR late in the afternoon. I decided to take a lay day to check things out and to clean the fuel system. This involved changing the main filter and doing a minor re-build of the carb. Since I had lost a day and since I was trying to beat out an incomming storm, I decided to leave early, 1:30 AM the next morning for Oxnard. The voyage went flawlessly with the exception of a couple of "hick-ups" toward the end of my home run. Since then I have replaced all of the "non alcohol rated" fuel lines along with the fuel tank which had developed a minor leak. I now consider my A4 to be the most dependable part of my boat. I have a friend who has a Saber, which is a wonderful boat. The only improvement that would recommend to that boat would be to switch from a diesel to an A4
Tom

[JOHN COOKSON]

Edit To Post #2

When you get your Moyer manual look in the "oil system"section.
It will say OP should be adjusted to ~ 40 PSI with the engine fully warmed up at cruise throttle. When the RPMs are slowed to idle the OP may drop to half that.
BTW did you check the oil level on the dipstick?

TRUE GRIT

[GlennGustafsson]

Good information and start

Replaced the fuel filter and checked all the hoses. All UL approved and look to be in good shape.

Will try running with the the fuel cap loosened. Good tip.

Bought a Mr Gasket 1569 and it goes in tomorrow.

I am taking her out tomorrow for test trial to get better readings on OP and any other things I notice.

FINALLY found the dip stick. Felt like a third grader on a treasure hunt!! Took 30 minutes to find the hole again. Went and bought a mechanics mirror with a light on the end. Life saver!! Good news oil looked fine. No milky color and it was recently changed.

Thanks for your help.

[sastanley]

Glenn, nice...please report back. Us regulars that are addicted to these little 1.0L motors always want to know how the casual/new owner is doing.

I went to my boat today to replace the Jabsco pump in the head and the broken tiller pilot 12v feed, and ran the motor for 20 minutes for fun. It was great to hear it fire up and run without a hiccup (because it has run or not run with many hiccups in the past!!)

[GlennGustafsson]

Sea Shake Down Complete

We finished the sea trial this morning. Weekend was to hot and muggy to work on a boat.

The trip went well and I think my older son found the problem to our bogging down. Our choke knob and cord were very tight. On the maiden voyage, we managed to pull the knob out full. The engine started and we pushed the knob back in. Are you guessing the problem yet?

Today, we did the same thing with my son looking at the right side of the engine. He noticed that regardless of the knob position, in or out, the choke on the engine was not moving at all. Half a can of lubricant later and still no cable movement. The actual choke on the engine was fine. It was the cable that was bad. Removed the entire choke cable for replacement and manually did the choke and started the engine. Went for an hour ride and she purred like a kitten.

Our theory is that when we did the maiden voyage, we got it to full choke, started the engine, and pushed the knob in thinking the choke was off. At full choke, the engine bogged down as a result. Hence the repeat after the engine cooled.

Needed a new fuel filter anyway.

Thanks for everyone's ideas.

More this weekend I am sure.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Here's How I Have My Choke Set Up

Fix the outer cover in the hold down doohickey and thread the inner wire through the hole in the movable arm. Do not tighten the wire in the movable arm at this time. Support the knob (in the cockpit) up ~ 1/4"or so. This can be done by wrapping something around the wire or have a crew member hold the blade of a screw driver under the knob. While the knob is supported up in this manner pull on the wire that is still through the hole on the movable arm with a pair of piers when the choke is fully open and tighten the hold down nut. This takes two hands and a tail to accomplish. Test to see that when you pull the knob up the choke closes all the way. Now push the knob down all the way. It should spring up a tad and the choke should be fully open. If the knob does not spring up a bit there is something that needs to be investigated.

TRUE GRIT

[Al Schober]

John,
I like that idea of setting up the choke cable with a bit of overtravel. I'll give that a try.

[Easy Rider]

John,
I like that idea of setting up the choke cable with a bit of overtravel. I'll give that a try.

Thanks for that John. I've recently re-setup my choke cable after a few problems and it now operates just fine but I like your idea and I'm going to give it a try. You never know what you can learn on this forum.

[GlennGustafsson]

Back to the drawing board

Well, it's back to the drawing board. Decided to head up the Bay to Northeast for lunch yesterday. Exactly 1 1/2 hours motoring again and at low speed, the engine sputtered and quit. Lucky that we were about 1/4 mile from the restaurant and sailed safely to dock. After lunch, started just fine.

Engine was running great. 20 on the oil pressure. 150 on water temp. Purring along and it just sputtered and stopped. Good gas. Filled it up before we left. Put conditioner in the tank. Replaced the fuel filter. Checked lines again.

Been reading other posts and I think I'm going after the coil this time.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[JOHN COOKSON]

In post #1 you said the engine was down for ~ an hour after a shut down.
Immediately after the next shut down pull the wire out of the middle terminal of the distributor cap and hold it 1/2" from the engine while turning the engine with the starter. A blue-white spark is good. You'll find out real quick rather you have spark or not.

TRUE GRIT

Edit: If you would like to do a double check take a voltage reading at coil + right after a shut down. If you read 12 volts then you will know for sure the problem is with the coil and not the wiring or the switch. A marginal wiring connection may be heat sensitive. Rarely seen but possible.

[roadnsky]

...Exactly 1 1/2 hours motoring again and at low speed, the engine sputtered and quit.
...After lunch, started just fine.

Been reading other posts and I think I'm going after the coil this time.

You and John are thinking what I'm thinking.
Question... Do you have points or EI?