The old A4 Lives again.

[gone2ddogs]

I finally have the atomic 4 in my free boat running this week end. I'm attaching some before and after pictures. The before is after I had removed the head alternator and starter. When the boat was given to me the engine had quit running and the marina had removed the manifold to check for a blocked exhaust. The engine also had a rusted out side cover that the PO was ignoring and letting the bilge pump clean up. The leak and also rusted solid 2 of the brushes on the started motor. I don't know how the starter still worked with all the rust. I had to rebuild the carburetor also because it was plugged solid with gunk from the fiberglass tank that has gone bad. The gunk had also stuck the #3 and #4 intake valves prompting a 3 angle valve job.

John

[daveinrenton]

John,

This probably does not need to be said but, "Heck of a job, dude!" How do you save a planet? Not by buying new, expensive fuel-efficient cars, no sir! Fix up old stuff maximizing the useful life until you just can't fix it any more. Maximum utility, saving the energy to make new things, save space in the dump, and have the satisfaction of causing a very real ressurection. Makes me proud to be with all of you A-4 devotees.

Dave

[HerbertFriedman]

the old A4 lives again

Second that vote, beautiful job. A quesiton, what is that black, cylindrical can with the hoses next to the manifold? I thought it might be a heat exchanger for a water system but I do not see an extra pump anywhere.

[luvmyi36]

John,

I really like how you set off the Universal in red. It looks really nice!

Is the filter on the port side an oil filtration setup?

[gone2ddogs]

The black can on the port side is the primary fuel filter/water separator. I have a Racor filter in the shop but this tempo filter head was already on the boat and after cleaning with some carburetor cleaner my wife liked the chrome so much I put it back in. I don't have an oil filter setup yet. The only kit I have on the engine here is electronic ignition, and a fuel pump block off that I built when I made the new water jacket cover. I have a PCV setup I made in the shop but I machined the spacer plate with the side ports 90 deg to the mounting holes so I had an interference problem with the throttle lever. I plan on machining a new spacer with the side ports at 45 degrees to solve this.

John

[jhwelch]

Is your exhaust system a double-walled copper pipe (like mine?). I
don't see too many of these around!

-jonathan.

[David Masury]

I think that is absolutly great......you will have many happy hours with that engine and will appreciate it more and more as time goes on. I would love to see what you did with the rest if the boat

David

[Don Moyer]

John,

People sometimes ask what keeps me going. This is it! Thanks for being part of our great fraternity.

Don