New A4 owner

[smp]

Hi All. I just bought a C&C 32 with an A4. I live on lake Ontario so winterizing is necessary up here. The previous owner winterized the boat, including the motor. I had a mechanic come and have a look at the motor last week and we did a compression test as well as started it up for a few seconds to make sure it fired. Now, it had/has antifreeze in it. Should I be worried about whatever may have been pumped out and try to replace it? We literally only ran the engine no more than a few seconds. However, we did a lot of hand cranking for the compression test. I'm not a mechanic and I'm new to A4s and marine motors in general. Did the hand cranking and starting push all of the antifreeze out of the motor? Should I be worried?

The other question is about compression. Cylinder 4 was lower than the rest. The mechanic put a little bit of oil into the cylinder and we tried the compression test again. Still low. He told me this is likely a stuck valve rather than worn rings. What do you folks think? The readings on the cold engine, hand cranking were: 75/75/75/60

I will be ordering the manual. Right now though, temps are getting down there, we've had a few frozen nights already.

[edwardc]

First, welcome to the forum! This is the right place to come for all things A4!

Your mechanic is right. Lack of improvement with oil in the cylinder says it's valves, not rings. Shoot some Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder over the winter, it'l help loosen them in the spring. Those numbers are a little low.

As for the antifreeze, as long as you did not open the raw water intake for your tests, you should be fine. No harm comes to the block if the cooling jacket is partially (or even completely) empty, as long as there's no plain water in it.

On the other hand, if you DID open the raw water intake, then you definitely need to rewinterize.

[gary gerber]

You might consider connecting a bronze hose "Y" fitting to your raw water in valve. The "Y" connection is fitted with ball valves. In normal crusing you leave open the direct raw water flow and close off and cap the second "Y" leg. For winter layup close off the raw water side and connect a hose to a refillable antifreeze container to the second "Y" leg. Then start the engine and keep replenishing the antifreeze until you are satisfied it is through your complete system.

This is a technique I have used for years on my 1970 Morgan.

[jpian0923]

Those compression numbers are good considering they are from hand cranking.

Compression should be tested on starter power, not hand crank power. So, I think you're good to go.

[smp]

That's great, thanks for the input and the welcome. The boat is laid up on it's cradle for the winter so no fresh water was pulled into the engine for the tests. I'm just wondering if it matters that anti-freeze may have been fired out the exhaust?

I did read Moyer's winterizing guide and it mentions removing the thermostat before running the anti-freeze to ensure that it gets into the block. Not sure if the previous owner has done this but he's had the boat 8 years so I'm guessing he knows how to winterize the motor. Maybe I shouldn't worry.

The marine mechanic that did the pre-purchase inspection told me to replace the fuel/water separator as well as the inline fuel filter, fuel fill hose and fuel line. While I'm at it, should I be doing anything else as part of regular maintenance? Impeller maybe? No idea when it was last changed.

Thanks

[edwardc]

...The marine mechanic that did the pre-purchase inspection told me to replace the fuel/water separator as well as the inline fuel filter, fuel fill hose and fuel line. While I'm at it, should I be doing anything else as part of regular maintenance? Impeller maybe? No idea when it was last changed.

Thanks

Good advice from the mechanic.

The impeller is typically a two year maintenance item. If you don't know when it was last done, you should replace it and mark and keep the old one as an emergency spare.

[smosher]

Personally when I buy items such as the impeller, I buy 2 and throw out all the old.

Steve

[Carl-T705]

You have chosen a good mechanic from the sounds of it, I would only disagree with his assumption of a stuck valve. A stuck valve generally yields 0 compression, a valve with a poor seat contact would be leaking and allow a lower reading. It could be rust on the seat or just crud. If you squirt the combustion chambers with oil over the Winter you should be fine as far as protection from moisture and rust. If in the Spring when you start this engine and you have a pop or backfire sound thru either the intake or exhaust every time that 4 cylinder fires then you may indeed have a stuck valve. As a note if I was doing a compression test , I remove all the sparkplugs and spin the engine over with the starter and a fully charged battery, but Hey, that's just me!! Welcome.

[Dockside Charlie]

New A4 Owner

As a new boat owner I recommend you re-winterize your motor,and check the rest of the boat also.This way you know for certain it has been done and thoroughly.I call it cheap insurance and assurance.Including remove thermostat(for short running time) and getting af-mix throughout.Pull the intake hose off thru-hull and place in 5gal bucket of mix.I have had great results,and use CRC brand Engine Stor(fogging fluid) to spray into the carb while running,DON'T over rev it but keep it running to get it to all cylinders good(keep an eye on your buckets level so you don't run out too soon).Shut it down,pull all the spark plugs and fill each cylinder with the Engine Stor.If you have not used it before,it foams up to help hold it to all surfaces in the cylinder and "Creep" into areas around the piston rings and valve/seats.The foaming will dissipate and work to protect the metal surfaces and I have found it tends to loosen some carbon and gummy type deposits.Quite similar to the Marvel Mystery oil,I seem to get better results with the CRC ES.This may help your #4 low compression values and all others too.REMEMBER to pull the spark plugs out when you take it out of winterize and hand crank the motor to clear the cylinders BEFORE attempting to crank to run!!DO NOT forget to do this!!! Also I suggest to change the lube oil too for lay-up,this helps remove any moisture that may be there.Don't guess if it has been done,Know.

[smp]

Thanks for all the input folks.

Another question because I have yet to re-winterize though I plan to get that done in the next few days.

The previous owner never took the thermostat out when winterizing the boat. He said he always ran it until anti-freeze was coming out of the exhaust and then it was done. He's had the boat 8 years and this has worked for him. Should I be worried? I plan to take the thermostat out this winter and in fact, I think I'm straight up going to replace it when spring comes around along with the impeller which he told me he replaced 8 years ago. I see there is an impeller sold here, that one will work on all A4s? I have the later model.

Any type of anti-freeze in particular?
Thanks

[Mo]

Antifreeze type does matter.

Oh yes there is a major difference...you are in Ontario. Use any auto antifreeze and mix 50/50. It will not slush up. Up here the plumbers antifreeze is a make work project for mechanics. If there are any weak areas in the iron due to rust it will fail with the plumbers quasi- always frozen stuff. Suck the antifreeze through until it spit green out the back (catch it with a bucket or hose to bucket)..it will protect plastic mufflers etc also.

Put a bit in the toilet and give a pump also. 2l of antifreeze mixed with 2l of water does it all.

If any spills soak it up with towels then dilute +++ with water. Harmful to animals.

[edwardc]

Thanks for all the input folks.

Another question because I have yet to re-winterize though I plan to get that done in the next few days.

The previous owner never took the thermostat out when winterizing the boat. He said he always ran it until anti-freeze was coming out of the exhaust and then it was done. He's had the boat 8 years and this has worked for him. Should I be worried?

Yes, you should be worried. This is what my PO did, and we're in the much more moderate mid-Chesapeake winters.

The results of this were:

1. Cracked ears on the thermostat housing, which leaked slowly all over the top of the engine, and had to be replaced. Cheap and easy.

2. A small weeping crack in the head, which was mistaken for a leaky thermostat gasket and left alone for far too long. The head had to be replaced. Not cheap and less easy.

3. A small undiagnosed crack in the block's cooling jacket, in the vicinity of the valve intakes & exhausts. One day this abruptly turned into a LARGE crack, flooded the cylinders, and required a total rebuild with another block. Not cheap and a lot of work.

Since your PO has been doing this for 8 years, I suspect he was warming the engine up enough to get the thermostat to open before running the anti-freeze through. This will get some anti-freeze into the block & head, but in my experience, as soon as that cold anti-freeze hits the thermostst, it quickly closes. Best is to always remove the t-stat and clamp off the bypass hose. This insures a 100% flow through the block & head.

As far as replacing the t-stat, if you've got one of the original holley 2-stage thermostats, they're getting rarer and more expensive. I would pull it, soak it overnight in vinegar, and clean it. Then test it in a pot of water on the stove. It should begin to open around 140 deg F. If it's good, stay with it. Otherwise, you'll either have to find one of the expensive replacements, or convert (using Don's handy kit) to an inexpensive 1-stage thermostat plus a bypass valve to generate the necessary back pressure for the 1-stage to work properly.

---

Just noticed that this is my 400th post! How time flies! Feels like it wasn't that long ago that I was a total A4 newbie. I am so glad that when we were boat hunting, George Dinwiddie (who runs the Alberg 30 site) talked us into not dismissing a boat from consideration just because it had an A4 instead of a diesel!

[Mo]

Well put Edward. Congrat on 400th.

[smp]

Oh boy well that doesn't sound too good. It's freezing temps here at the moment too. I ordered the manual today. Though, I'de like to get this done before the manual ships. To review and make sure I understand .. remove t-stat housing, remove thermostat. Close it up run the engine? What's this about a bypass hose?

[edwardc]

The bypass hose should be in-place and clamped off.

I find it easiest to do this with a pair of vise-grips with a couple of small wood strips (like tongue depressors or popsicle sticks) taped to the jaws to protect the hose. Adjust the vise grips to just collapse the hose when clamped. You don't need to "kill" the hose.