Columbia 34

[Iamjared]

Hello I just purchased my first boat a Columbia 34 Mk I I. It has a old Palmer 60 in it that needs about 1200 worth of work. I was considering swiping it for a atomic 4. Has anyone done this, if so any advice??

Thanks in advance

Jared

[Ajax]

I haven't done it, but the plan sounds solid. It has a couple big upsides:

1. Whether new or used, an Atomic-4 will cost you less than a new, Beta diesel.
2. You don't have to replace your fuel tank.

It would seem to me that your main issue is simply mounting the Atomic-4 so that the shaft entry/exit angle matches what the P60 was.

I found a link that might help you. These guys seem to have a lot of parts for the P60. You could either rebuild your Palmer or perhaps they would buy your Palmer, which would help defray the cost of an Atomic-4 refit.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boatcityyachts/boatcityyachts_10.html

[Administrator]

Hello I just purchased my first boat a Columbia 34 Mk I I. It has a old Palmer 60 in it that needs about 1200 worth of work. I was considering swiping it for a atomic 4. Has anyone done this, if so any advice??

Thanks in advance

Jared

Hi, Jared, and welcome!

I suspect there are a bunch of lurkers here, wondering exactly what your signs and symptoms were, and exactly what work you were told had to be done. There are a number of real pros on this forum, and their insights might be helpful before you go off the high board with an engine swap.

Bill

[Dave Neptune]

Fix it perhaps

Jared, in all honesty I think a self done resurrection may also be done if you have any skills with tools at all.

In all honesty the Palmer is a stronger engine than the A-4 just not as much available. Any of the diagnostics here will work on most any engine and the Palmer is quite similar.

Dave Neptune

[JOHN COOKSON]

Agree With Bill

Hello I just purchased my first boat a Columbia 34 Mk I I. It has a old Palmer 60 in it that needs about 1200 worth of work. I was considering swiping it for a atomic 4. Has anyone done this, if so any advice??
Jared

Who says it needs $1200 worth of work? What work needs to be done?
Unless there are issues I'm not understanding IMO it would be cheaper and easier to fix the Palmer than swap engines.

TRUE GRIT

[lat 64]

Is your boat the old full-keel style or the fin-keel with a vee-drive?

Welcome.

[hanleyclifford]

Who says it needs $1200 worth of work? What work needs to be done?
Unless there are issues I'm not understanding IMO it would be cheaper and easier to fix the Palmer than swap engines.

TRUE GRIT

Yeah, please describe the work in more detail. Is the $1200 a quote from a boatyard? Does it include both labor and parts? Switching engine types is always more work and money than you think, and should only be contemplated in the case of serious foundation issues in an engine coupled with parts availability problems. (BTDT)

[ndutton]

Russ, I'm pretty sure the Mk II designation is the fin keeled sloop, V-drive engine, TBD by Jared for confirmation.

Jared, I have to ask and some of the guys know why, what year is your Columbia?