old boat..new owner..needs tlc..might as well start a thread about it and its A4

[sastanley]

haha...I'll take that as a compliment keelcooler

My Dad hasn't seen the boat yet since it splashed. (that I am aware of.) He certainly hasn't seen the inside improvements to the auxiliary drive, unless he's found this thread on the Internet.

[sastanley]

Woo hoo!

OK...went out today for Father's Day and the engine ran flawlessly! When we needed to rely on it, we could, and when we didn't we were sailing.

Took my daughter (her 18th birthday today) and my wife out to lunch, via the boat, and had a a great day.

I'll head back over tomorrow or later this week I hope and give her another MMO treatment. I think a few more of those after each use, and then an occasional one here and there will be good!

I think I am starting to get barnacles on the prop (boat in the water for 7 weeks), because she is a little rough (cavitating maybe?) above 2,000 RPM, but she loves to run about 1,700 as the cruising speed. In flat water that seems about 5.5 knots, but that is a guess because I am also lazy and didn't pull the speedo paddle wheel, so it was fouled.

Ah, it is nice to have a good running engine! We cruised up and down the creek beautifully today!

[roadnsky]

Gotta love that IRON A4 SAIL!

Had a similar warm and fuzzy A4 success story today.
Out with the son doing the Father's Day sail. Good times, great day.
On the way back at dusk, the wind swung around and kicked way up. (gusts to 40) Between the wind and heavy chop it was time for some A4 assistance. Fired her up and throttled to 1900. Punched right thru every wave smooth and steady.

Such a comforting feeling to have that engine in reserve...

(PS - Rules question: Since this is Shawn's thread and he switched the topic, am I really hijacking?)

[rigspelt]

Woo hoo! Ah, it is nice to have a good running engine! We cruised up and down the creek beautifully today!

Well deserved glow, Shawn!

[sastanley]

Jerry, No problem...

I think that the beauty of Internet forums is hijacking is almost expected. I sorta had two threads running about the motor..this topic was more of a general comment thread where I introduced myself to the other A-4 owners, and then I just started to ramble and post pictures and progress about general engine stuff.

The 2nd thread I'd started, she's running, help..., was more specific about it running poorly because it was getting hard to get specific questions answered in this long-in-the-tooth thread...mostly, I think that is because I'd rambled on about so many different subjects myself in this topic. I check this forum almost every day (usually more than once a day ), so it is easy for me to keep up. The 'new posts' feature is a great way to follow stuff at the top that is getting attention from other forum members. I've also noticed that it seems the longer/older a particular topic gets, the less activity & replies it also sees (maybe there is too much to read if you haven't already been keeping up almost post by post??)

So, technically, I probably should have posted these Father's Day comments in the other thread and it would have been a good way to close out the other thread, and then let it drift off to the archives...I've decided to clean the prop here in the next week or two and see if that solves the 'cavitating above 2,000 RPM' issue I noticed yesterday, and then post the results in the other thread, and that should be a good 'full-circle' closing to let the other thread drift off. What I'll probably do with this thread is every few weeks, I'll post continued progress on the never-ending resurrection of this motor.

So, today, here is the short list for after work: (I'll keep it to motor subjects..I am also working on the holding tank & fresh water tank, but that is for another forum)
-- Shorten & clean up the runs on various engine hoses (I'd guessed on lengths before anti-siphon loops were in place, pumps & fittings mounted, etc..)
-- Fix the leak (I see green deposits!!) in the 'bypass kit', the brass tubing between the ball valve & thermo housing. I guess I need 1/2 more turn!
-- I need to remove the alternator and inspect the wear the alternator belt has caused to the water-pump-to-side-plate-tee-fitting hose from slapping around on the non-loaded side of the pulley. I tightened the belt some more before this weekend. This will also mean I need to remove the alternator for better access, so I can kill two birds with one stone when I try to shim the alt. on re-installation to reduce the belt dust I am seeing..I must have the alignment wrong. I think it is too close to the distributor and needs to move forward a little bit to line up with the accessory drive a little better. I added a washer last week, I guess I need another one or two. - if anyone has an idea for how do to that, I am all ears! - Can I bend the mounting 'ears' on the alternator bracket forward a little bit? Didn't rigspelt have this problem? He has always been about three a weeks ahead of me on these issues...let me go search thru some of his threads!

[rigspelt]

Can I bend the mounting 'ears' on the alternator bracket forward a little bit?

Yes, when I was contemplating modifying the mounting bracket, Don suggested just tweaking the ears with a big wrench. I ended up cutting and welding, and using washers to get the right alignment (I hope).

[sastanley]

Thanks Rigs... I think since the tension bolt only went thru one side of the alternator easily, that I probably had it the wrong way..after a few hours of running, it now doesn't look right upon non-running inspection. I have the old, original side-plate & alternator tensioning bracket, which means the bracket is separate from the side plate, so I can move it around when the side-plate bolt is loose to align it. Tonight, I cleaned up the threads on the alternator itself so that I can get the tension bolt thru from either side. There is just enough play on the mounting bracket (pivot) that I can get a washer or two in there to shim it a little bit for fine tune alignment. I am hoping to not see any more belt residue after this exercise. It is too close to the aft block drain and the distributor for my comfort, as well as the now worn out belt slapping the cooling line.

I will start with a new belt & try to line everything up. Since the motor is running, now, it is nice to be able to tweak these types of things to improve performance, instead of fighting to just keep it running. Incidentally, I dunno how much a Gates belt costs, but Napa belts are made by Gates, you just add a '25' in front of the Gates number for the Napa belt..It was $11 at my local Napa. Maybe everyone else already knew this The off-brand spare I got at Advance Auto is a little bit short & put the alternator dangerously close to the distributor...

I also brought home the brass pieces between the side plate and thermo housing, cleaned them up and re-assembled with teflon tape on the workbench, so I am pretty sure I got them one turn tighter than they were before...hopefully this will eliminate the leak

[lat 64]

learning curve

Just wanted to say "nice work" on the engine. It does look like you just paid a profesional!

I thought about all those things that one has to get in the habit of doing to operate a new toy. (Like turning on the fuel.) and realized that Knowledge really is power.

Good on ya,

Russ

[sastanley]

Thanks Russ!
She is still an old engine, but a little cleaning and scraping and sanding and a fresh coat of paint does wonders (like letting you see belt residue & water leaks) - She still hesitates a little on throttle up, and I am still hesitant and apprehensive about things like leaving the slip or a dock worrying she might stall out on me (kinda like rolling into the middle of an intersection at 5MPH after the motor coughs on you.)

But, it has been a great experience so far, and now I feel like I know the motor pretty well. Diagnosing problems are becoming easier as I fix more & more things. The first few times we went out, I pretty much ran the motor with the cover off in case something failed. This past weekend, I didn't take the bench cushion or cover off once, and I even stopped fretting over constantly staring at the gauges after it was running for 15 minutes

I was thinking about the fuel thing last night, from the other thread, as I was bent over the motor yanking parts and making a general mess. I think I am simply going to add the "turn off fuel supply at tank" to my list of things to do. I already bend over the other side of the galley and close the thru-hull fittings..there is no real big deal with spinning around and pulling one drawer to flip the fuel shut-off. I can tell you from experience that a few gallons of fuel in the bilge is a giant P.I.T.A., and EVERYTHING smells until ALL of it is removed , and you can't just pump it overboard either

Maybe one of these days I will locate a bulkhead mountable fuel-cutoff and put it in the engine compartment next to the Racor filter, which is right next to the two regularly operated seacocks & more convenient.

[Mark S]

The fuel thing . . .

When we bought the boat last year, I saw the petcock in the fuel line but it appeared as though the PO never turned it off, so I didn't either. Then, in the fall on the jackstands, my wife said she thought she smelled gasoline when we went aboard to winterize. I didn't smell anything unusual and I never did find any fuel leakage. Nevertheless, I thereafter made it part of my end-of-the-day routine to turn off the petcock, even though it's inconveniently located on a bulkhead under the bridge deck and I have to go past the trash basket to get to it.

We're trying to start a rhyme for the entire routine: "Seacock, petcock, batten down the hatches . . ."

Mark S

[sastanley]

Mark, same thing here, I can almost guarantee the petcock for the fuel was NEVER shut off on this boat.

I am starting to understand now, that what i thought was a long arduous?? procedure that my stepfather has, is actually a pretty good procedure, and that my father did almost nothing except close the hatchboards and leave. It is a wonder the boat only sank once & the bilge was a black bio-hazard area.

[sastanley]

updated 'close-up-the-boat' list

OK, so went to the boat yesterday...After my wife delivered the bolts I left on the workbench, I was able to complete yesterday's tasking, which was to re-assemble the bypass system, & the alternator alignment & get the boat to the pump out station. - I am happy to report the belt and alternator are properly aligned, and there is no wobble, rattling, slapping, or anything. The belt is smooth all the way around and the alternator 'looks' aligned now.

Here is my new shutdown procedure I am developing...My boat lies perpendicular to the access pier, sorta a Mediterranean mooring, so there is no finger pier. I step off the transom when exiting the boat, which you can see in my avatar. Therefore, my shut down plan starts at the bow and works back. For simplicity, I am ignoring anything on deck for this discussion. I try to have the deck in order (sails stowed, covers on) prior to arriving at the dock. Each person has their own procedures, this one is focusing on the below decks things we've been discussing as of late.

1. Bucket (I need a smaller one!) & sponge in hand, go forward.
2. Remove paddle wheel from speedo via access hatch under v-berth...oh yeah, insert plug - my new Raymarine fitting with the little flaps only let a few ounces of water in..quick sponge up!
3. Close forward hatch (old style fiberglass Catalina 30 hatch, need the daylight to see the paddle wheel)
4. Inspect head...add ~1/2 gallon fresh water to bowl and pump thru lines to help cut down on stink factor!
5. Check bilge..sponge out water. I've been finding just a few ounces in there after motoring. This also alerts me to a problem if I find water in the bilge when I return. I can see a little water 'flinging' off the stuffing box when running, and it is cool to the touch..I figure this is about right.
6. Close thru-hulls: head intake (if open), move aft to engine compartment & close sink drain and engine intake. Quick visual inspection of engine for water leaks or fuel leaks at this time. Give the old girl a nice pat on the manifold, thanking her for getting us home successfully
(Some others have mentioned here they hang their key on the intake seacock.)
7. Move around to the galley...pull drain for ice box (if used) - remove drawer and reach behind assembly and close fuel petcock at tank! (this is a new one after a discussion elsewhere with lat64 & rigspelt)
8. Put solar panel up on deck for trickle charging.
9. Switch off battery (in galley) and close up. At this point I usually remember something, like car keys/wallet/fix-it list, which I left in the boat and have to pull the hatch boards to go retrieve the item.
10. Sit in cockpit enjoying the scenery (see avatar!) and finish up all remaining beer in cooler..get yelled at by wife for getting drunk on boat instead of coming home
OK, the last one is for fun...but I think I am finally developing myself a good list. The first few times we have come back to the slip late I was unorganized and forgot stuff. I knocked this list out yesterday in under 5 minutes.

The boat arrival procedure, should be about the opposite. Start aft and work forward!

[sastanley]

Thread resurrection day

Well, 10 years to the day from the last post I made in this thread, I re-launched TA today. I have certainly used her over those past ten years, but this spring it was time to get her cleaned up.

I finally bit the bullet and painted the boat. Still need to do some of the deck and the cockpit.. I can do that part in the water.

[thatch]

WOW! Looking good

Tom

[ndutton]

Beautiful Shawn. I weep for the first scratch.