Not Properly Winterized

[JackT250]

This past winter proved to be much colder than anticipated and it came with a fury.

I have a 1976 Catalina 27 in Chicago and I believe the A4 is original...

I travel extensively for work and was pulled out of town before I was able to winterize the boat. I had intentions of winterizing over the weekend, but when I returned and got out to the boat, there was already frozen water in the impeller chamber, leading me to believe the whole engine was frozen.

Is there a way for me to gauge the extent of the damage that has been done or should I just confess and enlist the help of a professional?

[adab1402]

no worries mate

now is the time to get better aquainted with your a-4 .it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship . Is the impellor due for a change ? if your not sure then it is . order a book and the impellor and go to town . A fresh tune-up ,pts,plugs cond ,cap,rotor ,wires and a new coil is a great start .fresh fuel or at least changing the fuel filter and draing the water collector are in order .Is the battery fresh? full of distilled water to cover the plates? clean connections and fully charged? If yes then we are ready to start the iron jib .After its warmed up and nothing seems amiss change the engine oil and check the compression .All can be doine by the lowliest of mechanically inclined folk old school technology and really quite fun . good luck and fair winds adab1402

[keelcooler]

This past winter proved to be much colder than anticipated and it came with a fury.

I have a 1976 Catalina 27 in Chicago and I believe the A4 is original...

I travel extensively for work and was pulled out of town before I was able to winterize the boat. I had intentions of winterizing over the weekend, but when I returned and got out to the boat, there was already frozen water in the impeller chamber, leading me to believe the whole engine was frozen.

Is there a way for me to gauge the extent of the damage that has been done or should I just confess and enlist the help of a professional?

Well if you're not going to winterize an engine you sure picked the right one to abuse. They are robust and forgiving. This is the only good news.The bad news; fresh water freeze expansion forces are much more violent than salt water, water within the motor may have frozen and thawed multiple times setting up even more damage. You will first need to get the motor running and look for leaks.If your leaks are all external and she's not making water in the oil or combustion chambers you may have dodged the bullet. Look for water pump housing and cover plate distortion/ bulging, freeze plug and side plate leaks,manifold vertical crack between freeze plugs and muffler leaks. If she's making water internally she will need surgery. Let us know what you find.Good luck!

[julian hood]

Yes, Chicago was really cold this winter

Yes it was really cold in Chicago. I was there in January when it was 20 below. Your engine probably didn't thaw out until this morning. Follow adab's advice. It's all basic. Hopefully you dodged a bullet. These engines were built up the road from you in Oshkosh, so maybe they are extra robust.