Introduction; Attempting To Revive An A4

[sealevelsound]

Hello everyone. First, let me say that this website and forum have been invaluable resources in just the few short days since I started working on an Atomic 4 (heck, a week ago I didn't know a thing about them!) So thank you for your dedication and willingness to share your knowledge. It has already helped me tremendously. That said, here comes a long winded post.

A little back story...

Last year my brother acquired a Pearson 30 (1971/2) equipped with an Atomic 4. For various reasons, the boat has sat on the hard for the last year. When she was last hauled, I don't believe the engine was properly winterized. I spoke with the PO and she said that they didn't run the engine much in the last few years, but that the old Atomic 4 "just runs and runs." She also said they kept up with the basic yearly maintenance. So, that's fairly encouraging.

We are planning to launch the boat within the next few weeks, with the sole intent of sailing it across the bay so that it can be hauled/stored at a marina down the street, rather than a 45 min. drive away. With that in mind, I've made it my personal mission to MAKE SURE that engine is going to run.

Here's what I've already done, as recommended by Mr. Moyer and many on this forum:

-change oil (the old oil was frothy; evidence of water intrusion)

-change spark plugs, perform thumb compression test (seemed OK to me)

-pour Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder via spark plug hole

-flush old fuel from carburetor via the main passage plug on the bottom (it
was pretty nasty looking, but didn't seem to have any water in it)

-remove water pump cover plate to inspect impeller (impeller is in surprisingly good condition)

-remove distributor cap and clean contact points. The condenser, cap, wires, etc. all look to be in relatively good condition.

We have not tried actually starting the engine yet. I wanted to give it a fighting chance by making sure at least some of the necessary things were done. The good news is the starter is functional, and the pistons turn over. Hurray, the engine isn't totally seized.

The bad news is...it looks like the engine is BADLY corroded, and leaks coolant (raw sea water) from a few different places. It seems like the water pump is leaky, as well as the gasket for the thermostat housing, and probably a few other spots (the cooling jacket area looks pretty rough). My initial reaction on seeing the engine was, damn... that is one helluva rust bucket. I've got my fingers crossed and I'm hoping that it's mostly exterior, cosmetic corrosion, and that the engine's guts are OK.

I have a few specific questions:

1. After I flushed and then manually re-primed the carburetor with fuel, I noticed a small drip leak of fuel coming from the very bottom of the carb (where the scavenger is connected). It leaked very slowly for maybe an hour, then stopped. Does this mean the carb has a faulty gasket? Or did I simply fill it with too much fuel? Would it leak during operation, and could this be dangerous/worrisome?

2. Spark plugs #1 and #4 threaded/unthreaded extremely easily; #2 was tougher; #3 was an absolute bear - both ways. I even stripped the threads on a new spark plug trying to install it in #3. Is it possible to damage the actual threads on the head? Or could they be damaged/crossthreaded? (I did manage to get one in there, but it took some muscle, and I was using anti-seize)

3. What to do about a leaky water pump? If it is able to circulate enough water to cool the engine, will it be OK for the short amount of time we need it for? This would be an item to replace in the future obviously, but right now we just need this thing to run.

4. From what I can tell, the thermostat has been removed and replaced by a manual bypass valve to control temperature. Does this seem right? And how does one typically operate the valve to control temp?

5. Attached are a some photos. My million dollar question is this: have you seen an A4 that was this thrashed-looking run perfectly fine? And potentially be restored/rebuilt in the future? I just don't know were "too far gone" is for these things.













I have lots more photos that I'll likely attach in another post or two.

Thank you all in advance - feel free to reply to any, or all, of my questions and concerns. Or address something I haven't thought of.

Tomorrow I roll down to the boatyard with my bro to try and fire her up. I'll report back!

[joe_db]

I will be brief - it leaks gasoline and water. It is not ready to go on a trip.

[ndutton]

Not properly winterized? If the boat has been in freezing conditions a cooling system pressure test is important. Testing apparatus costs $10 at Home Depot, a means of creating air pressure is needed (compressor or bicycle tire pump) and about a half hour of time. Plenty of threads on the subject.

[TomG]

A couple things to offer:

If you have water in the oil, that's no bueno. As Neil said, a pressure check of cooling system is really important since the previous winter layup is of dubious quality. There are numerous threads on the subject and it's rather easy to accomplish (the hard part is really access to the engine). Water could also be coming in from the exhaust. It looks like you have very little drop in the water entry point into the dry section of the exhaust. If the shaft seals are worn in the water pump, water can get from there as well. Without a proper winter layup especially if you are in a colder climate, you really need to check the integrity of the cooling system. And that gate valve gives me the heebie-jeebies.

If the carb fuel bowl was gnarly, cleaning the carb is well-advised. The ports and passages are very tiny and easily clogged if the fuel gets contaminated. You mentioned fuel dripping. Dripping fuel is more no bueno than milky oil. If the fuel was pretty bad in the bowl, it could be the float valve is clogged, dirty, not seating, degraded and this is where the leak is coming from. It could be a bad gasket or even the drain plug could be leaking. This simply has to be fixed before cranking the engine. Having resurrected my A-4 from dormancy, I would highly recommend removing and rebuilding the carb. It's actually a rather enjoyable zen-like experience and can be done away from the boat. MMI sells the rebuild kit with instructions.

Fuel. If the boat has sat for a while, take a close look at the fuel system and fuel tank condition and quality of the fuel.

These little A-4s are marvelous little engines and can weather a lot of abuse. They do insist on a few things - good spark, good compression, and good fuel. A serious fuel filtering system will pay handsome dividends. I use a Racor water/fuel seperator filter prior to the fuel pump and a polishing filter prior to the carb.

You are inheriting all the previous maintenance done and not done. Given what you've shared, my first action before any other is checking the cooling system. If that passes the test, then I'd try to figure out where the water is coming from. After that, I would rebuild the carb and check the fuel system.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes.

[wristwister]

I agree with what the others have said, especially regarding getting to the bottom of the fuel leak and the water in the oil before attempting to rely on that engine.

That engine does indeed look like something from an archeological dig. You mention it's raw water cooled, so you can bet the inside surfaces are pretty caked up as well, especially the water passages. You may want to consider a muriatic acid soak and flush to clear out some of the scale (Moyer provides simple instructions for that). Of course, that interior scale may be the only thing blocking even more leakage! But if that's the case, it would be good to know now.

What part of the country are you in?

[Al Schober]

Welcome to the forum!
All good advice so far. You have a list to address before running the engine.
Have you considered getting a tow across the bay?