Looking 4 a Good A4 Mechanic in RI!

[Pearson1975]

Hi guys & gals.

Do you know a GOOD "Atomic 4" mechanic in the Providence-Warwick-New Kingstown area in Rhode Island? I am planning to sail my boat down from RI to FL in Summer 2011, and when that time comes, I would like the engine to run like new.

I will highly appreciate any recommendations that you may have for me!

Cheers!

[domenic]

Moyer has rebuilt A4's...they will take you around the world.

[sailbristol]

good mechanic

Old Lyme Marina used to have one and still might,dont live near there anymore. They are in Old Lyme ,Ct about 3mi up the Connecticut river on east shore they carry lots of parts but are very pricey I would go for a rebuilt from Don I did the trip with my motor its 40+ yrs old only broke a belt

[jhwelch]

Is there something wrong/broken with your motor, or are you looking for someone to check it over in a more general sense?

If you are more specific you will get a lot of good advice here.

[CapeCodPiper]

If you are in Warwick, you are closer to Ct than to MA. Old Lyme Marina has a reputation as the best A-4 shop/people in CT. But if you check Mapquest, you will see that Old Lyme is a bit of a trip from Warwick: about 1 hour 20 min.

I'm up in Boston, and know something of the MA waterfronts, although I now do pretty much all my own work on my A-4. Marblehead (eg Hanson Marine) used to have some good A-4 folks. But closer to you/Warwick, I've heard there are some good A-4 mechanics in the Wareham/Mattapoisett/New Bedford area. A very good reference for mechanics and craftsmen that area is Pete Costa at Triad Boatworks, which is just off Rt. 195 in Mattapoisett. Pete says he knows some good A-4 folks. You can reach him/them at (508) 758-4224. By Mapquest I see that Mattapoisett is more like 1 hour from Warwick.

All that said, I would concur that you have a wealth of information and assistance through this forum if you want to check out the engine yourself. Also, once an A-4 is up and running and pushing your boat reasonably well, presuming that the oil and coolant and gas keep flowing properly it ought to be good for a few thousand miles of use. It may seem ironic, but one tends to worry more about an A-4 being able to go on a long trip because you really need it to be dependable even though an A-4 may in fact be more dependable run constantly rather than fired up for 20 minutes at a time on weekends and then left cold for a few weeks. OTOH, if you get/do a tip-top tune-up, maybe you can get 5-20% more efficiency, which you will appreciate more on a long trip than you would simply puttering in and out of your home port on weekends.

Good luck!

David

[Pearson1975]

Moyer has rebuilt A4's...they will take you around the world.

Mine is in very good shape. What I need is a good A4 mechanic to check it out and make sure it will not even cough between RI and FL (change oil, spark plugs, clean the carburetor, put new belts, change filter, etc.

[Pearson1975]

Hi David!

That's exactly what I am looking for....a tip-top tune up of the engine!

If you are in Warwick, you are closer to Ct than to MA. Old Lyme Marina has a reputation as the best A-4 shop/people in CT. But if you check Mapquest, you will see that Old Lyme is a bit of a trip from Warwick: about 1 hour 20 min.

I'm up in Boston, and know something of the MA waterfronts, although I now do pretty much all my own work on my A-4. Marblehead (eg Hanson Marine) used to have some good A-4 folks. But closer to you/Warwick, I've heard there are some good A-4 mechanics in the Wareham/Mattapoisett/New Bedford area. A very good reference for mechanics and craftsmen that area is Pete Costa at Triad Boatworks, which is just off Rt. 195 in Mattapoisett. Pete says he knows some good A-4 folks. You can reach him/them at (508) 758-4224. By Mapquest I see that Mattapoisett is more like 1 hour from Warwick.

All that said, I would concur that you have a wealth of information and assistance through this forum if you want to check out the engine yourself. Also, once an A-4 is up and running and pushing your boat reasonably well, presuming that the oil and coolant and gas keep flowing properly it ought to be good for a few thousand miles of use. It may seem ironic, but one tends to worry more about an A-4 being able to go on a long trip because you really need it to be dependable even though an A-4 may in fact be more dependable run constantly rather than fired up for 20 minutes at a time on weekends and then left cold for a few weeks. OTOH, if you get/do a tip-top tune-up, maybe you can get 5-20% more efficiency, which you will appreciate more on a long trip than you would simply puttering in and out of your home port on weekends.

Good luck!

David

[Pearson1975]

That's too far away! Fir what I need to be done to the engine, a long trip to get to the boat is not worth. It will also cost me big $$$ just because the mechanic's trip.

Old Lyme Marina used to have one and still might,dont live near there anymore. They are in Old Lyme ,Ct about 3mi up the Connecticut river on east shore they carry lots of parts but are very pricey I would go for a rebuilt from Don I did the trip with my motor its 40+ yrs old only broke a belt

[CapeCodPiper]

The overall economy has not been kind to SE Mass, so you should be able to find a good mechanic who should be willing make the trip to your boat for little money as long as he can do some serious work when he gets there. I looked all over Mass for someone who could pull together a team to do a lot of work on my Tartan 27 (re-core decks, new cushions, address problems with gas tank, fix sails). I found that Pete Costa knew who was where and was good at what.

As for what would make for a "Tip-top tune up"?

1) Change the oil (unless it was done as part of winterizing)
2) check the compression on the cylinders to get a read on the valves seating and the rings
3) Install an Electronic points system if you don't have one: the single best upgrade for dependability. Replacing and setting points is fine until next week when the moisture on the points messes with the electrical contact
4) Overhaul the Carburetor: when the new Ethanol gas mixes with good old gas, you get grey grit in the Carb... or is that from all the birds pooping on your deck which gets into the gas tank through the air vent!
5) Remove the valve plate and check the valve/tappet clearances, which is easier to do with the Carburetor out of the way.
6) clean and lube the mechanical fuel pump... if you have one
7) change the Racor filter and gaskets,
8) install a "polishing" filter between the fuel pump and the carb if you don't have one. I like a clear one so that you can see you are getting the gas
9) check the fuel tank pick-up tube for breaks or clogs
10) lube all water/coolant pumps
11) replace the alternator and coolant or water pump belts (certainly you have a FWC, or else the engine slowly and surely rots out!)
11) install new spark plugs
12) when running well, check that the exhaust system is robust and tight. If the rot and ice finally got to your exhaust manifold, install a beautiful new
MMI manifold
13) touch-up the paint on the outside

A job to do all this would be well worth a bit of drive for many folks!

OTOH, what about asking around the place you are keeping the boat for who is good?

Good luck, and keep us informed of your progress and trip.

David

[roadnsky]

From Don's FAQ's...

I'm planning a long trip, and although my engine is running quite well, I'm wondering what kinds of things I could check to make a breakdown less likely during the trip.

As a general rule, unless you plan to take sufficient time to debug things, and give your engine the chance to "settle back in", I don't like to see folks performing major maintenance or replacing a lot of components just prior to a long trip. I believe it makes more sense to take spare parts. I would reconsider this advice in cases where access to a particular component is so bad that changing it would be very difficult while at a strange port. In those cases, replacement prior to departing may make more sense.

Having said all that, you might consider the following (light) maintenance if there is no documentation of it having been done recently:

COOLING SYSTEM:

1) Remove the water jacket side plate for inspection (including the distribution cap on the inside of the "T" fitting). Replace any parts that show signs of corrosion, and thoroughly reseal the plate.

2) Remove the brass elbow from the rear outlet of the manifold. Inspect for blockage within the elbow and in the water jacket of the manifold just under the fitting. If you discover a lot of crud just below this fitting, you can most likely remove it by scraping around with a small screwdriver or part of a coat hanger.

3) Remove the thermostat for cleaning (soaking in vinegar overnight).

4) Check all water hoses for general condition, and replace any that appear soft.

FUEL SYSTEM:

1) Insure that there is a good primary fuel filter installed between the tank and the fuel pump and a small inline filter between the fuel pump and carburetor. If you do not currently have a good primary filter, the RACOR filter (for gasoline engines, and with a water separator) works very well.

2) If you have decent access to the main passage plug in the bottom of the carburetor, I recommend removing it and catching all the fuel in a small glass jar. All of the fuel in the carburetor will drain out through this plug, along with any dirt that may have been lurking there and getting ready to enter (or try to enter) and pass through the main jet.

With the main passage plug still removed, operate the fuel pump and flush at least a couple pints of fuel through the entire system and out through the main passage plug. When the fuel appears perfectly clean, reinstall the passage plug, being careful to not over-tighten and damage the fiber washer under the head of the plug, and work the fuel pump to recharge the carburetor

IGNITION (ELECTRICAL) SYSTEM:

1) Replace spark plugs, points and condenser, and check spark plug wires and the alternator belt for cracks and brittleness.

NOTE: The most common reason that ignition systems break down, in cases where an engine has been reasonably well maintained, is that the primary electrical circuit between the starter solenoid and the positive terminal of the coil develops a bad connection.

2) Inspect as much of the wiring between the engine and the cockpit as possible; but ultimately, my recommendation is to have a short jumper wire prepared to connect between the big battery cable on the starter solenoid and the positive terminal of the coil. This wire, when installed, will bypass all of the circuit (some of which you probably will not even be able to see) and provide positive ignition.

Remember that whenever this jumper wire is installed, it is equivalent to turning the ignition switch to the "ON" position, so be sure to remove it whenever you are not operating the engine.

RECOMMENDED SPARE PARTS:

1) Coil

2) Four new plugs

3) Spare fuel pump

4) Spare water pump

5) Three or four feet of engine water hose, fuel line (with appropriate size hose clamps), and a small roll of electrical wire (12 or 14 gauge).

6) A roll of good quality electrical tape.

7) Spare filter elements for any filters you have on board.

8) Spare alternator. This item is obviously optional due to the relatively high cost, and the space required to store it. I include it here simply because most of us rely so heavily on a good source of DC power for so many of the things that we have grown to consider essential.

RECOMMENDED TOOLS (In addition to normal hand tools and a copy of the Moyer Marine Service and Overhaul Manual):

1) A small digital volt/ohm meter.

2) A three-foot length of 14 gauge wire with a ring terminal on one end and a clip on the other. This wire can be used to "hot wire" the ignition system in the event of a failure of the primary circuit within the boat's electrical system.

3) Electrical crimping tool and a small supply of ring terminals, butt splices, etc.

4) Remote starter switch (available for about $10 at most auto parts stores).

I hope this helps you to get started. Hopefully, as your knowledge of the engine grows, you'll be able to add more items to this list which make sense to you, given your particular boating style and specific plans for your trip

[jhwelch]

Preventative maintenance is always good, but having a full set of tools, supplies, and spares on a long trip is good, too.

[ButchPetty]

Pearson 1975, if all your looking for is like you say, "a tip top tune up mech", the there is none more trustworthy than thy self.
If you can read a book (MMI Manual) and put together a jigsaw puzzle, then you can do it all yourself relatively easy.
Just my two pennys.

[domenic]

Mine is in very good shape. What I need is a good A4 mechanic to check it out and make sure it will not even cough between RI and FL (change oil, spark plugs, clean the carburetor, put new belts, change filter, etc.

What BuchPetty said just might save you, and those on board.

I am not a mechanic. Before I found my Columbia 28, I had never seen an A4.
The head was made of rust, and it took me 4.5 hours to motor 5 miles. The first week I had the boat, the A4, died. I could have hired a good mechanic, and had it running in top form.
I am a very good seamen...I know how to stay alive at sea. I have two golden rules:

1) Never sail into anything I can't sail out of.
2) Know how to repair anything on the vessel at sea.


If you won't spend the time to follow rule 2, stick to rule 1 like glue.