New owner here...and some seemingly embarrassing questions

[romantic comedy]

My tractor comment was referring to A4 variants which were previously used on jeeps and small farm tractors etc. When the engine is mounted up on a frame a "drain plug" at the very bottom and side of the pan is accessible but on a boat it is not unless you want oil al over the bilge/engine compartment etc. I use a 12 volt electric pump and sometime a vacuum pump through the dipstick tube to change oil [couple times a season, especially for winter layup]. Regardless how far down I play with the change intake tube I still get about an additional 1/2 qt of pretty dirty oil using the low right side hand pump. Probably no problem if it was left in since it gets mixed with new oil but if I can get it out I do. I remember as a young engineering student 50 yrs ago reviewing some SAE "wear" charts and became fastidious about changing oil especially when there is no filter. I

Sam, the guys here have always said that the Atomic Four was only a marine engine and was not used on tractors or Jeeps. Do you have any info that says otherwise. Always good to learn more Atomic Four history...

[Ram41662]

I wouldn't take it as gospel, but the Atomic 4 block sure looks a lot like a Willy's L134.

As for me, working on my A4 reminded me VERY much of working on the small 1960's era gasoline powered air compressors of my youth. Some of them were only 30 to 60 HP.

[tenders]

I think Don covers this somewhere on his website, but the A4 flathead four-cylinder engine is marine-only. There are several tractor and forklift engines out there with similar designs, after all there are not too many ways of getting the job done with four cylinders and a flat head, but they don't have the exact shape of the A4 mounts, nor are they cast out of the same high-nickel, rust resistant steel. Some of the ignition and fuel components are usable across many such engines (for example I don't think the Zenith carb is A4-specific).

[ndutton]

From the Old Marine Engine discussion board

In 1947 the Atomic Four was introduced. It was a 4 cylinder inline / 1 litre (64.46 cu. in.) / 30 hp engine, Model UJ - 5101 (direct drive) / UJR - 5102 (2:1 reduction gear) / UJVD - 5103 (V drive, 1:1, 1.29:1, 1.67:1, 2:1 reduction gear options) L head (flat head) engine incorporating an integral reverse gear, with roots stretching back to the earliest Universal 4 cylinder engines. It was not a modified Jeep or Farmall tractor engine (the early military and civilian Jeep engine was a 4 cylinder, L head design like the Atomic Four, but it was twice the size of the Atomic Four at 2.2 litres (134 cu. in.) and had 3 main bearings - the Atomic Four has 2. In 1953 Jeep switched to an F head engine) and if anything was based on the successful Utility Four life boat engine. Sales of the Atomic Four grew strongly after 1955 as the recreational sailboat market expanded.

To add to Tenders post, as far as I know the industrial engines that were marinized (Palmer, Gray Marine) had center main bearings. The Atomic 4 does not, never did. However, I can cite a single instance I know of where an Atomic 4 was used in an industrial application. At Islander Yachts one of our forklifts needed a heart transplant and we had maybe 20 A-4's on the shop floor. Our maintenance mechanic/tool repair guy was quite a craftsman and very resourceful so in about a week there was one less A-4 on the shop floor and a forklift back in service.

[bcbristoll]

I have to say, the people I'm meeting here are very much like the people I'm meeting at the boat storage yard. Good group of people. My reference to the tractor was just old memories I have of an old IH H I bought when I had a small farmette. Working on the motor was just pulling up a chair, getting comfortable and messing around. I see the boat isn't quite that way. Only thing I used the tractor for was to drive the kids around and on occasion drive into town and have a beer. Boat mission today is to change the plugs..look for the hand pump and see if i can remove any more oil and fill it up. Gets launched 5/17. Not sure if I'll change the points. I will take a look and see how hard it will be. Of course the distributor is in the back also. Do they make electronic points for this ?? Also going to look into replacing all the interior lights with LEDs. Any more suggestions ?

and again, thanks everyone!!

[JOHN COOKSON]

. Not sure if I'll change the points. I will take a look and see how hard it will be. Of course the distributor is in the back also. Do they make electronic points for this ??
!!

Yes, there is an electronic ignition module for the A4. MMI sells them.
If changing\servicing the points is difficult an electronic ignition module is a very good idea. You will never have to fool with points again.

TRUE GRIT

[tenders]

I think the electronic ignition upgrade is the second best headache/headscratch reducer per dollar that you can get. No more gapping points, wondering if the points are bad, questioning the condenser, dealing with the electrical contacts....

The first best is the fuel pressure gauge, but if you're already going to be monkeying with the ignition system why not just upgrade it now.

[bcbristoll]

Hi again,
Oil change and plug replacement went fine. Also connected the batteries.

Question 1 (photo 1) There are 2 additional wires connecting the pos and negs together (connected in parallel). I thought one battery was for electronics and one for the motor. Doesn't hooking them together kind of negate this idea ?? Is this a good idea ??

2. 2 valves here. I assume one is for the fuel, what's the red handled one?
3. The engine compartment is filthy....I'd like to steam clean this but is there a better solution?

4. Here are 2 valves connected together any ideas ? (photo 3)

5. And of course there is this valve way in the back of the engine.(photo 4)

6. And finally, what is this ? (photo 5)

All right now I'm sure you want a consultants fee...

Didn't get a chance to pull of the distributor cap to take a look underneath...with any luck it'll have electronice points but somehow I don't think so.

[CajunSpike]

1)Both batteries are just hooked together daisy chain. They are not separate. For true separation there has to be a battery selection switch. With a switch you can tell the system to use battery1, battery2, or both. With a switch the batteries are not connected directly. The way yours is if something drains the battery, both will be dead. Nothing wrong doing this just don't have a 'backup' battery with this setup.

2)Just guessing...but it looks like a thruhull connection to the outside of the boat. Perhaps thats where water comes in to cool the engine. Trace the line from that valve. If it goes to the water pump on the back of the motor, you have your answer.
The small brass valve is connected to the oil pressure system. You probably have an oil pressure gauge somewhere.

3)not sure

4)I'd want to look real close to see if they are both actually connected to the same line or just are close enough but are on different lines. Another guess, but that looks like a raw water strainer, that the valves connect to.

5)that looks like a fuel valve of some sort, from the type of the green line and the fact its real close to the fuel tank. I just had to replace the fuel tank due to rusting through.

6)Most likely its a fuel filter.

[tenders]

Following up on (1), it is typical for the negative (black) terminals to be connected together, and to the boat, as a "common ground." This will still allow separation of the battery power because the positive (red) terminals are usually kept separate by the battery selector switch. The potential issue with your setup is that anything that goes wrong with one battery (failed cell resulting in low voltage, device left on, overcharging, whatever) will bring the other battery along with it.

Photo (2), the brass T-valve is by my estimation most likely attached to plumbing intended to expedite the use of an oil changing device - some kind of vacuum pump. A nice feature. The red handled valve is a seacock for either the engine raw water intake, or (more likely by my guess) for a cockpit drain. You'll need to follow the hose.

Photo (3), I agree with Cajun, that's a bit of a mystery! The bronze canister part is a raw water strainer (you can see one side of it labeled IN). The two valves are stem valves and are not suited for marine use, although tens of thousands of them were installed in the '60s and '70s, even in brand new boats. The ball valve, like in photo 2, is the right way to go. It is likely that those are different lines. But if they happen to be the same line, there might be a fitting between those two valves allowing winterizing antifreeze to be poured into the raw water line into the engine without accidentally leaking the other direction and out of the boat (the valve closest to the water supply would be closed; the other valve, open).

Photo (4), my money is on this being the engine raw water intake valve.

Photo (5) is a nice spin-on fuel filter. Replace this filter every few years. I always write the date of installation in a few prominent places on the filter, although when you take it off, fuel might drip on the writing and obliterate it. Note, they're called "spin-on" filters and not "spin-off" filters. They can be super difficult to remove. Even with a strap wrench, which in my engine room is hard to put on and hard to activate, I always seem to end up mangling mine no matter how conscientious I was when putting the new one on. We often suggest installing a small in-line "polishing filter" between the fuel pump and the carburetor as extra insurance.

[GregH]

I would trace all the wires coming off the batteries. Besides knowing where they go and what for, the wiring at the batteries is a puzzle to me. On the one hand the batteries are wired in parallel to maximize the amp hours available (parallel), yet the are also pos wires coming off each pos post and heading off into the boat and the same for the negative wires- this makes it look like the batteries are being used individually (all depending on which red matches up with which black wire). This may negate the paralleling of the batteries...

[bcbristoll]

Just a followup. Regarding the picture with the two faucet handles . The one in the back IS actually a faucet, I'm guessing to drain or add water ??
Currently rebuilding the entryway hatch. Launch date is 5/22. Fingers crossed

[bcbristoll]

The launch

just wanted to post a followup...
Launched the Columbia and took it out to its mooring last week, without incident. Motor runs like a charm. Did break the shift lever (which I had just had brazed)...see if I can find a different one or use a vice grip until fall and make one...this time out of stainless.
I want to thank all the useful comments and I'm really impressed with some of the info contained here...I hope others find it useful.

[Boat]

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