Am I beyond screwed?

[Rando1201]

Hey guys, I'm a newb to the A4, bought it off someone that had it in their garage. I saw some telltale signs at first that I ignored such as overspray on the water lines, and alternator belt. Rust on the bottom of the oil pan. I just took off the thermostat, and its completely rusted. I just bought the manual and a carb rebuild kit from the online store here.

[Rando1201]

More pictures

[Surcouf]

I am sweating on mine right now. I let the MVP and other more experienced guys give their opinion, but my 2 cents is likely no. A pressure test, an acid clean, a pump rebuild, a good check of the 2 hoses and 90 angle fittings and you may be good to go. You head / nuts is not rusted on the outside, Very good sign

There are procedures somewhere in the site for acid clean and pressure test

Good luck and enjoy wrenching

[Rando1201]

I am sweating on mine right now. I let the MVP and other more experienced guys give their opinion, but my 2 cents is likely no. A pressure test, an acid clean, a pump rebuild, a good check of the 2 hoses and 90 angle fittings and you may be good to go. You head / nuts is not rusted on the outside, Very good sign

There are procedures somewhere in the site for acid clean and pressure test

Good luck and enjoy wrenching

Thank you. I will try what you've mentioned. There Is some hope.

[Surcouf]

Everything should be in here, but you should also have that in the manual

http://www.moyermarineforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127

http://www.moyermarineforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9717

you are going to need a few gaskets (thermostat housing (1 or 2?), potentially water jacket plate if you want to check behind + Permatex sealer). Ken @ MM will be able to assist.
Personally, I dropped the thermostat housing and its shoe (depends on model) in vinegar for 3 days. Came out like new after brushing.

But honestly, your picture is really not that bad... if you engine starts, does not leak water and does not overheat, pressure test and acid clean are recommended maintenance steps, but may not even be required.

[Dave Neptune]

Rando, I've seen much worse! I would fill the block with vinegar and let it soak for a few days, rinse & repeat. Once you have the rust softened up do the pressure check to insure block integrity.
Once you confirm having no leaks time to get the block cleaned out. Best to remove the "side plate" to clear as much as possible from the passages. Cleaning and flushing is easy at home and not to bad on some boats.
Remember once the KRAP inside is loose it must be removed by flushing. This flushing can cause many of the fittings associated with the cooling system to plug up with debris, just poke it clear and flush.

If the vinegar does not get it clean then go aggressive with an acid flush, but do try vinegar soaking first as it is much easier on the block and associated parts.

Dave Neptune

[Al Schober]

That block is pretty nasty, but don't give up on it yet.
The sooner you can do a pressure test, the better. If it's going to fail, it will fail. Better that it fail BEFORE you put time and effort into it.
You're going to have to open that thing up. Head off, side cover plate off, and go to it. See if you can borrow a pressure washer. Well worth the effort to get the engine off the boat - it's going to get messy. Pay attention to the oblong passages from the block to the head by the valves. That's a critical water passage for cooling. Will likely need a hammer and chisel to open them up. They don't go straight into the block, but take a turn, so be careful. But get rid of as much as you can in that area that isn't metal. Think eye protection. Think again. Else you'll become friends with your local ophthalmic surgeon.
Corrosion on the outside of the cylinders should be removed if you can. That will help reduce cylinder wall temperatures and prolong engine life.
My recommendation is not to worry about the thermostat cover for now. Just clean it up and put it back together with NO thermostat. Engine should run cool and calm. If you want to raise engine temperature later, deal with it then.
edit: re: flush - do it after reassembly. Don't waste time now - go right to open and clean. Once it's all clean a sparkly inside, think about glycol cooling & heat exchanger - keep it that way!

[tenders]

My recommendation is not to worry about the thermostat cover for now. Just clean it up and put it back together with NO thermostat. Engine should run cool and calm. If you want to raise engine temperature later, deal with it then.

Seconded - but make sure you block the “bypass hose” with something (perhaps a valve, though I use a bolt) to force the water through the block in lieu of a thermostat. The engine can run cool but perfectly happily this way indefinitely without a thermostat. Some would say permanently. Tons of posts with illustrations about this.

[Rando1201]

Thank you everyone, I am going to work on what you all have suggested this week and leave an update.

[Rando1201]

I pressure tested the water jacket and the head. No vinegar flush yet. I made a homemade bike bump pressure tester. I can pump air went up to 40 psi. Nothing blew out unexpectedly. I'm not sure how long it should hold pressure. My bike pump pressure tester could have flaws in it. It loses pressure but very very slowly. In theory if I pump a good amount of pressure into it and it continues to fill wouldn't that be a good test?

[ronstory]

40 PSI makes you a rock star.

Now just do the vinegar flush and see what lies ahead.

[Rando1201]

40 PSI makes you a rock star.

Now just do the vinegar flush and see what lies ahead.

I'm at the store. All they have is distilled white vinegar. Will that work?

[ronstory]

Yes, any cheap vinegar will work.

[Rando1201]

Yes, any cheap vinegar will work.

Ok. Thanks. I bought way too much vinegar. Water jacket and head is currently soaking.

[lat 64]

no such thing as "too much vinegar"

Use it to freshen up the boat. It is a good anti- algae, mold, and some bacteria.
It is not too awful on your senses compared to strong chemicals and you can even put it on your salad!

Capt. Bligh used it extensively.

Cheap and earth-friendly. You can wash it into the harbor without repercussion on your conscience or otherwise.

It will tarnish metals, so use it with that understanding.

Russ