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Old 06-07-2018, 04:13 PM
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Engine quitting when it reaches 160

Hello all...

I have taken ownership of a C7C 33 with an Atomic 4... this past week. The previous owner made no mention of my following condition.

Here's my issue, when underway with the engine running 1400 RPM @ 3-4 Knots the engine runs fine and smooth. However, if I try to increase speed to 5 knots the engine temperature reaches 160 on the gauge and the engine begins to falter and quit.

I waited 15-20 mins for the engine to cool down and she re-starts... This happened 4 times same thing every time, as I took her home to her new port.

As I drifted I googled this symptom... and came up with improperly gapped plugs. I called the owner and he said that he just installed them straight out of the box and did not gap them.

Since I don't own a spark plug gap tool to measure for .035 (on my way to buy one now) for the proper gap.. I am hoping that some of you might confirm that this is the issue with my engine.

I am planning to remove them check the gap and reset it the the proper distance... and run the engine to the stalling temp of 160 at the dock and see what happens.


I would appreciate any feed back...

Cheers

Mel
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Old 06-08-2018, 01:34 PM
Ram41662 Ram41662 is offline
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Since it appears to happen when things warm up, you might consider the coil could be getting weak. If weak, when it warms up it will produce a weaker spark until it fails.

Try the plugs first. If that fixes it, great! IF not, check the coil.
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Orion C&C 33 (08-03-2018)
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Old 06-08-2018, 02:05 PM
JOHN COOKSON JOHN COOKSON is offline
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During the shut down time pull the wire out of the center terminal of the distributor and hold it near the engine while cranking the engine. If you don't see a blue white ~1/2 inch spark then the coil is suspect.

TRUE GRIT
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Old 06-08-2018, 05:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion C&C 33 View Post
...when underway with the engine running 1400 RPM @ 3-4 Knots the engine runs fine and smooth. However, if I try to increase speed to 5 knots the engine temperature reaches 160 on the gauge and the engine begins to falter and quit.

I waited 15-20 mins for the engine to cool down and she re-starts... This happened 4 times same thing every time, as I took her home to her new port.
Mel-
First, welcome to the Forum!

A few questions...
The 4 times it happened:
did it always run ok at lower RPM until you reached above 1400?

And to be clear:
it stumbles and then dies rather than shuts down suddenly (like turning off the ignition) right?

Do you know how old your exhaust system is?
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Orion C&C 33 (06-09-2018)
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Old 06-08-2018, 06:02 PM
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Also: how does it run if you throttle up to a high RPM with a cold engine?

If it’s temperature-related, coil would be more suspect. If it’s RPM-related, an exhaust blockage (or bad timing or worn cap/rotor or old condenser or sticking advance weights) might be more likely implicated. I would not tend to blame the plug gap for this symptom - the A4 is not all that sensitive to gap width.
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Old 06-08-2018, 11:15 PM
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In a pinch you can use a dime as a gap gauge. It's a little much @ 0.050 but I've heard of A-4's running fine @ 0.045"
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Old 06-09-2018, 02:48 PM
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Thank you everyone... for the suggestions

I found out my problem on the motor.
I feel so incredulously stupid.... for not checking back in on this forum, I've been tinkering on the engine since I posted.

Please accept my apologies for my delay in response.

This is what I discovered spark plugs #1 and #3 were not tightened and seated properly, you can literally turn them out by hand.

and #2 and #4 were a little snugger but not by much... I assumed when the previous owner had changed out the plugs he would tighten them!!! But obviously not the case.

After checking out if they were gapped properly I torgued them down to the proper ft/lbs as suggest in the Atomic service manual...

Started it up and she ran like a Beauty right up to 160 degrees without stalling... then I tested the motor further and put it in gear while still tied to the dock and ran the engine to 180 degrees and again no stalling... ran it under load for 30 mins and nothing.

But in the process I and along with a friend have discovered that the electric fuel pump is kaput!!! It has to crank forever to get it to start... tested that issue out after cranking for about 5 minutes pulled the #1 plug out and she was visibly dry.

With some starter fluid squirted in the #1 pisten and she fired up immediately so I guess replacing the current electric fuel pump is next on the list, while she's on the hard.

Thank you for the warm welcome and for the help... I really much appreciate it.

Cheers

Mel

Last edited by Orion C&C 33; 06-09-2018 at 02:57 PM.
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Old 06-09-2018, 02:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roadnsky View Post
Mel-
First, welcome to the Forum!

A few questions...
The 4 times it happened:
did it always run ok at lower RPM until you reached above 1400?

And to be clear:
it stumbles and then dies rather than shuts down suddenly (like turning off the ignition) right?

Do you know how old your exhaust system is?
Hi Jerry...

I could run it to 2000 rpm and still ran smooth... it was when the engine temp reached 160 then it sputtered and died like it was struggling... I have discovered that all my spark plugs were loose. Like turn them out by hand loose.

I feel so incredulously stupid for trusting the previous owners work... I know better next time to always perform a double check before leaving the dock... especially since I had my family on board.

Mel
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Old 06-09-2018, 03:02 PM
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Mel, do you run the fuel out of the carburetor when you shut down or simply turn off the key?
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Old 06-09-2018, 03:42 PM
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I just turn off the key... How do you run the fuel out of the carburetor ??

This is new to me....
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Old 06-09-2018, 04:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion C&C 33 View Post
I just turn off the key... How do you run the fuel out of the carburetor ??

This is new to me....
. . . . by closing a fuel valve and letting the engine run until it starves itself of fuel but that's not my point. Thus far you've said nothing that condemns the fuel pump so maybe not so fast on replacing it. Of course you can if you want, just that your reports do not fit a non functioning pump.

Examples:

It has to crank forever to get it to start You do not need a functioning fuel pump to start the engine. It has ample fuel remaining in the carburetor bowl to start and run for a minute or more without any fuel pump operation. My question about shut down procedure confirms there's fuel in the bowl.

ran it under load for 30 mins and nothing Not likely with a non functioning fuel pump. It's a remote possibility with a fuel tank situated so a strong siphon exists but I wouldn't count on it.

Your starting fluid test and dry #1 plug both confirm a fuel problem but let's not jump to conclusions it's the pump. It's possible it is, just that nothing's conclusive yet. Your symptoms may be due to other causes, even a combination of causes. Hard starting may be caused by a poorly functioning choke not closing all the way. A non-functioning fuel pump may be due to a failed oil pressure safety switch (OPSS). I encourage you to explore the entire fuel system before replacing things, home in on the real problem first. A fuel pressure gauge immediately ahead of the carburetor would answer a lot of questions about now.
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Orion C&C 33 (07-09-2018)
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Old 07-30-2018, 12:34 PM
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Heated coil

It seems after dealing with a myriad of issues with my neglected Atomic 4... Yesterdays incident has led me to back to some suggestions by other members of this forum.

Although my engine is running 100 times better... It failed again this weekend after running for almost 11 hrs getting back to my slip up river.

To put it in perspective running up the Fraser river from the salt chuck can be challenging with strong enough currents making your motoring vessel stand still, making 0 knots for headway in a busy shipping lane.

To get to the point... my engine ran hot enough even with the blower on to cool the engine compartment and the lazaret locker open to let the heat out on a blistering hot day such as yesterday. As pointed out by my partner the water line to the sink was hot and it is a cold water line that is piped thru the engine compartment. The gear box was extremely hot to the touch as with other parts of the engine.

It ran for most of this 11 hour journey at ( no wind )... Engine temp was 160 / oil pressure 50 lbs / rpm 2000

I have a heat exchanger pulling raw water to a closed system... and yes it is discharging thru the back and my anti-freeze levels are at it's correct level

As I came to dock my engine died suddenly and wouldn't re-start on command... I still had enough momentum to carry me away from the dock and steered out to avoid colliding with another member's boat. I hastily dropped anchor to avoid drifting into other boats in this crowded narrow channel lined with moored boats

I am suspecting that my coil had overheated and just shut off... as I can do nothing till it cooled down again same old problem that hasn't reared it's head for a while

Can anyone confirm by removing the coil off the engine block and mounting to the bulkhead will solve this problem that was too hot to touch yesterday. Prior to that, it was tested and produced a strong blue spark.

I am going to replace it since I believe that the excessive heat may have damaged the unit anyways... I just would like some input if anyone else has their coil mounted on the bulkhead.

Cheers

Mel

Last edited by Orion C&C 33; 07-30-2018 at 01:20 PM.
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Old 07-30-2018, 01:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion C&C 33 View Post
...my engine ran hot enough even with the blower on to cool the engine compartment and the lazaret locker open to let the heat out on a blistering hot day such as yesterday.

It ran for most of this 11 hour journey at ( no wind )... Engine temp was 160 / oil pressure 50 lbs / rpm 2000
Mel-
An engine temp at 160° is not hot.
Especially for a fresh water (coolant) system.

Are you getting that engine temp reading on your meter or are you using a temp "gun"?

Quote:
my engine died suddenly and wouldn't re-start on command...
Your stall sounds like a coil issue.
You may want to read this thread.

• What coil do you have?
• Do you know it's resistance?
• Do you have EI?
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Old 08-03-2018, 01:34 AM
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Your stall sounds like a coil issue.
You may want to read this thread.

• What coil do you have?
• Do you know it's resistance?
• Do you have EI?
[/QUOTE]

I believe your are right Jerry.... It has consistently dies at 160 F although it hasn't for a while... So I was lulled into thinking that my engine was getting up to par.

Besides what the other members have inputed to this post... I've pretty much changed or modified my engine enough that there are hardly any old parts left.

Cheers !!!

Mel
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