Replacing atomic 4 engines

[Fred Bear]

Anyone here taken old Atomic 4 out of boat and put a rebuilt one in its place?

I'll be doing this soon.....have a Pearson 28.....engine room is under cockpit sole....so I'll have to slide old engine foward...then haul it up....swing it over the dock...set it on dock....and do the reverse manuvers to get the new rebuilt atomic 4 into the boat....plan on using the mainsail boom (reinforced)
as a "crane".

Anybody here ever tried this? I could sure use some hints or feedback.

Thanks.....Fred Bear

[hd78half]

Removing A-4

Dear Fred:

I've done this twice on my Pearson 35. Instead of using the boom, once used the marina's tall pole (used for stepping masts), and other time used the travel lift. Using the reinforced boom should work also. Couple of tips that make it easier:
1. get a set of stick on wire markers and label the wire and connection point when you disconnect the wiring and piping.
2. make drawings and notes of the arrangement of equipment and attachments. It's amazing how much you forget from the time you take it out until you put it back in.
3. remove the alternator and starter. This reduces the weight and clearance.
4. If your engine doesn't have one, get a head mounted lifting eye (available at Moyer).
5. For the initial lift out of the engine compartment, you might find it better to sling under the flywheel housing. You can lift the front of the engine and then pull it into the cabin. From there you can sling or hook to the head mounted lifting eye.

Good luck.

[George Baker]

Anyone here taken old Atomic 4 out of boat and put a rebuilt one in its place?

I'll be doing this soon.....have a Pearson 28.....engine room is under cockpit sole....so I'll have to slide old engine forward...then haul it up....swing it over the dock...set it on dock....and do the reverse maneuvers to get the new rebuilt atomic 4 into the boat....plan on using the mainsail boom (reinforced)
as a "crane".

Anybody here ever tried this? I could sure use some hints or feedback.

Thanks.....Fred Bear

Yes that worked fine for me on a p30, i think i used some help from my son to slide the engine aft on several 2x6's then reconnected the "boom" again to swing it out onto the dock.

[marthur]

Another good idea

You might want to check this thread out:

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278

Using this tool you can easily lift your engine and move it forward without having to drag it. Then lift the engine with the lifting eye to remove it from the boat.


Pictures here.

[Gary Gover]

Engine Out -- Engine In

I've done the engine installation and removal twice in my Pearson 35.

I always do this in July or August. My advice is to never do this in July or August.

It can be helpful to make a set of closeup photographs of the installed engine before starting. The photographic record can the very helpful in getting everything reinstalled and checked out later in the process. Keep notes to keep track of all the details that will come up.

Organize the parts and things you take off into boxes and bins. Have a lot of rags and a trash can.

Clean, repair and replace things as necessary as you go along. Don't reuse anything that is not in very good condition. Clean and refurbish the whole engine space while the motor is out. This is the time to rebuild a stuffing box or an exhaust or other such needs.

I found it helpful to take my time and do the job in calculated phases. I didn't do a phase until I could envision clearly just how to get it done safely. I often stayed awake at night working on envisioning the next day's work. Mistakes in this process can bring really bad news.

Here are my basic phases:

Disconnect and disassemble.
Move engine from bed to cabin sole.
Hoist engine from cabin sole to companionway height.
Install plank platform under engine to companionway.
Slide engine out to cockpit.
(The Atomic 4 slides wonderfully on planks.)
Install plank to dolly on dock and slide engine to dolly.
Reverse to install.

The whole process is a two person job. Have a good helper.

Lighten up the engine as much possible. You can easily take the flywheel and other things off and drain all the fluids and get the weight down to close to 250 pounds.

Use plywood and other things to protect your cabin sole and cockpit surfaces and keep things clean.