Choice~~trust or worry?
Personally I trusted the A-4, my work and the modifications I made. The only gage of the 3 mounted that registered on my panel in the cockpit was the oil pressure and since it was electric I did not trust it. I later did a complete engine re-wire and still did not trust the lone operating cockpit gage. I mounted a manual oil pressure gage to the block and never really looked at it underway unless I heard something as it was on the engine itself as was the fuel pressure gage, a must. The other gages, ammeter, tach, vacuum gage, temp and volts were mounted in the nav station below. I ran like this for over 30 years and never had a problem as the A-4 properly maintained is very trustworthy indeed. I had no fuel gage and used a stick gage for that purpose.
I did do cold starts with the engine box open and used the permanently mounted start button on the engine. I even mounted the choke below at the nav station. This way I could see and monitor the systems when starting. Once I decided everything was OK and she idled without the choke I would close her up and be on my way, with no worries!!
I think that if your worried about everything you should get things upgraded until you trust the motor more than the monitoring and enjoy the ride or sail.
Dave Neptune
Personally I trusted the A-4, my work and the modifications I made. The only gage of the 3 mounted that registered on my panel in the cockpit was the oil pressure and since it was electric I did not trust it. I later did a complete engine re-wire and still did not trust the lone operating cockpit gage. I mounted a manual oil pressure gage to the block and never really looked at it underway unless I heard something as it was on the engine itself as was the fuel pressure gage, a must. The other gages, ammeter, tach, vacuum gage, temp and volts were mounted in the nav station below. I ran like this for over 30 years and never had a problem as the A-4 properly maintained is very trustworthy indeed. I had no fuel gage and used a stick gage for that purpose.
I did do cold starts with the engine box open and used the permanently mounted start button on the engine. I even mounted the choke below at the nav station. This way I could see and monitor the systems when starting. Once I decided everything was OK and she idled without the choke I would close her up and be on my way, with no worries!!
I think that if your worried about everything you should get things upgraded until you trust the motor more than the monitoring and enjoy the ride or sail.
Dave Neptune
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