Introduction of myself and my engine

[Ogitec]

Good afternoon Mariners, name is Brad but my handle is Ogitec or Ogi for short. I 'inherited' a Paceship P29 that has been neglected over the years and I am in the process of bringing it back from the grave. Figured I will be making a few posts over the next few weeks as I work on the atomic 4 engine and want to make my introduction post.

[ndutton]

Welcome Brad. Can you tell us a little of your general engine wrenching background?

[Ogitec]

Thank you ndutton,

I am a plumber by trade and a tinkerer by passion. I have rebuilt several outboards, small engines and a couple motorcycles. Just making use of resources like old books, internet, youtube and forums such as this one. When I first encountered this Paceship, I did some research on the engine first and came across these forums. I would have to say, if it was not for the large and genuine community you guys have on these forums, I would not have taken the project on. Old motors found in the state I found mine tend to be several-ton lawn ornaments when you lack the support to follow through with the resurrection. I have no interest in the engines I know, its the ones I do not that I love pulling apart and learning about. And the thrill off hearing it fire up after being dormant is unparalleled. As an intro to my project, here are a few pics showing the state at which this motor came to me. Please note the 2ft of ice I found in the hull of the ship. In the pics the motor was in the process of being slowly thawed out. As far as I could figure out, the motor has not run in about 17 years. The batteries inside were dated from the early 2000's.

[ndutton]

Okie Dokie. It's been a popular subject the past few days but here we are again. Given the freeze aspect the engine's cooling system should be pressure tested to determine if it's intact. It's an easy test to do, costs almost nothing. You'll have a good idea pretty quick if this engine can be resurrected.

[JOHN COOKSON]

If you do decide to tear the engine down and rebuild it be sure to buy a copy of the Moyer manual. Available at the Moyer on line store.

TRUE GRIT

[Ogitec]

I actually hit the jackpot as I was cleaning out the cabin. I found the original maintenance manual and a detailed log of everything that has been done on the Atomic 4. Thank you ndutton, I will definitely be doing a pressure test this week. I have a few things that will decide whether or not I pull the chute and abandon ship. I am not keen to pull motor out and work on it from the bench. With an offer made by a local marine mechanic, certain engine failures will likely send me in that direction. Luckily the engine is not seized as my first test was to see if it would crank at all. I did a pressure test on the cylinders, however, 1 & 2 built no pressure. I will be pulling the valve cover off this week and praying I see stuck valves. First purchase will be Moyer's full gasket kit (GASK_01_140) along with a jug of MMO. I will post in the Electrical section of this forum about my initial test of the pistons and how it lead to me pulling apart and cleaning my starter.

[ndutton]

That's encouraging, the engine is not seized. If we can determine there is no breach of the water jacket you'll have a lot to work with. Zero compression is usually stuck valves.

[tenders]

Love that v-drive, I have the same setup. If you can get her up and running you'll find most of the engine very easy to work with. Fogging the air intake in the fall, and removing the carburetor, are challenges in my case, but everything else is straightforward.

[Ogitec]

I am definitely loving her more and more. I just put the pressure to the water jacket and it held at 60 psi for an hour. Its a bit much, I am aware, but I was getting hissing initially and was tired of getting to the leak as it was fizzling out. I plugged the outlet hose from the pump so I could test the just the jacket without the pump and v-drive. All hoses are going to be replaced (as a precaution). I was getting alot of hissing from pump, however the seal looks wrong so I will investigate that. Only worry I have right now is pressure test down to the seacock, I will replace hoses and re-test in the following days. In the interim, I will next remove the carb & fuel pump for cleaning and inspection as well as to prepare to remove the manifold and valve cover. Wish me luck! Just a few photos of my testing





I am curious as to the water being brought through the transmission. I assume this offers some sort of cooling system for the v-drive?

[ndutton]

60# for an hour?? Oh Lordy, give your engine a hug because it's a good one.

[edwardc]

I am curious as to the water being brought through the transmission. I assume this offers some sort of cooling system for the v-drive?

Yes, the cooling line is a straight shot thru the oil sump of the V-drive.
I have the V-drive manual if you're interested.

[Ken Rockwell]

Engine looks good. Just wondering about that plate where the exhaust usually comes out.

[edwardc]

Because V-drive engines sit backwards, the exhaust is usually taken off the opposite end of the manifold. The OEM manifolds came in a "left handed" and "right handed" version to accommodate this, but the MMI manifold is "ambidextrous", with a plate closing off the unused port.

[zellerj]

oil fill

I like the oil fill location on the transmision cover. I have a Catalina 30 and I always find it awkward to fill my A4 with oil at the fly wheel end. The transmission cover is easier to get to.

[sastanley]

Ogi, you are in good hands here. Carry on.

Jim I bought a combo long neck funnel kit from Wally World that helps with getting oil in the motor via the front oil thingie on the C-30. It looks like this.