Hello everyone! A quick history on my current situation:
I recently bought a 1974 32' Ericson with an A4 that had not been well taken care of. I knew much about sailing, but barely anything about boat engines, including the A4. Over the past month I have become familiar with her outside components, but not so much the internal workings. One of the most obvious problems was the corroded hot section of the exhaust. Figuring this would be one of the easier projects, (as long as the manifold bolts came out smoothly) I put myself to work.
I ran to the plumbing supply store and had them recreate the pipe section with black iron pipe and any brass they had in stock. After replacing it all I tried to start the engine, and noticed that it had seized up. My local mechanic said that the check valve was the problem, having succeeded in letting saltwater back into the engine, which froze her up. The only reason the previous check valve was acceptable was because it was so old and useless.
So now I am at a crossroads. The mechanic offered his services in helping me replace the motor with another that he has for sale. Just a few questions for you guys here though.
He is offering 2500 for the A4 in his shop. He tells me it has good compression and is in working condition, but I have been reading on here that there are specific measurements with compression and piston size that I should be looking for if I were to purchase this engine from him, and be satisfied with the price. What are these measurements exactly? If these measurements are in the manual Moyer offers from their store, I have that on the way so that would save you guys the time of explaining it all. What questions should I be asking him about this engine?
And for my old engine that I will be replacing, he offered to take it off my hands for the price of labor. I suspect I'll only really need him for hauling the engine in and out of the boat with a couple of necessary expert visits (500$ worth of time)
The old engine was in great working order before all this, so she must be worth more than just 500? I've been trying to find places with used A4s for sale to compare prices, but most posts are outdated and hard to pinpoint the exact condition of the engines.
Would I be better off buying the used A4 from the mechanic? Assuming it has good numbers, or is this guy just trying to take me? I see the rebuilt ones from Moyer, but my budget isn't allowing much more than 3500 for this project, which definitely limits my options. Also, if rebuilding the old engine after some saltwater intake is going to be a better option, that could also fit into the equation.
I REALLY appreciate you guys taking the time to look at my post. I've been a bit intimidated by all the knowledge in these forums, always seeming to miss something, and hesitating to post due to the fact that the knowledge must be out there somewhere, but this specific situation seems to call for some outside help. Thanks again!
-Alex
I recently bought a 1974 32' Ericson with an A4 that had not been well taken care of. I knew much about sailing, but barely anything about boat engines, including the A4. Over the past month I have become familiar with her outside components, but not so much the internal workings. One of the most obvious problems was the corroded hot section of the exhaust. Figuring this would be one of the easier projects, (as long as the manifold bolts came out smoothly) I put myself to work.
I ran to the plumbing supply store and had them recreate the pipe section with black iron pipe and any brass they had in stock. After replacing it all I tried to start the engine, and noticed that it had seized up. My local mechanic said that the check valve was the problem, having succeeded in letting saltwater back into the engine, which froze her up. The only reason the previous check valve was acceptable was because it was so old and useless.
So now I am at a crossroads. The mechanic offered his services in helping me replace the motor with another that he has for sale. Just a few questions for you guys here though.
He is offering 2500 for the A4 in his shop. He tells me it has good compression and is in working condition, but I have been reading on here that there are specific measurements with compression and piston size that I should be looking for if I were to purchase this engine from him, and be satisfied with the price. What are these measurements exactly? If these measurements are in the manual Moyer offers from their store, I have that on the way so that would save you guys the time of explaining it all. What questions should I be asking him about this engine?
And for my old engine that I will be replacing, he offered to take it off my hands for the price of labor. I suspect I'll only really need him for hauling the engine in and out of the boat with a couple of necessary expert visits (500$ worth of time)
The old engine was in great working order before all this, so she must be worth more than just 500? I've been trying to find places with used A4s for sale to compare prices, but most posts are outdated and hard to pinpoint the exact condition of the engines.
Would I be better off buying the used A4 from the mechanic? Assuming it has good numbers, or is this guy just trying to take me? I see the rebuilt ones from Moyer, but my budget isn't allowing much more than 3500 for this project, which definitely limits my options. Also, if rebuilding the old engine after some saltwater intake is going to be a better option, that could also fit into the equation.
I REALLY appreciate you guys taking the time to look at my post. I've been a bit intimidated by all the knowledge in these forums, always seeming to miss something, and hesitating to post due to the fact that the knowledge must be out there somewhere, but this specific situation seems to call for some outside help. Thanks again!
-Alex
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