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Hey all -
Glad to be part of the community!
I’ve learned a ton through accessing various topics in the past to figure stuff out on my 76 Ranger 33’ Sail with Atomic 4 fresh water cooled engine. Now, I need a little more help….as “I don’t know what I don’t know”.
My issues started about a year and a half ago with a hard start. Took 5-10 minutes to get it to start. In the process, I left the thru-hull open to raw water and on examination of the oil later, found it looked milky.
Following the forums advice (Don Moyer), I changed the oil a few times thinking I had ingested it in the hard start setting. Problem is, there is still prescience of water (or something else) getting in the oil.
In starting up this spring, I had planned to pump it out again and start to investigate further. I started up the boat a few times over the last couple of months, only to find about a month ago, it wouldn’t start. I went through checking the batteries, checked if I had spark in the plugs (yes and changed them), checked compression (1 & 2 are at about 85-90 and 3 & 4 are at about 55-65 psi…so low on two of them….yet appears it should start with these numbers) and then led me to check the carburetor.
Pulled the carb and found it was really dirty. Intake has a brown colored substance on it (rust?) and a little was present in the flame arrestor area. All the jets were plugged with a bunch of gunk. In seeing this, instead of just cleaning and throwing on the engine, given the other issues, I determined to get to the root issue.
Everything I have read is pointing to some failure of a head gasket, head or block leak. Am I thinking right? The only other thing I can think of is some sort of blockage in the exhaust.
Other symptoms I’ve experienced include seeing smoke due to overheating sporadically from the rear water exhaust, loss of power in motoring once (about 1 1/2 years ago), some oil residue/leakage near the exhaust manifold exit of the engine area, failure of the fresh water pump (replaced 4 years ago from Moyer marine) and temperature gauge showing high heat at startup (believe its a failure of the sending unit or thermostat).
I’ve started pulling things apart to get to visually inspect the cause of these issues, but don’t want to go too far needlessly. I’ll post pictures and hopefully from what you SEE and I DESCRIBE you’ll be able to assist, as I’m really a novice.
Here’s what I‘ve done so far:
I pulled the Heat Exchanger and inspected it and noticed a little oil in the presence of the coolant. Not sure if this was from when the fresh water pump failed or something new. I didn’t flush the system when replacing the pump previously. I was really negligent…not knowing you need to change the anodes in this thing either. In inspecting it and flushing it out, it seems like it’s in good shape with none of the chambers compromised.
I pulled the Carburetor and cleaned with carb cleaner with new gaskets on order.
I started removing the head nuts on the engine. Snapped one on the thermostat housing, the others the nuts came off with the exception of two where the whole studs came out.
Question: On pulling the studs, one of the holes filled up with coolant. Is this normal or does it indicate a compromising in the block or something else? Also, in cleaning out the thermostat, housing and reservoir, it seems there is a brown substance. Is this oil or something else? Again, what does this reveal?
I started removing the exhaust manifold, but can get off one of the screws to that connects the flange to the exhaust (need to bring a different tool and shrink like ant man to get at it
. I’ve pulled it away the engine as far as I can and it appears there is rust-like debris and fluid around the area the carb attaches to the intake.
My big question, where should I be focusing my attention given all the symptoms and images? Or is more needed?
Link to images: https://share.icloud.com/photos/001O...pwbSNIBnTOozAA
Thanks for any support you’re able to give!
Glad to be part of the community!
I’ve learned a ton through accessing various topics in the past to figure stuff out on my 76 Ranger 33’ Sail with Atomic 4 fresh water cooled engine. Now, I need a little more help….as “I don’t know what I don’t know”.
My issues started about a year and a half ago with a hard start. Took 5-10 minutes to get it to start. In the process, I left the thru-hull open to raw water and on examination of the oil later, found it looked milky.
Following the forums advice (Don Moyer), I changed the oil a few times thinking I had ingested it in the hard start setting. Problem is, there is still prescience of water (or something else) getting in the oil.
In starting up this spring, I had planned to pump it out again and start to investigate further. I started up the boat a few times over the last couple of months, only to find about a month ago, it wouldn’t start. I went through checking the batteries, checked if I had spark in the plugs (yes and changed them), checked compression (1 & 2 are at about 85-90 and 3 & 4 are at about 55-65 psi…so low on two of them….yet appears it should start with these numbers) and then led me to check the carburetor.
Pulled the carb and found it was really dirty. Intake has a brown colored substance on it (rust?) and a little was present in the flame arrestor area. All the jets were plugged with a bunch of gunk. In seeing this, instead of just cleaning and throwing on the engine, given the other issues, I determined to get to the root issue.
Everything I have read is pointing to some failure of a head gasket, head or block leak. Am I thinking right? The only other thing I can think of is some sort of blockage in the exhaust.
Other symptoms I’ve experienced include seeing smoke due to overheating sporadically from the rear water exhaust, loss of power in motoring once (about 1 1/2 years ago), some oil residue/leakage near the exhaust manifold exit of the engine area, failure of the fresh water pump (replaced 4 years ago from Moyer marine) and temperature gauge showing high heat at startup (believe its a failure of the sending unit or thermostat).
I’ve started pulling things apart to get to visually inspect the cause of these issues, but don’t want to go too far needlessly. I’ll post pictures and hopefully from what you SEE and I DESCRIBE you’ll be able to assist, as I’m really a novice.
Here’s what I‘ve done so far:
I pulled the Heat Exchanger and inspected it and noticed a little oil in the presence of the coolant. Not sure if this was from when the fresh water pump failed or something new. I didn’t flush the system when replacing the pump previously. I was really negligent…not knowing you need to change the anodes in this thing either. In inspecting it and flushing it out, it seems like it’s in good shape with none of the chambers compromised.
I pulled the Carburetor and cleaned with carb cleaner with new gaskets on order.
I started removing the head nuts on the engine. Snapped one on the thermostat housing, the others the nuts came off with the exception of two where the whole studs came out.
Question: On pulling the studs, one of the holes filled up with coolant. Is this normal or does it indicate a compromising in the block or something else? Also, in cleaning out the thermostat, housing and reservoir, it seems there is a brown substance. Is this oil or something else? Again, what does this reveal?
I started removing the exhaust manifold, but can get off one of the screws to that connects the flange to the exhaust (need to bring a different tool and shrink like ant man to get at it
. I’ve pulled it away the engine as far as I can and it appears there is rust-like debris and fluid around the area the carb attaches to the intake. My big question, where should I be focusing my attention given all the symptoms and images? Or is more needed?
Link to images: https://share.icloud.com/photos/001O...pwbSNIBnTOozAA
Thanks for any support you’re able to give!
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