Checklist for a troublefree spring startup

[Don Moyer]

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but folks who have a passion for almost anything invariably end up having a dream on the subject. For me, each year I dream of getting from where we are now (just starting down the backside of winter) safely into the sailing season without a single case of engine cooling water backing up and trashing the combustion chambers and carburetor of a single Atomic 4.

Since overcranking a hard-starting engine is the most common cause of this annual ritual of sea water intrusion, I've tried to come up with as many causes of engines not starting as possible in the following checklist. Assuming that you have decent access to your carburetor, all of the items in the checklist will take much less time to accomplish than cleaning a gallon or two of sea water out of your engine.

If you're in the position of having to go through your spring start-up without the benefit of a helper, it would be an excellent idea to pick up a remote starter button at your local parts store. Remote starters connect to the big battery cable on the starter solenoid and the small "S" terminal directly below, and they permit you to run the starter directly from the engine compartment whenever necessary during the following procedure.

CHECKLIST FOR A TROUBLEFREE SPRING STARTUP:

1) Recheck to confirm the the raw water through-hull closed (please).

2) Compression: Remove the spark plugs, and hold your thumb over each plug hole while turning the engine over a couple times on the starter. Compression should be sufficient to blow past your thumb, no matter how hard you hold it over the plug holes.

3) Ignition: With the plugs still removed, remove the coil lead from the center of the distributor cap, and hold it about 1/4 inch from the head while turning the engine over another second or so. A healthy ignition system should produce a secondary discharge between the coil lead and the head of 1/2 inch or so. If you have a conventional ignition system, we recommend taking a small piece of cardboard (e.g., from the back of a writing tablet) and rubbing it between the contacts of your points. This will remove any thin film of corrosion that might have formed over the winter and greatly improve the strength of your spark.

4) Fuel: Remove the 1/2 inch hex-headed main passage plug from the bottom of the carburetor, and catch the fuel in a small clean glass jar. Check the fuel for being free of water and dirt. Dispose of the fuel, and while the plug is still removed, pump another pint or so of fuel into the jar, and again check for being free of water and dirt. Reinstall the main passage plug, and operate the fuel pump sufficiently to recharge the carburetor float chamber.

Depending on access around the carburetor, step number 4 may be impossible to accomplish. This would be unfortunate, because ensuring the presence of clean water-free fuel within the carburetor is one of the most essential steps in most any troubleshooting exercise. As a practical matter, if you've accomplished the first three steps in this checklist and your engine should refuse to start this spring (or at any other time for that matter), you'll have little choice but to claw your way into the carburetor at that time, poor access notwithstanding. For this reason, many people install an access panel in whatever bulkhead is in front of the carburetor. In fact, if this is your situation, there should be enough down-time remaining this winter to take on the project of installing such an access panel.

5) Start the engine, and immediately open the through-hull after the engine starts. Remember that episodes of sea water backwashing into the engine from overcranking can really only happen if the first two steps in your normal starting sequence are: (1) Open through-hull, (2) Start engine. In this scenario, you have to remember to re-close the through-hull before moving on to troubleshoot the reason for the engine not starting. If the first two steps are: (1) Start engine, (2) Open through-hull, the through-hull is already closed as you head off to deal with the fact that your engine isn't starting.

In support of starting with the through-hull open or closed, I would offer one general concept that I remember from my days of flying airplanes, which is that pilots most often screw things up while dealing with an abnormal sequence of events. Simply stated, if your day is going well, and things are falling into place normally, you're far less apt to forget important items involved in any given activity. The minute something abnormal turns up (like an engine not starting) we tend to be distracted into a problem-solving mode to deal with whatever it is that's abnormal, and we're far less likely to remember other important things (like closing the raw water through-hull before starting to troubleshoot an engine problem).

A FEW OTHER SPRING START-UP ITEMS:

Our service and overhaul manual lists numerous preventative maintenance items for each major system of the engine. Below are a few of the more important of these items to consider this spring, in case you're just getting started on a regular maintenance program. These items are selected for their high benefit versus very low time to execute:

Ignition system:

1) Inspect the negative lead from the coil to the points for general condition, looseness, and continuity.

2) Check the small mounting screw in the base of the condenser for tightness.

3) Check the coil for indications of oil leaks, excessive rust or physical damage. Since the condition of coils is very difficult to inspect for reliability (particularly in the case of internal damage caused by excessive heat), a spare coil is recommended.

4) Clean and reinstall spark plugs, or replace with Champion No. 592 (previously No. RJ12C) plugs. Set plug gap to .035 inches.

NOTE: In response to quite a few requests for an alternative to Champion RJ12C plugs, we will be adding Autolite spark plugs to our online catalog within a week or so. The new Autolite plugs have specifications very similar to the Champion, except that they will have a slightly higher heat range. For this reason, the Autolites may perform a bit better in engines that, for whatever reason, tend to foul plugs faster than normal.

5) Re-check the ignition for proper timing by carefully rotating the distributor a small amount in each direction to find the point of highest RPM, and then re-secure the hold-down bracket. This check is best done after launch with the engine fully warmed up and at your favorite cruising power setting.

6) Check the plug wires for signs of cracking or rubbed spots.

Cooling system:

1) Replace the water pump impeller if it has not been replaced in the past 200 engine-hours. Our manual calls for the impeller to be replaced every two years or 200 hours which ever comes first. If you've been operating in water that is relatively free of sediment, you can easily extend the time interval to three seasons of service (changing before the fourth season).

2) Remove the thermostat and clean by soaking it in household vinegar for a day or two.

Fuel system:

1) An inline fuel filter (1 or 2 micron) is recommended directly ahead of the carburetor. These filters serve as final polishing filters and provide excellent protection against dirt fouling the float valve, thereby greatly lessening the chance of fuel flooding the float chamber and dripping out of the intake throat and into the bilge. These filters get our vote for representing the best investment that you can make in the interest of safety.

2) Change or service the main fuel filter (following the manufacturer's recommendations) at least once each year, preferably during spring startup.

3) Clean out the sediment bowl on mechanical fuel pumps once each year, preferably during spring startup.

4) Replace the inline filter once each 5 years. (This frequency can be increased if the fuel pump sediment bowl is difficult to service).

Best wishes for a successful spring startup and wonderfully creative 2006 season from the entire MMI team.

Don and Brenda Moyer