Sea Scout Ship Hurricane 1661 needs Help.

[nhoj4782]

Hello,
I am working with the SSS Hurricane here in Port Orchard Wa. We have a 28 foot 1972 Columbia sailboat with an Atomic 4. We are in the process of remodeling the cabin. Our engine is getting tired, it smokes a fair amount, and we would like to upgrade to a better engine. It would be great if we got the boat remodeled and had a nice engine to power it.
Is there anyone here in the Puget Sound region that could give us a lead for a decent running Atomic 4. We do have some funds but not a lot and we could save a lot of shipping if the engine was within driving range.
What do you say? Anyone out there have any help for the Sea Scouts? We could use some help.
Thanks,
John

[marthur]

Do you think the Sea Scouts would like to overhaul your motor? You might save some money and give them a good experience. Perhaps you could find a marine mechanic or Chandler that would sponsor the project and provide some technical expertise.

In the mean time, good luck! Mike

[Mo]

marther ...great idea. MMI manual a must. These engines require periodic maintenance and I think a group of young sailors could do the overhaul and gain an intimate knowledge of the engine.

[sastanley]

John, keep an eye on Craigslist..I see motors from time to time..FYI - a full engine is 310 lbs...so as you noted, shipping would not be cheap.

Good Luck!

[nhoj4782]

Do you think the Sea Scouts would like to overhaul your motor? You might save some money and give them a good experience. Perhaps you could find a marine mechanic or Chandler that would sponsor the project and provide some technical expertise.

In the mean time, good luck! Mike

We are considering an overhaul. We are thinking a second engine would be handy while we are fixing the other one. We would like to keep the ship running while we are working the engine.
Thanks
John

[sastanley]

John, no offense, but it is a sailboat. teach 'em how to dock under sail!

[CalebD]

John,
Welcome to the MMI forum.
Some tasks you should consider doing before you commit to a take out, tear down and re-build:
- change oil (if not already done)
- squirt Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders and rotate the engine
- acid wash of cooling system
- drain carb of old gas and water separator filter and inspect for crud in fuel line
- pump out existing gas tank into 5 gal jugs to examine for sludge or crud floating underneath the gas.
- inspect or replace impeller on raw water pump

You have come to the right place for free advice on the Atomic 4 on the web. You will be helped through it, so keep posting.

[nhoj4782]

John, no offense, but it is a sailboat. teach 'em how to dock under sail!

I belive it would take a long time if there is no wind. I let the skipper worry about that.

[nhoj4782]

John,
Welcome to the MMI forum.
Some tasks you should consider doing before you commit to a take out, tear down and re-build:
- change oil (if not already done)
- squirt Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders and rotate the engine
- acid wash of cooling system
- drain carb of old gas and water separator filter and inspect for crud in fuel line
- pump out existing gas tank into 5 gal jugs to examine for sludge or crud floating underneath the gas.
- inspect or replace impeller on raw water pump

You have come to the right place for free advice on the Atomic 4 on the web. You will be helped through it, so keep posting.

Our Skipper is an auto mechanic and says he has tried the MMO. I believe he has done most of the maintenance things. Last year we installed a heat exchanger to keep the salt water out of the block. We are slowly eliminating the problems as we find them. I think we need to crack it open to take a look. Skipper thinks the valve guides are worn and allowing oil to get into the cylinders causing the smoke.
Thanks
John

[Will Jacocks]

I don't think you will get that much oil through the valve guides as the valve seats are above the guides. But, if the guides are worn enough... I wouldn't put it past needing a ring job.

[nhoj4782]

Well team we decided to crack our engine open. One of the reasons it was running ragged might be the 3 broken valve springs. The engine looks good otherwise. Stay tuned.

[Laker]

The three broken valve springs may be good news , if in fact that accounts for most of your operational problems. They are small , inexpensive parts. Replacing the springs and keepers will be a good exercise in concentration and patience for your scouts. Do I assume correctly that you pulled the engine?

Fellow Columbia owner.

[Will Jacocks]

Don't just replace the three, replace all 8 for better longer life. I would not be surprised if you have a valve that may be sticking too. Clean them all up and the galleys as well when you pull them.

[nhoj4782]

The engine is the one we swapped out a couple of years ago. I have a friend looking it over. He is tearing it down and I think we might just rebuild it if we don't find any major problems or real big ticket items.

[nhoj4782]

Hurricane Update

Hello gang,
Well we got the engine all cleaned up and in to the machine shop for a magnaflux. We now know the block has a couple of cracks between some of the head studs between the cylinders. The head has a hole under all the rust into the water jacket. As a result we now have a slew of good parts with no place to put them. We are in need of a good block and head to rebuild.
Does anyone have any leads? We are located up here in the Puget Sound area.
Thanks
John