Dear A4ers,
I am new to the forum, this is my first post. I am on a cruise from Florida to Maine and back (we are in Gloucester,MA at the moment) with my family and our (so far) trusty A4 suddenly stopped working.
We own a custom built 1975 IOR 3/4 Ton sailboat. She has an Atomic 4 with a V-drive. The A4 is a relatively recent (installed either in 2009 or 2010) rebuilt engine from Moyer Marine with all the possible options (fwc, electric fuel pump, etc.) The engine has always started right up and ran like a clockwork until 1 month ago. One morning in Tenants Harbour, ME the engine refused to start. When I turned the ignition I heard the loud click from the starter, but then nothing happened. A closer inspection showed that the propeller was not fouled (turned freely in neutral), there was sufficient power (also tried a second fully charged battery) to the starter and it engaged, but the flywheel did not turn at all. Since that day I did all the possible tests I could think of (removing the spark plugs to check for water in the cylinders, removing the starter to have access to the flywheel and tried to turn it with a big screwdriver, etc). It seems that the engine is stuck, and it will not turn over. The flywheel does not move AT ALL. When the started engages it is like hitting a wall. I discussed the issue with two mechanics, and both suggested independently that there is some internal failure in the engine and it must come out of the boat (access is VERY limited) and disassembled. So before I make a major decision to remove and fix/replace the engine here are my questions to the experts:
- Are there any other tests that I could carry out to locate the possible cause why the engine does not turn over?
- What is the most probable cause? One mechanic suggested a broken crakshaft...
- What is the best place to get the engine fixed along the East coast South of Boston?
- Should I undertake the disassembly of the engine myself, or pay a mechanic, or get a rebuilt engine from MoM? When I inquired about the price of removing the engine, disassembling it, getting the parts etc. in a boatyard, they said I might be better off by getting a rebuilt engine from MoM and simply swap the two. I am wondering how difficult it would be to do the work myself. I am certainly not a mechanic, but I undertook some engine work before (mostly on my cars and diesel engines in my sailboats). Usually tasks with medium difficulty like rebuilding a water pump, overhauling the hydraulic system of an old Citroen, etc. I never removed the head of an engine before. On the other hand I don't have much to loose. If I mess it up, I can still get a rebuilt MoM engine. I have the MoM overhaul manual and it seems pretty detailed.
Sorry for the long post and as usual I appreciate your input.
Have a good day ,
Denes
I am new to the forum, this is my first post. I am on a cruise from Florida to Maine and back (we are in Gloucester,MA at the moment) with my family and our (so far) trusty A4 suddenly stopped working.
We own a custom built 1975 IOR 3/4 Ton sailboat. She has an Atomic 4 with a V-drive. The A4 is a relatively recent (installed either in 2009 or 2010) rebuilt engine from Moyer Marine with all the possible options (fwc, electric fuel pump, etc.) The engine has always started right up and ran like a clockwork until 1 month ago. One morning in Tenants Harbour, ME the engine refused to start. When I turned the ignition I heard the loud click from the starter, but then nothing happened. A closer inspection showed that the propeller was not fouled (turned freely in neutral), there was sufficient power (also tried a second fully charged battery) to the starter and it engaged, but the flywheel did not turn at all. Since that day I did all the possible tests I could think of (removing the spark plugs to check for water in the cylinders, removing the starter to have access to the flywheel and tried to turn it with a big screwdriver, etc). It seems that the engine is stuck, and it will not turn over. The flywheel does not move AT ALL. When the started engages it is like hitting a wall. I discussed the issue with two mechanics, and both suggested independently that there is some internal failure in the engine and it must come out of the boat (access is VERY limited) and disassembled. So before I make a major decision to remove and fix/replace the engine here are my questions to the experts:
- Are there any other tests that I could carry out to locate the possible cause why the engine does not turn over?
- What is the most probable cause? One mechanic suggested a broken crakshaft...
- What is the best place to get the engine fixed along the East coast South of Boston?
- Should I undertake the disassembly of the engine myself, or pay a mechanic, or get a rebuilt engine from MoM? When I inquired about the price of removing the engine, disassembling it, getting the parts etc. in a boatyard, they said I might be better off by getting a rebuilt engine from MoM and simply swap the two. I am wondering how difficult it would be to do the work myself. I am certainly not a mechanic, but I undertook some engine work before (mostly on my cars and diesel engines in my sailboats). Usually tasks with medium difficulty like rebuilding a water pump, overhauling the hydraulic system of an old Citroen, etc. I never removed the head of an engine before. On the other hand I don't have much to loose. If I mess it up, I can still get a rebuilt MoM engine. I have the MoM overhaul manual and it seems pretty detailed.
Sorry for the long post and as usual I appreciate your input.
Have a good day ,
Denes
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