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Hi everyone;
So I went out to start the engine, and it turned over and over, but no fire. I put new spark plugs in same thing. I call the guy from the marina, and he says the points are wet. To make a long story short, he says the L pipe in the exhast needs to be replaced and needs to take 10/12 hours pulling out the carberator to get at the thing. Has anyone had this happen, and any suggestions (other than pay the guy)? Thanks.
Sorry standard atomic 4.
Horace
Horace Henderson
76 MKIII Hull 665 - Newport RI
Last edited by (2007-09-07 05:42:20)
Hi Horace,
I'm not sure what you mean by the L pipe. I've never had to dig into to that. The carb I have taken out a couple times, once to clean and once to rebuild the choke. Also once before that I had the same problem you have and all it turn out to be was a loose nut on the choke cable. Atomic 4s need to be choked to start unless they are warm.
I don't know why he said the points were wet, I've never had wet points. I have had points that needed a touch of sandpaper to clear some burns off of them. I don't know how the points could get wet located where they are.
You said the mechanic wanted 10 and 1/2 hours to pull the carb. That is wrong. It only take about 15 minutes to pull the carb. You can do it yourself with a few wrenches after you turn off the fuel supply.
Now I'm going to ignore any L pipe issues that you might have to deal with and concentrate on how to get your A-4 running.
You need 3 things to start an engine, 1 compressed air, 2 a properly timed spark from the spark plug, 3 fuel in the combustion chamber.
First make sure you choke plate turns via the choke cable. That being done make sure you have spark at the plugs by pulling one and grounding the base (bottom part) to a ground. Needless to say you need to make sure an errant spark isn't going to ignite any fumes in your bilge. If you don't have spark try cleaning the points or replacing them. Hint, its easier to clean then replace the points as replacing them means retimimg and spacing the points to get the correct dwell angle etc. Now if possible check the compression on all cylinders you should have 110-130 PSI. If you don't have 110-130 you have bigger problems then you think.
If all above is good and you have fuel in the tank, crank the motor and it should start. If not look at the plugs again. If the plugs are dry then you have a plug/clogged fuel supply or a bad fuel pump. Now is where it gets dangerous, disconnect the fuel supply and crank the motor is you get fuel then you need to clean/rebuild the carb. If not then you need to replace/rebuild the fuel pump or check the filters if you have any.
If you have a working choke, spark, compression and wet plugs you might have a lot of water in your tank. Then you will need to drain or siphon off the fuel and refuel with good gas. Some people have had mixed success with adding dry gas to get rid of water in the tank but I haven't. On another boat where I could get to the bottom of a fuel tank I once drained off a quart/liter of water out of a 60 gallon tank.
As I have only addressed the issue of not starting maybe some one else can help you with the L pipe. Has anyone ever replaced theirs and how long did it take?
Best regards,
Johnon Lake Erie
Last edited by (2007-09-07 05:45:36)
Hi John;
Thanks for the info. The engine is running fine now, the only issue is the missing length of tubing from the "L pipe". I'm going down tonight, so will be able to check on it myself. The idea (I think) is that I need to get at the "L pipe" to replace the hose that has rotted. I looked at Dave's pics of his new exhaust and as suspected it is radically different than mine. I'll let you know how I fare. Thanks.
Horace
Horace.
I am not sure how you would get wet points from a broken exhaust pipe. However, with Atomic 4s, it is possible if you crank the engine a lot without starting water will be sucked into the exhaust through the raw cooling water intake and into the engine. You could then end up with wet spark plugs. You should check your oil and if it is milky, not clear you have had some water back up into the engine and have water in your oil. If you do have water in the oil, you should change the oil immediately. Since an A4 oil change leaves a bit of oil behind every time, you would have to do 2-3 oil changes to get rid of the water.
You should check out the website and discussion forum for Moyer Marine that has detailed information on exhaust systems for the A4. There would probably be information on the type of exhaust you have.
Greg Tokarz, Nepenthe, Mk1 Hull #73
Greg Tokarz,
Nepenthe, C&C 27 Mk1, Hull #73
National Yacht Club, Toronto
Offline
The wet points and failed exhaust were actually two seperate things. The engine is running quite nicely now. The exhaust on the other hand is still an issue. After opening both external storage lockers and getting plenty of light on everything, all is clear. The elbow is very rusty and would take a great deal of WD-40 and a lot of patience to get out. Oh well, I'll have all winter very soon<IMG src="http://www.cc27association.com/f3/toast/emoticons/icon_cry.gif" border=0>.
Horace Henderson
76 MKIII Hull 665 - Newport RI
Ah, that is clear now. Good luck with the exhaust system. If you haven't already, you should check out the discussion forum on the Moyer Marine website - a good source of Atomic 4 wisdom. Lots of info on all kinds of repair issues including exhausts.
Greg Tokarz, Nepenthe, Mk1 Hull #73
Greg Tokarz,
Nepenthe, C&C 27 Mk1, Hull #73
National Yacht Club, Toronto
Offline
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