On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 19:31:18 -0700, martin v pool
wrote:

I have bought a 30 year old sailboat with an atomic 4 engine. It ran
last fall but was not properly winterized. How do I check it while its
in drydock? Thoughts on replacement if its cooked?

Check the compression. If the compression looks ok, more than likely
it's good to go for another season.

Cylinders three and four tend to have sticky valves due to exhaust
water getting back into the back of the manifold. If you have no
compression in either of those cylinders, a stuck valve is probably
the cause. You can squirt a little Marvel Mystery oil into the
cylinder and let it soak. Just the right sized allen wrench can be
stuck through the plug hole and slid over the stuck valve. Tap the
valve free. Turn the engine over and see if the valve sticks again.
Repeat until the valve no longer sticks. Old timers used to ad MMO to
the gas, but how much I don't remember.

A real weak point on those engines is the electrical system. Not a
bad idea to change out the coil, points, plugs, condenser, rotor,
rotor cap and and plug wires.

Also, the carb tends to get gummed up. A rebuild, or cleaning, is
more than likely in order. A4s like to be choked when starting, even
if they are warm. If the engine will sputter along while the choke is
on, but not when you turn it off, you've got a clogged carb.

Not a bad engine, but they take "lots" of attention. You should be
personally very aware of how to maintaint both the fuel and ignition
systems.

For some reason A4s seem to get a big thrill of not starting when
you're about to go under a draw bridge. At that point they're about
as useful as the information Jax gave you in another post.

bb