:
- 5.
We recently purchased a 28 Newport with an Atomic 4. We were told
the engine hasn't run in two years. What steps do you recommend
to prevent any damage to the engine as we prepare to bring it
back to life?
Two years is
not all that long for an Atomic 4 to be idle. Nonetheless, here
are a few steps to help get it off to a good start:
1) Check for good quality oil (30 weight, or 10-30) up to the full
mark on the dipstick.
2) Put several squirts of Marvel Mystery Oil in each spark plug
hole (aiming the spout of the can away from the manifold side of
the engine) so that most of the oil will reach the cylinder bores.
Then rotate the engine on the starter while holding your thumb over
each spark plug hole. There should be enough compression produced
at each cylinder to make it virtually impossible to hold your thumb
over any of the spark plug holes.
3) Remove the main passage plug from the bottom of the carburetor
and operate the fuel pump to move some fuel through the entire fuel
system, and catch it in a jar below the carburetor. A couple pints
should be enough to insure that the fuel is flowing perfectly clean.
Then reinstall the plug and operate the fuel pump again until the
carburetor is charged with fuel.
4) Remove the distributor cap and clean off the contact surfaces
of the points.
5) Turn the engine over until the points are closed (It will be
easier to rotate the engine if the spark plugs are removed). Then
turn the ignition switch "ON"; while holding the secondary coil
lead approximately 1/4" from the head, flick the points open and
closed. Each time the points are opened, there should be a good
secondary spark observed between the coil lead and the head.
Assuming that these checks all went without incident, you have confirmed
that you have adequate compression, fuel to (and through) the carburetor,
a good secondary discharge available and ready for delivery to each
cylinder, and your engine should be ready to start.
In the event that you are relatively new to the Atomic 4, Here are
a few tips on starting technique:
1) "Pumping the throttle" is totally ineffective in starting the
Atomic 4. Since there is no accelerator pump within the carburetor,
pumping the throttle has absolutely no effect on anything in terms
of supplying more or less fuel to the engine.
2) If your engine tries to start, but falters and stops as soon
as you stop cranking on the starter, it is likely simply not getting
enough fuel to work itself out of the idle range and into the lower
range of the main discharge nozzle of the carburetor (which occurs
around 1000 RPM). After an engine is warmed up, it will tend to
start OK in idle, but cold engines seldom will start and run within
the idle range. They need to start and warm up in the lower range
of the main discharge nozzle before they can be brought back to
idle.
3) The best setting for the throttle during starting is solidly
off of the idle stop, so as to uncover both idle ports and get you
into the "off idle" range of operation. It's somewhat better to
err on the high side in terms of throttle setting. If your engine
ends up racing the instant that it starts, you can back off a little
on the throttle setting during future starts.
As soon as the engine starts, check for oil pressure leveling out
at 40 psi or above (engine still cold), and for a good flow of water
out of the exhaust. In a normal cooling system, there should be
enough water flowing through the engine so that it builds up a bit
of head as the exhaust pressure builds up enough to blow the water
out of the back of the boat. This creates a "batching" effect at
idle, as water moves through the exhaust system. - Updated: January
10, 2004
