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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? - Top
- 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
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