i messed up

I let my motor overheat and the cabin filled with smoke. doi buy another a4 ? try to fix the old one? Get a reconditioned a4?? buy a diesel????? I am a newbe and do not have unlimited funds
???

What does over heat mean? Gasket blown, engine stop running abrumply or something fell off?

I am A4 fan, they are so easy to keep running. Most problem with marine engines are caused by the same as motorcycles. We don't really use them on a regular bases and for sailboats not very long.

If you haven't already, check out the community forum at http://www.moyermarine.com

I am at both sites almost everyday. Both have good solid information.

mark

Hi,

we need more info. But the short answer is fix the A4. Does it turn over? What color was the smoke? Did you not open the water inlet for cooling? Any fluids leaking out? Did you see where the smoke came from?

These things are pretty robust, and if you didn't seize/warp/crack it, you are probably OK.

Sorry to hear your overheating problem. As to your choices, I would first find out the damage to the engine before thinking about replacing, swaping etc. I hope that you or a local mechanic can determine if your engine can be fixed in place, head gasket replacement, cooling system parts can be done with the engine in place. If not repairable in place, then a running/rebuilt A4 might be the easiest fix. Swapping to the a diesel would probably more expensive as other related things MAY have to be changed, fuel filters, engine beds, maybe even the fuel tank. I made the A4 to diesel swap about 19 years ago, love it, better hours per gallon etc. BUT, I miss the smoother, quieter power of the A4 (compared to my current diesel). Best advice I have is take a few deep breaths, get the total damaged assessed and start listing your options and costs to determine your best path. Good Luck!

I agree, it may not be as bad as you think. It is probably not a total loss. Get to the Moyer site ASAP.