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Newbie. Ericson 35 MKII. Atomic 4 issues. Feeling discouraged. Need Advice. Help.

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
The more you try things on your own...suddenly you see that these things are actually pretty easy to do.

What works is just to plunge in hands-first.

+2

I know a big-flat-nuthin' about marine engines. Was never a car guy. No history of wrenching on stuff from the deck down.

So when, a year or so back, my diesel made a horrendous screeching noise and stopped running... my first reaction was "oh, crap, that sounds like it's going to cost a crap-ton of money".

I did what I knew how to do.... I checked and made sure it had oil and coolant, the temp gauge was in the nominal range, there was no smoke, there was no oil or fuel or water in the bilge, etc... and then I asked for help. Several forum members took a look and told me - in about 10 seconds - that my coolant pump had siezed, the screeching noise was the belt torturing itself on the now-stuck pulley, and that I'd need to replace the pump and the belt.

So, while my second reaction was relief that I hadn't somehow fried my motor, my third reaction was "hiring someone to replace that pump still sounds like its going to cost a crap-ton of money".

Turns out, it didn't. Forum-members gave me great guidance on how to pull the old pump, find the right part number(s) for the replacement, do a good job with gaskets and hoses and such, and install the new one. Ended up doing it all myself... and now I not only know how, I know a little more about my motor and I know what to look for if that ever noise ever happens again.

I have - over time, - figured out how to change my oil and flush my coolant, change the zincs in my heat exchanger, bleed my fuel system, adjust belt tension, etc, etc, etc. And I've learned along the way how to "triage" things... like, when something happens, try to form a theory about what it is, then change ONE thing to test that theory, and use that info to move forward with a plan. So while I'm still at kindergarten level on engine things.... I'm learning.

You will, too.

Bruce
 

DeFranco84

Member I
I cannot Thank you all enough!! I am so happy to report that she is up and running!!! The mechanic and i had to remount and install the fuel pump that thge fist incompetent mechanic botched. We installed the pump onto the block did all the proper wiring and then installed the new carb and we were up and purring!! We re gonna do a tune up with new spark plugs, distributor cap and oil change this weekend! Thanks again everyone!!!!
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
That's what makes this site so great! A problem that seemed insurmountable and potentially expensive generated very helpful replies and advice, and now it's fixed! :egrin:
Good work!
Frank
 

DeFranco84

Member I
That's what makes this site so great! A problem that seemed insurmountable and potentially expensive generated very helpful replies and advice, and now it's fixed! :egrin:
Good work!
Frank


I am so grateful! I cant thank Christian Williams enough for referring me to this site! So happy and excited to join the ericson community!!!

Another stupid question. I was thinking of adding a dodger and bimini some time in the future. Dimension wise would a dodger from a benetuea fit? I know i ll have to measure. Was just wondering if anyone had Ericson 35 MkII bimini and dodger dimensions off hand. The one below is a great price. If it fit i Would grab it.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bpo/6859703314.html
 

DeFranco84

Member I
Kevin,

Our amateur knowledge of engines and such will always be incomplete--although occasionally more complete that the guy you hire.

What works is just to plunge in hands-first, skin knuckles, and see what happens. But what if you break something? What if you can't get it back together?

Then hire the professional. Such an approach takes the anxiety out. And most of the time we muddle through, even the first time.

Thank you Christian and thank you for pointing me to this forum. Im Eager to dive in and learn as much as i can. Philosophy of sailing is in my ciriculum :)
 

DeFranco84

Member I
Back to being discouraged:( . I had a guy come to give me a tune up and oil change today. First thing we did when on board was fire her up and she fired right up in a second. He replaced my plugs and cap and set points and now I’m getting no spark. He spent 4 hours there and couldn’t figure it out. I have my original guy that helped me getting her going with the pump and carb coming tomorrow. He said he can most likely remedy the problem and it’s probably the setting of the points. I shouldn’t have let another guy mess with it today. My fault. My roller coaster of emotion continues...
 

DeFranco84

Member I
Just got off the phone with my guy that’s gonna help me with this tomorrow and he said he’s 99 percent sure that the guy today gapped the points incorrect like he was working on an electric ignition. He thinks it should be an easy fix tomorrow so fingers crossed.
 

garryh

Member III
it will be a very quick fix Kevin for anyone who knows what they are doing. You already know it runs.. it is simply in the installation of the cap or points or condenser, maybe a mismatched part. Possibly even a loose wire or bad connection. Sure hope you did not pay the guy for four hours work to not tune your engine.
 

markvone

Sustaining Member
Kevin,

For those of us old enough to have worked on cars with points and watched the transition to electronic ignition, no distributor and total computer control, the points were the weak link by far. If there is an electronic ignition conversion for the Atomic 4 (and I'm sure there is) get it!

Mark
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Kevin,

For those of us old enough to have worked on cars with points and watched the transition to electronic ignition, no distributor and total computer control, the points were the weak link by far. If there is an electronic ignition conversion for the Atomic 4 (and I'm sure there is) get it!

Mark

There are two different EI kits on the market for the Atomic 4. Moyer sells one based on the "Ignitor" brand EI kit. This replaces the points with a Hall-Effect sensor that detects the rotor spinning past, and is the cheaper kit. Indigo sells one based on the Crane/Cams Fast EI kit. This uses an optical sensor to detect the rotor breaking the beam.

I'm not sure which is "better," but the kit from Indigo replaces more parts (plugs, wires, coil) so if you are replacing those parts anyway, that one might be the way to go. But if you recently have replaced those parts, the kit from Moyer might be more cost effective.

BTW: I have had both optical sensors and hall-effect sensors go bad on different equipment, so I'm keeping the original ignition parts wrapped up in a dry place... I figure as long as I waste space and effort keeping them around, the new stuff will never fail.
 
Last edited:

ChrisS

Member III
+1 on the electronic ignition

We switched over to the Moyer kit about 10 years ago. Aside from replacing the spark plugs every few years, the electronic ignition makes the ignition system hassle free.

My E32 has the original A-4. The only problems I have had with it are fuel related (twice), and a bad connection for the ignition switch (once). Treat the gas with stabil. You'll be a lot happier.
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
Switch to non-ethanol gas. You will be reawarded many times over. It's more expensive but saves large numbers of repairs. :egrin:
 

steven

Sustaining Member
Please let us all know how th EI conversion goes.

I'm in progress with the Indigo EI kit (I needed the extra parts anyway so the price works out about the same.).
While on the phone with them, solved my hard-to-start-but-runs-well-when-it-starts problem.
Choke cable not tightened correctly so choke not completely closing. Easy fix.

Would a mechanic have replaced every engine part before coming up with that ?

Nice to have two helpful sources on the A-4: Moyer and Indigo.

--Steve
 
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