[Public-List] The A4 motor mystery? + Invasive hydrilla weed ends the sailing season here

[Daniel Sternglass]

> From: "Jacques Dusseault" <dusseaultj at gmail.com>
>
> Dear Atomic 4 devotees,
>
>  I have had a mysterious problem with my A4 this summer and have not yet
> found the cause.  I posted here earlier this summer and received some good
> advice early in my A4 mechanical journey.  Because of my work outside
> Canada, my Alberg 30 was on the hard for 3 seasons. 
Hello Jacques,

I have a few suggestions:

(1) The float valve may be getting stuck. Usually you can identify that 
problem by tapping the top of the carb with a wrench, and then seeing if 
you can restart it. I caused myself that problem this year by squirting 
carb cleaner into the carb tubing from the main valve when I was 
replacing some parts in the the carb. There is a tiny piece of rubber on 
the end of the float valve that can be softened.

(2) After 3 years the air vent to the gas tank may be plugged.

(3) After I had problems with water in the fuel early this season (very 
common with modern 10% Ethanol gasoline), I was having trouble pumping 
the tank out adequately. If you have an electric fuel pump (which should 
have a cutoff in it's wiring to an oil pressure sensor on the engine), 
you can bypass that sensor with a switch, and pump fuel from the pump 
outlet into a bucket until there is no more water. Don Moyer suggested 
that to me earlier this season, and it worked very well for me. I had 
the problem of the engine stopping after 10-20 minutes, and water was 
the cause even though I have a water separator. The gas additive and 
preservative "K-100" was recommended to me, and it has been very 
helpful, far better than "dry gas" which is just isopropyl alcohol. 
Tractor stores seem to stock it, and a few auto parts stores.

(4) Another problem that I have had over the years the condenser (on the 
back of the distributor) can fail open when it gets warm. This can be 
very vexing! Since it's cheap and easy to replace, I now replace it 
every few years they are just a few $$. Sometimes it causes unexplained 
"missing" and other times the engine won't run or just stops, but it 
recovers pretty quickly, and you usually see a spark by the time you 
look. So I'd suggest replacing it and stocking some spares.

Good luck,

--Dan S.
Watcher of the Skies, #201, 1966, Cayuga Lake, Ithaca, NY

(Where, the sailing season for boats docked in the inlet ended two weeks 
ago, just at the peak of the season. There is a ban on boats leaving the 
Cayuga Lake inlet at the South end of the lake to avoid spreading the 
invasive 'hydrilla' water weeds. Likely $75,000 worth of herbicide will 
be pumped into the inlet and adjoining creek shortly. This likely to 
have adverse, and hopefully only temporary, e,g, a few years, side 
effects, as it is said to breakdown in a week's time. A very unfortunate 
and sad.situation.)


dans at stmktg.com
mobile: +1607-592-8012

Strategic Marketing Associates
403 Highgate Road
Ithaca, NY 14850