Conference unifix::sailing

    I replaced my head gasket on New Year's weekend.  Can't remember
    the cost of the gasket, etc because I bought the stuff years ago.  I
    spent no more than 2.5 hours total time including a couple of phone
    calls and hunting all over the shop for my torque wrench that my
    son had in the trunk of his car.   I would say that you have been
    royally scrooed.  At $45.00/hr (which isn't out of line) that would
    indicate a job time of ten hours.  It's a good thing that the slob
    doesn't make house calls.   

    Your phrase "worked on for a head gasket" could indicate everything
    from diagnosis to gasket replacement to compression testing to valve
    guides, etc.  Was the work done on overtime at night or on weekends?
    Did the yard sub-contract the work?  Were parts ordered rush/express/
    airmail ?  Does labor include remove/reinstall engine ?  Did crank-
    case need to be flushed ?  In short, have you bothered to ask the
    yard what they did ?  Did you get an estimate first ?
    
    It could easily have taken ten hours to do the job if the engine
    sat tightly under cockpit floor where only open end or box wrenches
    could be used, bolt removal is tricky, and oil sump needs to be
    flushed.  Therefore, it is not a safe assumption that you got screwed
    until you have put the situation to the common sense test.  The
    best way to do that is to ask the yard for itemization of parts
    and labor.
    
    Also, you might ask yourself what signifigance is attached to the
    fact that this was the only yard that you could sail to.  What would
    it have cost you to pull the engine and deliver it ?
    

    Re: 1161
    
    Do you guys have any info regarding an Atomic 4 RPM curve?  I am
    planning to install a Tach and would like to know recommended
    cruise and "max" rpm's.  Also, anybody having any difficulty with
    the switch to unleaded on an Atomic 4?  

    A friend of mine found out the hard way over the past weekend that the
    Atomic-4 in his 18-year old Pearson 30 is shot.
    
    The problem seems to be lack of compression, cause unknown.  The marina
    is only too willing to quote & install a new one for $5500 or so,
    however, given the vintage of the boat, he's reluctant to drop one in
    too quickly.
    
    any thoughts on what the problem(s) could be?  Head gasket comes to
    mind...??
    
    Also, does anyone know where he might get his hands on a used one?
    
    john
    

    
    Does "lack of compression" mean no compression at all on any of the
    cylinders?
    
    Do you have a compression reading for each cylinder?
    
    In general, lack of compression could be:
    
    	o Bad head gasket
    	o Loose head bolts
    	o Worn valves
    	o Valve stuck open, broken valve spring
    	o Warped head
    	o Cracked head
    	o Worn piston rings
    	o Cracked block
    	o Maybe some others I'm not thinking of
    
    I would think almost any of the above would be a lot cheaper to fix
    than $5500, depending on two things:  How much of the work can by done
    by the owner, and how available parts are.
    
    Exactly what is wrong can be determined by taking the compression
    measurements first, and by other tests, depending on the results of the
    compression test.
    

    Unfortunately, all the yard told him was "lack of...$5500 will fix"
    
    A couple of us are going down to scope it out for him next weekend, and
    were curious as to where to start, based on others' experiences with
    that engine.
    
    We do know that the compression varies about like....  30, 50, 80, 120,
    based on a check the yard ran last year.  Despite the variation, it ran
    'ok' - got him on/off the mooring - last year.
    
    Thanks for the other possibilities
    
    john
    

re: .4

John,

I am in the process of changing my engine on a Hunter 30. The 
engine that I'm installing is a rebuilt Universal M20 diesel that 
I purchased from Apponaug Harbor Marina in Warwick, RI. Those 
folks were at one time an authorized Universal distributor and have 
a considerable inventory of Universal parts, engines and so
forth.

Your friend should be able to get something (gas or diesel) from 
Apponaug for a much lower price than $5500. Incidentally, before I 
purchased my engine, I looked through out New England and 
Apponaug had the best in price/availability. If your friend is 
interested, have him contact John Dickerson, 401-739-5005 at 
Apponaug.

Good luck--

Joe

    
    
    Sounds like bad valves at a minimum. Any good auto machine shop that
    rebuilds engiunes should be able to rebuild an atomic 4.
    
     You might also want to look at the used market- In Mass., I have seen
    several used and a couple of rebuilt Atomic 4's in the WANTADVERTISER
    that comes out every Thursday.
    
    There seems to be lots of those buggers around- I'd check the want ad
    tyoe mags and get on the phone (NYNEX has a boating yellow pages
    available) and start calling marinas/dealers/yards.