Spring
Tune-up Tips
By Dr. Motorhead
Dear Doc,
As I sit and compose this letter, I wonder if winter will ever end.
It seems I will never see water in its liquid form again. I know you
can do nothing with the weather, but perhaps you can help me with
preparing my boat for the summer ahead, assuming there will ever be
one. What are the steps for de-winterizing? Do I need a tune up? Is
there anything else I should do to ensure happy boating? I read your
lay up article last fall, so what is the procedure to
un-lay up if it were?
First, before you answer, I need to address something else if I may.
Something that has bothered me since you began writing your
wonderful column in the BoatHouse. I know that you say, “I am
me”, Dr. Motorhead. However, nobody ever seems to see you at any
of the club functions that you say you have attended. A little fishy
don’t you think? At least nobody ever sees you as Dr. Motorhead.
Therefore, I think you are operating under an alias. You know, like
Superman and Clark Kent. I have been thinking about this for a very
long time and have been studying every person at the workshops and
social functions. I have kept copious notes on the members and their
mannerisms, asking questions, trying to determine who is smart
enough to write about the things you do, attempting to be sort of a
Colombo or Agatha Christy, sleuthing and note taking. I have even
purchased an old trench coat to help me solve this mystery of
mysteries. Unfortunately for you and your anonymity, I have solved
the mystery, cracked the case if you will, and discovered the true
identity of Dr. Motorhead. I have succeeded where others have
failed. Victory is mine! My only problem, dear Doctor, is whether or
not this letter will be published. Whether Peggy will try and
protect you from this critical discovery. Heed this warning: if this
letter is not published in the next edition of the BoatHouse, I will
go directly to the National Enquirer, or worse yet, The Skyway News.
I have records and
pictures, even if I should mysteriously disappear, I have given
specific instructions to my CPA to provide copies of
everything to the Tabloids. There is no escape!
I must say, where you really slipped was by using your professional
title -- saved me months of research. The obvious is always under
your nose. You see Dear Doctor; you are none other than Bob Johnson
“The Old Tipster”. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…victory is mine. Run if you
must, hide if you can, from this day forward the world will know
your true identity.
Signed,
Jimmy Hoffa
P.S. My compulsion, Dr. Johnson, begins with myself. I have my own
secret identity to deal with.
Publishers Note: In fear of this story
leaking to the Tabloids, we have acquiesced to the demands of this
“ mad man” and published this regretful letter.
Dear Jimmy,
Oh wait, please wait, no disrespect Sir… I mean Mr. Hoffa. You are
correct I am Bob Johnson. This letter upsets me so, I can’t even
respond to the original question regarding the de-winterization of a
classic boat. I… I must allow my dear friend Steve Merjanian to
carry on with his wonderful epistle on this very subject.
Signed,
Doctor Motorhead. Take it away Steve…
Adjusting Chris Craft (Hercules) 4 & 6 cylinder engines is a
simple and logical procedure. I shall assume there is fresh oil in
the engine, the shaft is aligned, the transmission is adjusted, the
propeller is in good shape, the fuel pump is functional and the fuel
line and fuel sediment bowl are clean.
Click Here
for Chris Craft Engine Specifications!
VALVES
The greatest initial concern should be valve adjustment, which
assures adequate valve heat dissipation and engine breathing.
Consult the engine chart on page 17 to determine the intake and
exhaust valve gap adjustments for your engine. With the engine cold,
remove the valve covers which are underneath the exhaust manifold
and behind the carburetor. The smaller blocks (i.e.: A, B, H & K
types) use 7/16" nuts for the valve tappets while the larger
blocks (i.e.: L, M & W types) use 1/2" nuts. Use a long
thin section open end wrench which is specially made for adjusting
valves. This valve wrench will fit the lifter while conventional
open end wrenches (7/16" & 1/2") will fit the jamb nut
and tappet. The lifter (two flats) is on the bottom of the assembly,
next is the jamb nut (hexagonal nut) and the tappet is the
(hexagonal bolt) on top. Between the tappet bolt face and the valve
stem is the gap to be adjusted.
The first valve at either end of the engine is an
exhaust. The next two are intakes; the next two are exhausts, etc.,
etc. Have a friend turn over the engine by hand (a socket wrench on
a flange coupling or flywheel bolt works fine) while you watch the
intake and exhaust valves for a selected cylinder go up and down.
Turn the engine an additional 90 degrees once both valves are down
and seated. Use a feeler gauge to measure the exhaust and intake
gaps. They will probably be tight. Put the thin
section valve wrench on the lifter (bottom, two flats) and use
another wrench to loosen the jamb nut (hexagonal nut). You can now
turn the tappet (hexagonal bolt) to adjust the gap. If you tighten
the jamb nut just enough to let the
tappet turn; you can snug up the jamb nut without moving the tappet
out of adjustment. Repeat this procedure for the remaining valves,
doing a cylinder at a time.
IGNITION
The standard Kettering ignition system consists of a coil, condenser
(capacitor), distributor, ballast resistor (12 volts only), ignition
switch, spark plugs, high voltage ignition wires, low voltage
primary wires and a battery. The battery should be fully charged.
Check the spark plug wires for cracks, frays and tight connections
at the distributor cap, spark plugs and coil. Use Champion UJ6 or
J8J plugs for cast iron heads and H-10 or H- 10J plugs for aluminum
heads. The newer designations for the UJ6 & J8J are J6C (normal
running) & J8C (hotter plug for low speed operation). All spark
plugs are gapped to 0.028 inches and the points are adjusted to
0.022 inches after being filed clean. To adjust the point gap, first
remove the distributor cap and rotor. Crank the engine with the
starter in short bursts until the points are wide open
(point-rubbing block on peak of cam). Adjust the point gap by
loosening the jamb nut and turning stationary point until a
0.022" feeler gauge just passes through the point gap.
Reassemble the distributor rotor and cap. To check for spark, remove
the coil wire from the center of the distributor cap and position
this loose wire about 1/16 inch from a head bolt. Crank the engine
starter with the ignition ON and look for a white spark at this
1/16-inch gap. If there is no spark, make sure the points are clean
and try again. If again there is no spark, change the condenser
(capacitor) and try again.
WARNING: TO AVOID HIGH VOLTAGE SHOCKS, DON'T HOLD ONTO THE COIL WIRE
WHEN CRANKING THE ENGINE.
Another common problem is a short in the low voltage wire that goes
from the negative side of the coil to the distributor. It usually
shorts out where the wire passes through the distributor body
because the insulating material has broken down. Replacement parts
are hard to find, but carefully jury-rigged electricians tape,
rubber washers and heat-shrink tubing will work. Some additional
preventive maintenance includes filing the rotor tip clean, cleaning
the inside of the distributor cap of any carbon tracks left by the
rotor, checking the spark advance weights (below the distributor
point plate) for free movement, lubricating the advance weights with
a dry spray (e.g.) LPS, WD40, CRC, etc.) and lubricating the
distributor shaft felt wick (under the rotor) with light machine
oil. Ignition coils usually fail slowly and will generally give a
red spark at the above cited 1/16-inch head bolt/coil wire gap,
instead of a good white spark. Both oil filled and epoxy coils can
be used with good results. Please refer to the following chart when
selecting an ignition coil. For example, a six volt coil will
eventually overheat and reduce its output when used with an
eight-volt battery.
VOLTS DESCRIPTION PRIMARY RESISTANCE
Volts Type Primary Resistance
Six 6 Volt Coil 1.6 ohms
Eight 12 Volt with Ballast 2.2 ohms
Twelve 12 Volt Coil 3.2 ohms
NOTES: I have not found ballast resistors in any of the early 1950's
vintage twelve-volt boats. However, look for the ballast resistor if
you have a newer twelve-volt boat. The primary winding resistance of
the coil can be measured between the plus (+) and the minus (-)
terminals.
CARBURETION
The carburetor atomizes the gasoline and mixes it with the incoming
air so the engine can burn it. If the engine or
carburetor has been rebuilt, a good approximate adjustment is 1.5
turns open from the fully closed position on both the idle and the
high speed jets. The high-speed jet is near the bottom of the
carburetor. The idle jet is closer to the to the intake manifold and
is found inboard of the throttle linkage idle stop screw. If the
engine ran before, the carburetor is probably set correctly.
STARTING UP
A dry-land start-up should have water going through the engine.
Remove the intake hose from the water pump and replace it with a
shorter piece of hose that will go in to a one to three gallon pail
inside the boat. Use a garden hose to keep this pail filled while
running the engine. The fuel pump has a hand operated lever which
should be worked until the carburetor float chamber is filled and
the hand lever has a soft feel. The carburetor air horn may have
accumulated water and gasoline during storage. Remove the 7/16"
plug on the bottom of the carburetor and drain away this fluid.
Replace the plug. The engine is now ready for a dry land start. Run
water into the pail for the water pump, close the choke (pull-out
choke knob) and crank the engine until it pops. Open the choke
(push-in choke knob), open the throttle about two-thirds and
continue cranking. The engine should start. Run the engine with
water going through it to clear out any storage oil and
condensation. Some tuning adjustments can be made on dry land (e.g.
idle jet and throttle stop) and they are discussed as part of the
in-the-water tune-up.
IN-THE-WATER TUNE-UP
Assuming the above steps regarding spark plugs, rotor, cap, coil,
and points have been done, we can now adjust the engine. Allow
sufficient time for the boat to soak up, which can vary from six
hours to many days. A tachometer/dwell meter is very useful for the
tune-up procedure. The six-(6) cylinder engines should be set for 35
degrees of dwell angle and the four (4) cylinder engines should be
set for 55 degrees of dwell angle. If necessary, re-adjust the
points to achieve this dwell angle. Accelerate the engine up and
down quickly. If the dwell angle varies more than four (4) degrees
for the six (6) cylinder engines or six (6) degrees for the four (4)
cylinder engines, change the points. This test indicates a weak
point spring. Put the engine in gear and move away from the dock.
Have a friend drive the boat. Loosen the clamp on the bottom of the
distributor and run the boat at full throttle. Twist the distributor
clockwise and counter clockwise until you achieve the maximum RPM.
Back off the maximum by 50 RPM by twisting in the clockwise
direction and tighten the distributor clamp. The engine is now
timed. If the engine loses power during the season, check the dwell
angle before changing the timing. While the boat is at full
throttle, turn in the high-speed jet on the bottom of the carburetor
until the RPM drops. Back out the high-speed jet to 1/4 turn beyond
the maximum RPM. Slow the boat to an idle. Adjust the throttle stop
screw to about 300 RPM over the recommended idle RPM from the chart
on page 17. Turn in the low speed jet (located midway up the
carburetor, inboard of the throttle stop screw) until the RPM drops.
Back out the low speed jet to 1/4 turn beyond maximum idle RPM.
Readjust the throttle stop screw to the recommended idle RPM from
the chart on page 17. Your engine is now properly tuned.
!!!! HAPPY ANTIQUE BOATING !!!!
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