I have had a boat with a diesel and the 4-107 is definitely a better boat engine than an A4 if you can fit one in your boat. Unlike the A4, which is the height of 1920s tech, the 4-107 is the height of 1950s tech. Even better are the Kubota derived diesels like the Beta that are this century tech ☺ Modern diesels can drive a big alternator faster off the crank than an A4 ever will off the accessory pulley. The reason some of us get annoyed with the “A4 oh no you will die for sure” meme you see over and over on the internet and various boat reviews is it gives people really bad financial advice. For sure if you are headed offshore the range advantage and ease of getting fuel for a diesel trump the cost, but for local and coastal cruising not so much. PS just did a review of the Alberg 35, which is a boat worth maybe $25,000 for a really good one, and of course they were going on about “you must get a diesel”. So you take say a $20,000 boat, spend $12,000-$15,000 on a diesel conversion, and now have – AT BEST – a $25,000 boat. I recently saw a C&C 35 MK I that looked to be a decent boat for sail with a 30 HP diesel for $16K. That is essentially the cost of the engine and the boat is free! Meanwhile the best A4 rebuild is going to run you $6K and not require a new prop, new instruments, new controls, etc. etc.
All that said, it is very possible to have a really bad A4 installation. The engines are not magic and after decades of poor to no maintenance they may well be on their last legs. The engines are mostly not FWC and may be rusting through the block, head, manifold, or all three. Specific to C&C, the original fuel systems would be VERY BAD and DANGEROUS by this point in time. C&C used ternplate fuel tanks back in the day that WILL rust through. First thing they do is send a ton of rust to the engine and the next thing they do is have a hole in the bottom. They rust from the INSIDE, so they look fine until you are ankle-deep in gas. The hoses, including the fill hose, the vent hose, and the funky rubber elbow used on 35s, were not rated for ethanol. They WILL come apart sooner or later. If you have ANY part of the original fuel system at all from the 70s it is way past due to be replaced. At least on my boat there was no Racor either from the factory, the fuel line went straight to the engine. Joe Della Barba Coquina C&C 35 MK I
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