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1980 Silverton w/Chrysler inboard question

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dkoglesby50

New member
I am considering purchasing a 1980 Silverton Convertible 31 with twin Chrysler 225hp engines. This is a one owner boat and
all the service is supposed to be up to date and the owner has always maintained this boat according to factory specs.
The engines are fresh water cooled, which is a good thing. The engines currently have 880 hrs run time.
My question is this. I have never owned a boat with Chrysler engines so I am not sure what to expect. I have not been able
to find any real good reveiws about this engine, only outboards. Does anyone know the average life expectancy before
rebuild is required? I have read that these engines should be able to go 2000 to 4000 hrs before any major work is required, as long
as the service is kept up to date. I can not find anything concerning any major issues with these engines. If anyone knows
what I should look out for, please advise.
Any information on these engines will be greatly appreciated.
 
I don't think you'll find any "major issues" with these engines. Chrysler made hundreds of thousands of them and they powered cars, trucks, boats, generators and lots of other applications for three decades. If these engines were maintained properly - regular oil and filter changes, regular replacement of the risers/elbows and service of the heat exchangers - and if the boat was run well within the performance limits of the engines, they will probably continue to serve you. For 4,000 hours? Doubtful, but considerably longer than the what you have now.

If the 880 engine hours is accurate, the boat you are considering was underused by almost any standard. That's an average of 28 engine hours per year and that's not much, since many people on this board put far in excess of 100 hours on their engines each year. The low engine hours could be the result of a long layup some time since the boat was new. Long layups aren't good for engines since they are made to be used and not to be left unattended.

There are many 1980 Silverton 31 ft. convertibles still in use although many of them have been repowered and most have had work done on the carbs, the transmissions and the wear points such as the stuffing boxes and the cutlass bearings.

While it isn't engine related, your 31C Silverton has a solid fiberglass hull but cored decks. Before you buy, you should have a qualified marine surveyor check the deck fittings and the cabin windows, since they are known to leak once the core material is compromised. Fixing the rotted core material isn't fun or inexpensive, but it is doable.

To have some assurance about your engines, you can - and should - spend the money to have them surveyed, as well. The survey won't tell you everything, but it will indicate if there is still reasonable life left in them before a major repair or replacement is necessary.

When you sea trial the boat, look for all the little things that will be costly and time consuming for you to replace. Do the shift and throttle cables work smoothly? Do all of the instruments, including the tachs, work? Do both engines show a charge at about 1500 RPM? Is there water in the bilge? If so, can you determine where it is coming from? Does the sliding glass door to the salon bind up when opening or closing? Does the head work and is there a functional holding tank? Is there a hot water heater and does it work? Look at each bilge pump and trip the float switch to see if it comes on.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I've been though what you're doing now. Don't fall in love with this boat. There are lots of good boats out there if this one doesn't make it. Just go slow and ask a lot of questions. After all, it's your money.

Best of luck,

Bill
 
Thats a good little write up Act Three.....like he said....pay somebody that knows their stuff

There is a million things that can get you with these twin engine boats ...for instance,just the parts that bolt to the engine so you can have "Closed cooling" runs in the $1500 range for 1 engine,if youve never had one like this youd

AND

Theres 4 transmissions in that boat which would cost to replace 1 of them with a good unit is a thousand easy....

"3 decades" not quite.....Chrysler Marine(inboard engines) has been around since before WWII ....

Whats the speeds up on plane and at how many rpms,3 blade or 4 blade props?
 
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