engine rebuild

[lure washer]

I have a 318 Chrysler engine in my 26". It has been maintained to a high standard by it's one owner. It has 1500 hours on it and seems to run great except for the top end speed problem discussed on here previously. My question is, how many hours do you think an engine will give you before major work is required ?

[mikeandanne]

I would say that if your engine does not burn oil, has no obvious signs of impending doom like loud internal noises that get louder with use, then you could get a mechanic to do a compression test and then a leakdown test, as that will tell you how the rings and valves are.....both of these you can do yourself.......really there would be no reason not to have many more useful years out of that engine, not sure how many hours you do per year but I know guys with well over 2000 hrs on there gas stuff......oh and how is the oil pressure.

If that checks out ok, those other issues you have are may just be related to tuning in some way or prop issues.....dont know if this makes it worse or better but my 2 cents .....Mike

[prowlersfish]

One boat I did the maintenance and repairs on had 5000 hours on the 318 when he sold it . While he had a open check book for boat repairs he ran her hard and nothing major on the engine .

[P-Dogg]

how many hours do you think an engine will give you before major work is required ?

Lets see, was the oil ever changed? Is it in Miami or Maine? Fresh or salt water? Closed cooled or open cooled? Did it sit a lot, or get used regularly? Constantly used for trolling or at continuous WOT, or babied at 3000 RPM all of its life? There are a bazillion factors affecting engine life. My raw-water cooled Crusaders lasted about 30 years and every bit of 744 hours in the upper Chesapeake. Do the checks recommended above and that will go a long way to seeing how much life might be left, until it dissolves from the inside out, like mine did. I also borescope mine when I change the plugs. Oil analysis can be useful, but you have to do it regularly, otherwise you cannot establish trends. Repower thread coming after the job is complete....

[RWS]

one of my Crusader 454's had 2,700 hours on it before I yanked the pair.

Did not burn too much oil either.

RWS

[bjanakos]

one of my Crusader 454's had 2,700 hours on it before I yanked the pair.

Did not burn too much oil either.

RWS

One of the boats I worked on last year had over 6000 hours on Crusader 454's.

[Breezy 1]

When I re powered my 10 meter the raw water cooled 454's had 13,200 hours and the heads had never even been taken off. They were starting to leak oil and compression was getting low so it was time..

[lure washer]

Thanks for theinfo, was going to have compression test done in spring. To answer some of the questions, it is in fresh water (lake Ontario) oil changed yearly, this year I put a whopping 40 hours on it, This was my first year with this boat, previous owner was 87 yrs. old when he passed last year and took her out fishing every day. Doesn't leak or burn oil and no internal noises. Again thanks and I love my Trojan. Solid boat great for fishing or a weekend cruise up the Niagara river. Only paid $2000.00 for it and have put another $1500.00 in it so far.

[Dante D]

engine work is typically done when needed, the engine will let you know when its time.
there is no real answer to that question, especially that it is not regulated etc, like aircraft, which as a clean cut hours cut off.