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mixd

mixd

Contributing Member
"My little force 50 just kind

"My little force 50 just kind of keeps going.Its got a few bandages but i think it will do for a few more days.My adventure started when i bought this motor from a guy in Toronto last fall."It worked great last week","there is nothing wrong with it".Sound familiar?I paid $400 for it,and was pleased with the deal.This spring i decided to install it.This is when it got fun!The wiring was crazy,especially for a newbe.I finally figured out how it is supposed to work (even the kill switch)and was quite pleased to hear it fire right up the first time!I was so pleased in fact that i decided to take it out on the local lake("the cabbage patch").No-one told me that there was only a small portion of this lake fit for a power boat!Everything was going fine until the return trip.My depth sounder started giving me an alarm(it was set at 3 feet!)This cant be right i thought until i stopped and looked over the side.Weeds as far as the eye could see,and smoke rising from under the cowling.Apparently 10 lbs of weeds can choke an outboard,who knew.I was too afraid to even open it up to see what was burning!I waited a few minutes in stunned silence,only to hear the distant laughter of the person who charged me the $10 launching fee.I rowed the boat back towards the dock never taking my eyes off that so and so thinking of all the ways i could extract that fee from his hide!It is amazing how much anger you can vent rowing a 16 foot boat through 300 feet of thick weeds.Exhausted and depressed i took my boat to the local marina.The verdict:burnt head gasket,fried wiring(you know, the little ones feeding the coils?)I patched the wires with heat shrink,replaced the head gasket,and cleaned the head,pistons and plugs.I had them take a look at my impeller only to discover a hose where the coolant tube should be.Very little water gets up a kinked hose.Having somehow patched this up as well,i found out that my compression sucks and one of the coils was fried!(lucky for me i have a parts motor)I am determined to take my boat up north this week.Any bets how long she will last?I hear you can still run an old force motor in such bad shape but i am a little worried.If she holds together i will post part two when i get back.Perhaps they will write a song about"My Little Force 50"Wish me luck!"
 
"As luck would have it,you wer

"As luck would have it,you were quite right.I should have taken a bigger oar.On the first day it ran great.On the second day i lost the starter,it lasted about four ignitions.I switched to pull start and had good results,It started on the first pull,twice.The next thing to go was an ignition coil.I would have switched to paddles if it werent for the strong current and crazy headwind.Does anyone know what else i can expect to self-destruct(just so i am ready for the disappointment)?"
 
They called them "Force&#3

They called them "Force" because they force you to fix them. You might consider putting a second motor on the boat till you get this one sorted out.
 
"What i dont understand is how

"What i dont understand is how these things all break down so easily,i mean,somewhere someone decided on a design and must have said"that will do ...for now".Are we all just suckers or what?Do we actually go out and spend between 5000 and 10000 dollars on something that lasts only a couple hundred hours before it has to be overhauled?Why are outboards so expensive?"
 
"Well actually "most"

"Well actually "most" of them work quite well for years with just winter service. You happened upon that motor that got parked like a VW beetle in 66. So the stuff that never got lubed, cooled, greased or washed off finally got caught up with you. The first mechanic school I ever went to was in 1976 in Florida at the factory. I was amazed at how the old equipment could put together a motor from scratch.

Your best bet would be to find a $100, parts motor by advertising in your local paper. Then you will be able to take it apart on the bench for a full blowen education. Then go look at your motor for signs of failure and jump them before you get out on the lake. OR buy a johnson or merc, or even better a Honda.- But read all those forumns first- "we are not alone!""
 
"I have spent days reading the

"I have spent days reading the various discussions,and have found an incredible amount of information.I also already have a spare parts motor that may actually be in better shape right now.The biggest problem for me at this point is the lack of interest and scorn from mechanics.I was in some trouble up north and all i got from the mechanic was "may the force be with you"and a look of pity,when what i needed was for him to check the wiring(perhaps the ground connections?) He proclaimed that he could not diagnose anything because the starter was weak.Having read the forums gave me some insight that he didnt seem to have.I know that a poor ground could also cause a weak circuit,how come he did not?Or did he?I was told i had to change the starter,and an ignition coil.Does a mechanic always start by changing all the parts?Could i actually have a badly grouded system,or perhaps a grounded out stator?Could you perhaps shed some light on this matter for me?"
 
Well you do get the same respo

Well you do get the same response from some mechanics (merc guys are the worst-now don't send me e-mail- you know you'd rather work on a merc than a Chrysler any day) as you did from Mom when you were a kid and burned your arm with a magnifying glass killing ants! (Aw- he is that stupid!) But you can get the Chrysler to run right and stay that way. Just get a good book and learn all there is about the motor. Then you don't have to ask the Merc mechanic bubkiss.
 
"I definately do not wish to p

"I definately do not wish to paint all mechanics with the same brush.As shown in this forum there are alot of good people out there,and i look forward to learn from you all.For now it will continue to be a little frustrating,but i dont plan on giving up.Personally i prefer older,more hands-on motors.I will get that thing going,and hope to learn from it(also,it would give me alot of satisfaction to show that merc guy what an avarage joe can do with a chrysler motor). First i will start with the stator,i think the trouble started there.I just hope i can get the flywheel off."
 
Flywheel is the easy part- I d

Flywheel is the easy part- I duct taped a steel ball to the center of the crank (If you don't have a thread protector) and line the key way up with the back of the motor and wedge a cold chizel under the rim of the flywheel-do not tilt the flywheel with this- it is only to support the top bearing-- and using my biggest hammer- I lightly tap the crank and the flywheel pops right off. If not you may be putting to much wedge under it. Chrysler is the only motor I know that uses this method.
 
Thanks for the lead mr Smith.D

Thanks for the lead mr Smith.Does anyone know if the stator from an 88 force is interchangeble with one from a 91?
 
"Perhaps i should be asking th

"Perhaps i should be asking this:Which motor is better over-all,the 88 or the 91?"
 
"I would evaluate the conditio

"I would evaluate the condition of each and base my decision on the findings, i.e. cylinder compression, electrical component condition, lower unit conditon, etc.

Bill"
 
Hi bill.Are you saying that as

Hi bill.Are you saying that as far as healthy motor to healthy motor they are about equal?
 
"It all depends on the individ

"It all depends on the individual motors condition as you said. A 1988 with excellent compression, i.e. well over 100psi (say 130 to 150), is much better than a 1991 with marginial compression. I don't know what the as new cylinder compression was in those motors so those numbers are subjective.

I don't know enough about these motors to give you an educated answer.

Use the model numbers and serial numbers to determine what ignition system you have on each motor. The older Prestolite is ok but the newer Mercury system is better. Do a Forum search for posts on the subject and surf the web.

Bill"
 
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