Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

[thisdj1]

I recently purchased a boat that was equipped with a force 50 hp motor. The decals on the hood have the by mercury marine on it and that is as close as i can get to narrowing down the year. The serial number is 0e066071. it does have power tilt/trim. Also when attempting to start the motor it turns over extremely slow with a full battery and i drained 2 then resorted to jumper cables. Sometimes when you go to turn it over it turns really slow and then will just stop. Then the next time its liable to start really slow then start turning over like it should. when it does finally start it runs like a top. any advice on the problem and or the solution??? I have also noticed a bunch of oil on the middle section of the leg. from the cavatation plate up to the next section. im not sure what that seal is or if it couldve gone bad or the screws that connect that section could be leaking??? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

Welcome to iboats dj1.

Oil or sludge from the mid section is unburned fuel residue. No problem. A good decarboning of the motor with some Seafoam or Mercury power Tune will flush most of it out.

From the serial number, you probably have a 1992 or 1993 model, hard to pinpoint exactly.

Starter problem could be a bad starter or a bad wiring connection.
Clean, reconnect, and tighten all connections to the starter, solenoid, and battery, including the negative battery cable on the engine.

If that doesn't do it, the starter needs to be opened up and cleaned out.

Your best friend will be a Clymer Force repair manual.

Give that motor some regular maintenance and it should last a long time.

New plugs, fuel stabilizer, Seafoam added to gas, Decarb the motor once a year, change the gearlube, new water pump impeller, new thermostat, etc.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

Thanks for the reply. I'll try to do that stuff and see what happens. I do want to clarify one thing just in case though. Reference the oil/sludge it isnt showing up by the exhaust port, it is the section just below it. It would be what i would call the middle "section" of the leg. The top would be the section with the exhaust ports, then then down from that there are some bolts that hold on the next section. it is coming from those bolts down to the cavatation plate. I just wanted to make sure i was explaining it right. Also, how often should i change the impellar?? And how do I decarb the motor??? I usually always add seafoam to my gas and didnt know if that was what you were talking about. Once again thanks for all of your help.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

All the exhaust and unburnt fuel travels through the midsection (or motor leg), on its way out of the motor.

Some motors will build up excessive amounts of sludge in the midsection.
Causes: Extended periods of idling, running rich on fuel, wrong sparkplugs, bad thermostat, too much oil in the fuel, etc. The oil builds up in the midsection, then seeps out the little weep holes or the seam between the midsection and the lower unit.

As long as this sludge has a fuel smell, ok. If it is gear lube, you have a leaking seal in the lower unit.

Seafoam in the fuel is a great preventive maintenance step and will keep the fuel system clean.
But all manufacturers of 2 cycle outboards also recommend a more thorough carbon/sludge removal, on an annual basis.
This will more thoroughly clean the inside of the engine, and help to loosen up stuck piston rings, and remove carbon build-up. An additional benefit is that it will flush the sludge out of the midsection as well.

Here is a link to more decarb info.
Seafoam Deep Creep and the other products mentioned, are the same as regular Seafoam, but these are aerosol, so you can spray them into the carburetor and the spark plug holes.

http://www.iboats.com/bbboard/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=36;gtid=1035563

Post back with any additional questions.

 

[thisdj1]

Re: Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

Thanks. I started to try and take the starter off today to check the connections etcetera. There were the 2 big bolts toward the top of the starter and i took them both out. It came somewhat loose toward the top however its still connected somehow at the bottom. i have tried to look and cannot find anywhere else that it is connected. its going to be a little bit before i can get a repair manual and i want to get the starter problem figured out before i change the gear lube in the lower unit for the winter. its been getting down in the upper 20's here so im starting to get a little worried. i dont believe there is a leak where water could get in the lower unit but i dont wanna push my luck. i do appreciate all of your help and im sure youll be hearing plenty from me. once again thanks for everything!!!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

Starter support bracket, #19 in the picture, is holding the bottom of the starter.

 

[Matthew A.]

Re: Force 50 starter problems...unknown year..HELP!!!!!

Be sure to fasten the lower mounting bracket and screw with a dab of light thread lock adhesive. Should the bracket come loose it could end up damaging the either the starter motor bracket or worse...as in with my starter...end up bending the starter motors armature. Which requires replacment.