1990 Chrysler Force 90 hp which way to go?

[paul1948]

Hello, I have a 1990 Force 90 HP with problems
It is on a 1990 Spectrum 24 ft pontoon boat that I purchased very cheap and of course (as is). I think that Maximum HP rating for this boat is north of 150 HP - I have seen one online with a 225 HP motor, but most seem to have the 90 HP that mine has.

It did have a broken water pump - fixed by local boat dealer.
After running powertune it still has low compression per dealer - Leak down after powertune process.
15% number 1
40% number 2
45% number 3
So I now have $600 in the motor -

It appears that I have 4 options.
1) hope it is just stuck rings and fix myself. But I don't have any experience nor tools beyond basic wrenches and a tourqe wrench -
2) have power head professionally rebuilt. I found a $1,500 rebuild with good sounding warranty.
3) buy a new 4 stroke. Alibaba - new 90 HP F90TLR Yamaha about $7,000 including freight delivered to my home.
4) buy a used 150 HP 4 stroke that has been worked over professionaly but has sat for a number of years - it has not been back in the water since its rebuild. I was asked if I was interested by a friend, but no price was discussed.

Thoughts would be greatly appreciated. This is my first boat ( I am retiring this month ) and my plans are to use it for general family outings and some lake trolling. Nothing fancy like water skiing.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 1990 Chrysler Force 90 hp which way to go?

Well, I think that since you are retiring, since you already have spent 600 bucks, and since used four strokes are so expensive, the choice is obvious: Stick with the engine you now have. If you only want to putter around, it will have the power you need at a reasonable cost.

If you are at all handy, you can do a rebuild (if it is needed) yourself for roughly half the price and basically, only hand tools are required. You need to buy a repair manual, be willing to invest the time, get your hands dirty, and ask here on the forum for help.

Before making a decision, you really need to see what the actual compression on each cylinder is. While leakdown is valuable, you also need to know actual compression ratios. Then, you will have a better idea of any damage.

Rings MAY be stuck, and it is worth trying to clean the engine with some "snake oil" product. Then, if it runs and produces adequate power, just keep using it.

 

[87blf125]

Re: 1990 Chrysler Force 90 hp which way to go?

try to decarb the motor using seafoam. from what i read on hear alot of guys on here use it and it works wonders and can losen stuck rings. look on here for posts on decarbing and they will explain the prosedure.