Re: 1996 40hp mercury/force
Well, Cowboy, yes, it is a Force made by Mercury. The block derives from the old Chrysler 35, 45, 50, and 55 engines and the 50 Force, As far as I know, Force, when owned by Brunswick, did not make a 40--only a 50.
However, Merc did make positive changes to the block and put on a Mercury ignition. Thus, while externally the block and carb resembles the older models, internally it is different--notably a much larger bore and longer connecting rods. It will run circles around the old 45.
The lower unit is a Mercury designed one and although it uses props for the Merc 40, I don't know if the lower unit is the same as the Merc one. At any rate, the thrust washer driven prop is a much better system than the old pin drive and the through-hub exhaust will be quieter.
As far as I know, only the props are swappable with the Merc 40.
For a small engine, it is decent and probably runs about as well as any other brand. It is entry level and has no VRO or oil injection so you must still add oil to the gas. However, Merc did discontinue the Force line in 1999 and while now they still support parts, in the future they may become more difficult to find.
