Are you happy with your Force motor.

[maryhannaj]

Hello all. I think the thread title pretty much says it all. Are you happy with your Force motor? I have seen a few of them for sale. I am currently a Johnson owner and I know nothing at all about Force motors. Any info would be great to hear. Thanks all!

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

I bought my boat at the dealer where I worked.1988 Twin /88,85hp
It's had very little manufacturer defects.
In the old days it had trouble burning the oil Then they fixed that with the advent of TCW-3
Then the problems associated with the oil went away.
The ash in the oil, it would burn and carbon up the rings.They would sieze and ruin the cylinders.
First month the flywheel key sheared.Never happened again.
They aren't as good on gas as a much newer model, but for the year/make, hp. It's not bad.
I get about 2.1 mi. per gallon. Not too bad for an older motor.
The biggest problem is finding someone to work on the lower units.
The trim pumps can last 30 years or 2.
RRitt on here works on them.(that kind of work,my hands don't like)(arthritis)
Maint. it a big thing.gotta keep it up.
Fuel is mixed with the oil so you gotta make sure it's mixed right.
The carbs set right.
All in all?? I'd buy another.
But you need basic mechanical skills to keep anything maintained right.
The electronics are fairly dependable and not too expensive if bought at the right place.
This site helps the newby and the experienced boater.
Frank is really good on a LOT of stuff.
I'm fair if it's not too old.
Wickware,Nordin,Jiggz,and the other posters help a lot too(sorry if I didn't put your name here).

 

[maryhannaj]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Thank you very much for the info. I really appreciate it!

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

When I buy a Chrysler or Force engine, I assume that anything that can be out of adjustment IS out of adjustment. I reset everything back to factory specs and replace all normal maintenance items: Fuel pump diaphragm, lower unit oil, water pump impeller. I remove and clean the carb(s).

Generally, if treated well and oil is kept pre-mixed at 50 to 1 the engines will treat you well too. I use 48 to 1--it is easier to remember: 1 Pint oil to 6 gallons 87 octane regular gasoline.

On the other hand, many engines of all brands do have problems and need repairs. In the unlikely event you should need to repair your Chrysler or Force, you will find it simpler to work on than almost any other brand and no special tools are necessary with the exception of a flywheel puller and torque wrenches in both inch pounds and foot pounds calibration.

 

[maryhannaj]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Thanks Frank. Much appreciated!

 

[Jiggz]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

"On the other hand, many engines of all brands do have problems and need repairs. In the unlikely event you should need to repair your Chrysler or Force, you will find it simpler to work on than almost any other brand and no special tools are necessary with the exception of a flywheel puller and torque wrenches in both inch pounds and foot pounds calibration."

The above is the very reason I love Force engines. If there is anything I hate it will have to be the lack of availability of some parts. The engine itself is pretty reliable as long as it is maintained properly. And there is really very little to do to maintain it. Modern or newer engines are more gas efficient, but when they break, what you save on gas will not even be enough to have it repaired.

 

[SkiDad]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

i like mine and my dad has one too - not a strong as a comparable Rude but both of our engines start very easy and get the job done. The only major complaint i have is that there is a small selection of props that will fit without a little modding

 

[Boatdoc58]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Don't forget a DVA meter........or a DVA adapter available from CDI

 

[maryhannaj]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Thanks again for even more helpful info. I am pretty dang new to outboards and boats in general but I picked up a 1982 Glastron Hpv165 bass boat powered by a Johnson 115 this summer. It took some time to get the johnson running pretty good so I have to agree that all types are probably going to have their issues.
Even though I'm pretty happy with Johnson V4, I am trying to find out which other types of motors may be possibilities for me in the near future. I am doing a complete restore that I have a thread for on the rebuild and restore section of the forum. My Glastron has a rated max of 120 wich is lower than it should be if all of the calculations are done correctly. I have also learned on this forum that my motor was actually hp rated at the crank and not the prop.
So with my restore I plan on upgrading the strength of the transom and possibly repowering with something a bit newer and stronger. I have seen a few force motors for sale that I thought might suit the need of what I had in mind so I thought I would post here and try to get a few different opinions. So thank you all for the info and replies. They have been helpful.

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Thanks again for even more helpful info. I am pretty dang new to outboards and boats in general but I picked up a 1982 Glastron Hpv165 bass boat powered by a Johnson 115 this summer. It took some time to get the johnson running pretty good so I have to agree that all types are probably going to have their issues.
Even though I'm pretty happy with Johnson V4, I am trying to find out which other types of motors may be possibilities for me in the near future. I am doing a complete restore that I have a thread for on the rebuild and restore section of the forum. My Glastron has a rated max of 120 wich is lower than it should be if all of the calculations are done correctly. I have also learned on this forum that my motor was actually hp rated at the crank and not the prop.
So with my restore I plan on upgrading the strength of the transom and possibly repowering with something a bit newer and stronger. I have seen a few force motors for sale that I thought might suit the need of what I had in mind so I thought I would post here and try to get a few different opinions. So thank you all for the info and replies. They have been helpful.

A couple items of caution.

1. Don't think that you can over power your boat (above stated rating) because you beefed up something. Bad idea. If you do, and there is an incident-You're sunk.
2. Force engines, while quite serviceable, were never really popular. They were the low end of the Marine Market. Finding parts for them is getting harder. The later ones shared parts with Mercury. Those are easier to get parts for.
3. Force engines just never seemed to put out the power as advertised. (The 150 as an example) That's an opinion of mine somewhat shared by others.

There are better alternatives to powering with Force.

 

[maryhannaj]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

I'm not really looking to overpower. I'm am looking for something closer to the rated power and rated at the prop rather than the crank.
I think that even for this a beef up is necessary. I do agree with you about overpowering for liability reasons.

 

[submariner1980]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

As a proof reliability of FORCE outboard look at magic statistic numbers from forum page
How many peoples are looking for repair advise and information by the outboard brand:
Jonson & Evinrude 59
Mercury & Mariner 53
Yamaha & Suzuki 22
Force & Chrysler 5
Honda & Tohatsu/ Nissan 7
So Force is most reliable outboard ever build.:laugh:

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.



I stand corrected: NO I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MY FORCE ENGINES! The old Chryslers and first two years of Force were much better looking. Then Brunswick made them black and blue. LOL

I refer to my Force 150 as the Big Black Beauty because I can't use on the forum the word that is usually used to describe an illegitimate child.

OOPS! I couldn't see the photos well and the Suzy slipped in. It's kind of ugly too!

 

[submariner1980]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Nice graphic, Frank. Vinyl or aero?

 

[Big Fish Billy]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

As a proof reliability of FORCE outboard look at magic statistic numbers from forum page
How many peoples are looking for repair advise and information by the outboard brand:
Jonson & Evinrude 59
Mercury & Mariner 53
Yamaha & Suzuki 22
Force & Chrysler 5
Honda & Tohatsu/ Nissan 7
So Force is most reliable outboard ever build.:laugh:

Hey....I feel better now.......

 

[pecheux]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

I like underdogs ... I loved how my dad's 90 hp Chrysler OB ran ... my present 15 hp Force is nice to use, only complaint is that it loud for it's size. Note: they like to run at 40 to 45:1 gas/oil ratio.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Vinyl! Taken from photos on the internet and printed by a car wrap company. 75 bucks for a mirror image pair, about 16 X22 inches.

Not exactly realistic statistics: There are WAY more OMC, Mercury, and foreign engines sold than Force and way more posts on their forums

 

[submariner1980]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Thank you Frank. I like it.
Not exactly realistic statistics: There are WAY more OMC, Mercury, and foreign engines sold than Force and way more posts on their forums

Yes, you are right but in the real world all statistic researchers will never disclose anything beyond numbers.

 

[CJ River Rider]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

Generally, if treated well and oil is kept pre-mixed at 50 to 1 the engines will treat you well too. I use 48 to 1--it is easier to remember: 1 Pint oil to 6 gallons 87 octane regular gasoline.

Frank, I've just finished almost 2 seasons on my old Mercury Force 70. I've been putting in premium, am I wasting money and is regular OK? I'm only doing it as because of a problem I had on an older 2 stroke wave-runner.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Are you happy with your Force motor.

CJ: This is called highjacking a thread and is frowned upon. Go over to the non repair outboard discussions and you can search MANY threads about premium fuel. There are as many opinions as there are members on the forum but the consensus is that it is a waste of money.

OR, start another thread.