does force give chrysler a bad rap?

[fishkiller]

I still am looking for an outboard to replace my blown 75 70hp johnson and the best deal I can find is an 83 chrysler 75hp with power tilt/trim....in looking at this motor I find that people either like chrysler or REALLY don't like them. why is this? are there years for chrysler to stay away from? size of motors to be wary of? I just don't understand the controversy that mere utterance of the chrysler/force name does to other boaters...ps my brother in law has a merc 650 that he has sunk about $1k into this year and the lower unit leaks the motor still doesnt run and yet he sez merc's are best??????

 

[katbird]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

fishkiller, email me at ronregan@hci.net I have some info that you will like.

 

[sheaston]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

i have a 1990 50hp force and it runs like a champ<br />never any issues with it.

 

[1730V]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

You cannot make the comparison from Chrysler to Force to Mercury. The older Force engines were basic Chrysler designs yet the Force engines were not identical. They got farther away when Merc bought them. Basics are similar but much changed over the years. The Force engines were enhancements over Chrysler designs. <br />I would not buy a 1975 Chrysler unless I was a collector or it had some sort of nostalgic value. They were not that popular to begin with and neither the Force or Chrysler are being made any longer. Mercs support for the Force line is waning and they never supported Chrysler.<br />Parts for the Chrysler are going to be strictly aftermarket or salvage.

 

[fixin]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

ronregan...what not sharing with the rest of us?<br />Chrysler/Force are a simpler design(no bells and whistles)They are easier to work on than most and you can find just about anything you could need on the web.Merc is your performance,Johnson/Evinrude is your dependable.To me all others are in between.<br />.<br />My 2 cents

 

[22trophy]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

I can't speak to Chrysler's reliability. But, my 99 Force 120 is far more reliable than any 99 Merc 150 Optimax. My bro in law has had 4 replaced or overhauled with less than 400 hours on them ( fortunately under warranty).

 

[1730V]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Never said that Chryslers were not dependable. It is all an opinion. Would I go into a remote area with a Chrysler over a Johnson or Evinrude or Mercury? No way. At least back then I knew I could find parts for the others. Not Chrysler. And that was when Chryslers were in production.<br />You want to buy an engine that has been out of production for over fifteen years. Not only the horsepower model but the entire line. Not a good buy in my book. Just my opinion.

 

[DJ]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Fishkiller,<br /><br />I have to agree with 1730. Unless you are a certified "scrounger", for parts, forget the Chrysler.<br /><br />You have to make a personal decision here. Do you want your guests/children to remember you constantly fiddling with an older engine or enjoying a day on the water? I've been both places, I choose the latter. Toss some change into a jar and before you know it you can afford one of the fine pre owned engines available here on iboats. They'll help you get the right engine and right set up.<br /><br />The John/Rudes and Mercs of the world have a far greater parts system to sift through. Like 1730 said, unless it is for nostalgic or personal reasons, forget the ancient Chrysler. <br /><br />Your original question was "does Force give Chrysler a bad rap"? No, it is the other way around. Force (under Mercury) sold allot of engines as price leaders. Many in bad applications. That is why Force may have a bad "rap". <br /><br />The Force engines were far superior, especially in latter years, than Chrysler ever had a chance to produce.<br /><br />Nothing against Chryslers, personally. And I'm a nostalgic old outboard guy.

 

[katbird]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Fixin,<br />it has nothing to do with not sharing. I have a very nice 1976 merc 1150 he might want to try. I paid $300.00 for the motor and had to put $2700.00 in it to get it right and thats just for parts. I had a 50 hp force. a 1987 year and it ran good. it was just not fast enough for me only at 18 mph.it looked like it had a little toy prop on it.then the 115 merc. pushed my boat at 42 mph. now I have a inboard outboard i'm restoring.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

DJ Are you suggesting I get rid of my Oliver outboard?Just a joke.But I do remember my Dad fiddling with an engine to make it run.<br />The 50's were great,and should be memories.So shouldn't be Chrysler.scott-attwater mccullock etc.be memories?<br /><br />DHP

 

[DJ]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

DHPMARINE,<br /><br />Nope. I love 'em' too. I have some old Rudes that I will be buried with.<br /><br />They are just not suited to a young man trying to show the youngsters a good time on the water. <br /><br />Children today have a short attention span. One has to make every moment count.

 

[fast525]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

1730 and DJ you can readily get parts from any Mercury dealer or Wisco or CDI or any number of companies . DJ as far as Force being superior to Chrysler , what year where you born ? Chrysler was making West Bend outboards in '56 , became Chrysler Outboards in'65 and made a run untill 83 . How many years did Mercury make Force motors ,'86-'95 somewhere in there. 18 years compared compared to 9 Yuor going to tell me that Force put out more engines in half the time ? If you look around ,you'll see alot more old Chryslers running than new Forces .Do yourself a favor , see which parts get the most money on ebay , Force or Chrysler . Simplicity , and dependibility were a trademark for Chrysler . Pick up any manual for a 2 , 3, or 4 cyl Chrysler and you'll find that each of them share a lot of the same traits . Most of the 2 cyl. parts will interchange as will the 3 & 4 cyl parts . You can interchange pistons , rods , carbs , lower units and many more parts between the 3 and 4 cyl outboards , and basically the same with the 2 cyl. As far as dependability , Mercury changed their design every few years as did OMC , Chrysler Outboards Through 18 years increased , decreased and chaned HP. but the basic design never changed . Parts are hard to find , you can get most parts at Napa . Wake up , don't aqdd your two cents unless your better informed . I'm tired of people knocking Chrysler . I own 23 Chrysler Outboards and two Chrysler boats . You could'nt give me a Mercury unless I needed trotline weight and all my OMCs' are pre- 1960 . The Chryslers are the only ones I trust ,. you can run <br />'em hot and beat 'em to death but I've NEVER had one leave me stranded . Can't say the same for the other two manufactures . Sorry for the rant , but I'm really tired of people beating on Chryslers . If you have'nt owned one you really don't have a valid opinion . OK , I give , they're gas hogs . There I've said it , you happy now . Oh and back to fishkiller the 75hps' where some hot motors. If you need any info on the let me know at fast525@excite.com . I've got all the manuals from '56 up till '83 and all the test equipment and factory updates . Ten pages of updates over 18 years , that ought to tell you something .

 

[DJ]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

JHM,<br /><br />Lighten up.<br /><br />Born in 1959. Been around boats my entire life. Mostly a John/Rude fan but I've owned/operated just about everything else.<br /><br />Yes, I've owned Chryslers. They were fine for their day. I wouldn't want a 60's Evinrude V-4 pushing my boat either. They were (all the engines of that era) gas pigs and generally gave low performance, for their size, compared to the modern engines. There are better choices with more abundant parts and SERVICE networks. <br /><br />Ebay parts don't do anyone any good on a three day weekend and who will work on one?<br /><br />Everybody is entitled to their opinions. I expressed mine, you expressed yours.<br /><br />You have a passion for the old Chryslers. That's great. Glad you do. Not everyone shares your passion. I do not want an engine (entire line) on my boat that hasn't been produced in twenty years. That's my choice. I have plenty of old engines. They are my hobby, not my "daily driver". I expressed that to the person that started this thread.<br /><br />Calling me misinformed is again, your opinion. Not fact.

 

[fast525]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Sorry for going off , I just get tired people knocking Chryslers . I guess the smart thing to do would be to keep my mouth shut and just keep adding those poor unwanted Chryslers to my collection . I've never had a problem getting parts and generally they're cheaper then parts for the newer motors . Also there is no comparison between Force and Chryler in my experience . Once again sorry for going off , I am somwhat fanatical when it comes to Chrysler , funny thing is , I would'nt own a Chrysler automoble .

 

[DJ]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

JHM,<br /><br />No sweat. I have allot of respect for folks that keep the oldies going.<br /><br />It's always neat to see a "blast from the past" on the road or on the water.<br /><br />Keep it up.

 

[Jcrain]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

WOW! For what it's worth. I got a 97 90hp "Rude, a 90 40hp Jonny a 61 50hp merc and a 76 45 hp chrysler. The 'rude and jonny both run like a top, I'm still dealing with the chrysler, but the merc, although it "runs" great, it is hanging on a sawhorse due to a busted lower unit case. Altho I am still working on the chrysler, I do believe it will be my main tooling around the lake engine due to the reliability and ease of getting it running to get me back to the shore. I know very little about outboards but the chrysler is so much like a car engine, I can gerwerally get it going whereas with the merc, prior to hitting a submerged pipe, would leave me stranded quit often.<br />In my opinion, for a beginner like me, chryslers are the best, unless you want to spend a fortune on a new jonny or rude

 

[fast525]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Thank you , that's my point reliability and simplicity .

 

[accord_guy]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

People who hate Chrysler/Force are the same <br /> people who either can't take care of an outboard<br /> or paid way too much for their engine. I had <br /> a 1986 85 horse Force that ran like a top <br /> year after year. It was super simple to work <br /> on. Never let other people make up your mind <br /> for you.

 

[fishndvm]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Hey Guys,<br /> How should I feel about the fact that I just bought a pair of 81 Chryslers on e-bay? More like one and a half...the lower unit on one seems to be missing. Together, they're supposed to make one complete unit. I'm a real novice at this, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. So you say parts will be available? And manuals? JHM...I may need to pick your brain eventually. I hope you don't mind.

 

[Realgun]

Re: does force give chrysler a bad rap?

Fishndvm you can probably coble together 1 good motor from those 2. For some parts you might try Napa Auto. They seem to carry gaskets and such for almost any engine.