Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

[cj1stdan]

Well I have been considering buying a 92 Bayliner Capri with a 92 90 HP Force Motor.<br /><br />Firstly I would like to thank everyone for all the usefull information posted on this board, it has saved me a ton of coin.<br /><br />Here is my experience since Thursday:<br /><br />Thursday: Brought boat home, kids and wife love boat, $3,500 seems like good deal. Starter will not turn fly wheel and then stops working.<br /><br />Friday: Review FAQ and then search starter issues on board. Trouble shoot, remove and clean starter. Boat starts but will not idle properly.<br /><br />Saturday Morning: Take boat out on water thinking that it just needs a good run. Boat will not go into gear without stalling. Adjust idle screw and end up breaking plastic piece which holds the screw. 3 Marina's in town do not have part. Glue piece together so I can try and and get this boat on the water.<br /><br />Take boat home and find gas line has no clamp. Add clamp and boat idles fine with earmuffs on. Take boat out on water and bogs down and will not plane out. Take boat home again.<br /><br />Remove plugs and check spark, all good. Boat starts and idles fine in driveway again.<br /><br />One more try on the water and it runs great for 2 hours with no issues.<br /><br />Sooooo it's decision time, I'm thinking there was some bad gas in the motor which seems to have worked it's self out. <br /><br />Other minor issues:<br /><br />The spedometer worked for a while and then stoped, it then started again, and the gas gauge seemed to bounce around quite a bit.<br /><br />Fish finder was way off, the lake is only 7' deep in most parts and it was saying 40 feet.<br /><br />Also is it normal for the tilt to have 2 speeds, it seems to hit a point and then really slow down.<br /><br />All in all when the boat was running it ran well.<br /><br />Ok, enough babbling, any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />CJ

 

[JB]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

If you like working on the boat/engine more than you like using it, buy it.<br /><br />If not, not.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

I have seen a lot of damn near new boats at the landing do what you described. People buy 30000 dollar boats and dont put them away correctly when they are done with them. I have read a lot of force posts about people putting motors away for a couple of years that have the exact problems you mentioned in your post. My chrysler starts showing them same signs after three years and it tells me it is time to rebuild the carb and fuel pump because America does not know how to make gasoline anymore. If you have not purchased the boat yet take it to a marina and have them do a compression and a spark test. A correct spark test will test how far a spark will shoot. If compression numbers are good and you are good at working on small engines then buy it. I have been looking for a decent used boat and motor in my area for 3500 dollars and the best I can find is a 6 year old 25 hp merc on a 15 foot jon boat.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

Sounds like more trouble than it may be worth.<br />If you are not a mechanic, you should pass.<br /><br />How big is this boat?<br /><br />There are plenty of boats available, why buy one with such a big black cloud hovering over it?<br /><br />The seller should have had all those problems taken care of long ago.<br />If he neglected those items, what else did he neglect?<br />What maintenance did he neglect to do?<br />What is he "forgetting" to tell you?<br />That motor had a troublesome ignition system.<br />And the tilt and trim can be a pain.<br /><br />Parts for this motor are just as expensive as parts for a more reliable motor.

 

[rosco_59]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

sounds like the tilt and trim is working correctly, they go fast to a point the the trim comes in to a slow pace, You have to do what your head tells you. If the boat is taken care of properly you should have no troubles. maintenance is the key here.

 

[rosco_59]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

sounds like the tilt and trim is working correctly, they go fast to a point the the trim comes in to a slow pace, You have to do what your head tells you. If the boat is taken care of properly you should have no troubles. maintenance is the key here.

 

[Realgun]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

The spedometer worked for a while and then stoped, it then started again, and the gas gauge seemed to bounce around quite a bit.<br /><br />Gas guages are not like in a car they bounce a lot. Mine reads full when you take off and almost empty coming off plane. Basically it tells you you have some gas don't believe it though. Mines a new guage and sender too.<br /><br />Speedometers in boats are worthless. They are more for show than anything else. They are reading air trapped in a line. Under 10 MPH they don't work and the line and pickup can get clogged pretty easily. Take the tube off at the speedometer and blow it out.<br /><br />Are you sure the lakes 7 feet deep? Take out the anchor and see. Alspo make sure the buttom of the sensor is flat to the water.<br /><br />Personally if it worked for 2 hours you got the problem licked. <br /><br />Any motor can have problems. Personally I like the older Bayliners and Force motors. There are fewer problems than people think. <br /><br />Only real problems are new people forget to add oil then run the tar outa the motor. When it seizes they blame the motor. Or they never change the lower unit oil or impeller eith not knowing or too lazy- same result.<br /><br />I like mine and decided to just do maintenace and see how long it lasts. So far 4 more years and i don't do any extras just the normal maintence.<br />Fish finder was way off, the lake is only 7' deep in most parts and it was saying 40 feet.<br /><br />Also is it normal for the tilt to have 2 speeds, it seems to hit a point and then really slow down.<br /><br />All in all when the boat was running it ran well.

 

[Bonstrosity]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

Originally posted by Realgun:<br /> Any motor can have problems. Personally I like the older Bayliners and Force motors. There are fewer problems than people think. <br /><br />Only real problems are new people forget to add oil then run the tar outa the motor. When it seizes they blame the motor. Or they never change the lower unit oil or impeller eith not knowing or too lazy- same result.

This could not be more true. I just bought a bayliner w/ a force motor. I got a discount b/c the motor wasn't working properly after a rebuild. Turns out the motor was rebuilt just fine. I talked to the previous owners who didn't realize they needed the fuel pump rebuilt also. Fixed all the problems. A little maintenence goes a long way. if you take care of the motor it'll take care of you.

 

[cj1stdan]

Re: Mixed Feelings, To buy or not to buy

Thanks for all the advice. I have decided to buy the boat. Took the boat out again and the motor ran fine. <br /><br />Was also looking at the local Ontario boat trader. You can not buy much for $3,500 cdn. The 17' Bayliner Capris are starting around $5,500 and up.<br /><br />BTW Lake Scugog has an average of 7' deep. A couple areas are 12 feet but it is a shallow lake. <br /><br />Thanks for the help!