Tempremental Force 90 outboard - any advice

[paulmonaghan]

Recently purchased an unidentified 15"craft with a Force Marine 90hp engine which is proving a little temperamental.

It runs fine once started but is a bugger to start - often flattens the battery before firing into life.

I`m a bit wary of taking it out and getting stranded - or worse still getting the trailer positioned, the boat launched and then not able to get the engine going (especially as I`m new to boating and launching is yet to be mastered, coupled with my local marina being the busiest in the area!)

Starter motor turns over, plugs are wet with fuel but I susspect a weak spark.
Engine in 29 years old but looks in decent condition - i was told it was recently overhauled but the same guy told me the battery was `almost new` (it wont hold a charge for more than 5mins)

Any hints/tips would be gratefully received, or a contact for a decent outboard mechanic in the Bangor/North Down area.

Cheers
Paul

 

[VicS]

Force outboards

About the company:
The Force Outboard brand was born in the early 1980's when US Marine, the parent company of Bayliner Boats, purchased the old Chrysler Outboard factory and tooling located in Hartford, Wisconsin. Bayliner was the first nationwide company to introduce packaged outboard rigs in which the outboard motor, the boat and a trailer were sold as a single item. Arriving at dealerships fully assembled, these packages were great timesavers for dealers that previously had to custom rig bare hulls with specific engines and accessories chosen by the boats' buyers. Although Force Outboards lacked the technological sophistication of the major outboard brands, their price advantage was significant. Thousands of families discovered their love for boating through these inexpensive Bayliner entry-level outboard boats. In the mid-1980's US Marine was acquired by industry giant Brunswick Corporation (Mercury, Mercruiser, Sea Ray, etc.). The Force Outboard brand quickly benefited from the resources of its big brother Mercury, and all production was soon moved to Mercury's plants. Force Outboards became available on boat brands other Bayliner at dealerships nationwide. The changing marketplace, diminished price advantages and pending government regulations ( US I guess that means) resulted in the decision to discontinue the Force brand in 1999. Parts and service have become more and more difficult for Force owners to find since then.

​

Does starter really crank the engine properly, check connections and battery I assume though that you are now trying a decent battery

I suggest you check the sparks. With a spark tester if possible, even an improvised one. Be looking for sparks that will jump 3/8", I would think, or more.

If sparks bad look at ignition system components '' I guess its a CD system not points

Check the compression. (all plugs out and the plug leads grounded) 60psi would be the minimum I'd guess at which you could expect it to run reasonably . 80 would be better, 100 + good All cylinders should be within 10%.

If compression bad then probably not worth pursuing in view of lack of spares availability.
I believe though that Bill Higham Marine have parts and motors to break for parts

Good sparks and good compression start looking at fuel and carb issues. You are using fresh fuel at the correct mix. (50:1 ??)

correct plugs, correctly gapped, and new?

Will it start if you spray some fuel into the carb throats.

is the choke/primer pump or what ever it has working properly. Electric ? manual?

I believe Seloc do a manual but dont know if its any good ... no better than Seloc manuals in general I guess

There is a forum for Chrysler and Force outboards on the iBoats forums
http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

If you go there for advice identify the model ( year etc http://www.autorepairmanuals.biz/site/573683/page/599332 )

 

[paulmonaghan]

Cheers vic
I think my weekend is pretty well mapped out - some good advice - i`ll let you know how I get on.
I suppose part of the fun is messing about with engines - just need to progress beyond this to getting on the water.
Thanks
Paul

 

[enterprise]

Hi Paul,
Vic has some very good advice but one of his suggestion I can confirm will give you the symptoms you are describing as it happened to us.

We had a large mercury serviced which went without fault but as soon as we tried it it was very hard starting, turned out to be nothing more than the priming bulb in the fuel line, when they serviced it they had used their own which is why no problems were highlighted.

Start with the simple things first.
Best of luck with your new boat.

 

[VicS]

Hi Paul,
Vic has some very good advice but one of his suggestion I can confirm will give you the symptoms you are describing as it happened to us.

We had a large mercury serviced which went without fault but as soon as we tried it it was very hard starting, turned out to be nothing more than the priming bulb in the fuel line, when they serviced it they had used their own which is why no problems were highlighted.

Start with the simple things first.
Best of luck with your new boat.

I did n't suggest it as it happens. Some engines have ordinary flap type chokes which may be manually or electrically operated. Others have a pump, which sends a jet of neat fuel into the carb throat. Again they can be electrically or manually operated. That was what I was referring to when i said, "choke/primer pump".

However you raise another possibility to check, namely that the fuel line bulb is Ok and filling the carbs with fuel .
Take a hose off somewhere and squeeze the bulb to see if it is pumping fuel.


Back to the possibility of an electrical choke/ primer. These are lekely to be operated by pressing the key in, if it starts on a key, and holding it in while cranking.

But we are getting into the sort of detail of which I have no knowledge for the engine in question.