1987 Force 50 on Bayliner Capri

[j-sun]

I purchased this boat last year; and finally have been able to get it out into the water. The boat is in fine shape and the motor seems to run fine in idle; but I can't get the boat to plane at all, even with just myself in the boat.

I have called quite a few local boat shops and no one will look at the force motors anymore.

I was hoping that someone could provide me with what I should do next, I'm getting a little frustrated and thinking of selling the boat.

[roscoe]

Need to know size of boat.

Start with the basics: check spark and compression on both cylinders.
Examine plugs, how do they look?

Is motor mounted at the proper height on the boat?
Is the motor trimmed all the way in when you start out?

[conor1366]

I have a 1988 15' Bayliner Trophy Bass with a 45 hp Chrysler (same family motor as your Force) and I had the same problem. Chances are it is not the mechanics of your motor.

Check the following:

-get the compression and fuel delivery checked- the boat mechanics can check this no matter what brand motor. I ran into the same issue with my 1975 45 hp Chrysler...nobody wants to work on them. All the boat shops around me are Mercury and Yamaha snobs and did not want anything to do with my Chrysler mule. If they say they won't do it and tell you to go somewhere else, then they are not providing a service to boaters.

-Cavitation plate on the motor should be level with the bottom of the transom/hull. If the motor is too low in the water it will create drag in the water.

-Spun Prop- this is when your prop spins on the spindal if the rubber bushing is worn. You will not be able to spin it yourself even if it is a "spun hub". Have a prop shop look at it. Cost is about 50-70 bucks to rehub your prop...but for that you can buy a new prop.

-Prop pitch- don't know what it is for that motor but you can find out on this forum if you look and ask.

Buy a tachometer- this will help you understand what RPMs your motor is putting out and tell you if it is at full power/rpms with the right prop- you need to do your research on this.


-Like my boat(still don't know)- yours could be "waterlogged". The Bayliners have foam for flotation in the hull and if the boat was left uncovered for years in the elements and in rainstorms than this could be the case. This could add weight to the hull that it should not have. Find what the weight of your boat (dry with gas and motor) should be, then go weigh it at a weigh station. The weight calculation should be less trailer of course. This may tell you if the hull foam is waterlogged


options that helped me a hell of alot:

buy a hydrofoil for the cavitation plate-cost is 50-100bucks. this will help you get on plane faster. you can buy these from the boat shop or ******** has a good selection as well as Bass Pro shops.

buy some fixed trim tabs- these bolt/screw to the transom and will help kick the rear of the boat up for easy planing. I found a fixed version for 150 bucks.
http://www.nauticusinc.com/