1997 Mercury Force 90hp

[titleistprov21]

Hi all,

I am brand new to to iBoats and I am pumped to be here!

Quick Question and would appreciate and and all thoughts:

I am considering purchasing a 1997 18' Maxum open bow that is equipped with a 1997 Mercury Force 90hp outboard.

I have doen several searches to learn more about this motor but have not had much success. I dont' even know if this is a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke! Can anybody please provide any information on this motor and share their opinions, both positive and negative.

Thanks in advance!

-Patrick

[cc190cc]

I have a 97 90HP Merc. Runs really well, more of a high RPM motor. Lower RPM's these motors tend to run a little rough. There should be an oil tank on the motor that you put the two stroke oil into.

Chad

[titleistprov21]

I have a 97 90HP Merc. Runs really well, more of a high RPM motor. Lower RPM's these motors tend to run a little rough. There should be an oil tank on the motor that you put the two stroke oil into.

Chad

Thanks for the response, Chad. Do you think the low-end torque would be enough to get skiers out of the water on an 18ft Maxum?

[ezmobee]

They can call it Mercury all they want but it's still a Force. Parts and service are tough to find and only getting worse. I personally would not buy one. They are fairly simple motors and apparently easy to work on. Most maintenance parts are available but anything more major and you're lookin' on ebay.

[roscoe]

This is a 2 stroke motor.
It is not oil injected.
It does not have an oil tank.
You must mix oil with the gasoline.


This is a Force with a few Mercury improvements. Should have Mercury cdm ignition, Mercury style lower unit, Merc fuel pump, etc.

It is much improved over any earlier Force.

Mercury discontinued production in 1999.
Recently, they stopped offering full parts support, most all parts are available for this model, for now.


Can you pull skiers, yes, depending on the boat, load, condition of motor, weight of the skier, correct propeller, etc.

[titleistprov21]

This is a 2 stroke motor.
It is not oil injected.
It does not have an oil tank.
You must mix oil with the gasoline.


This is a Force with a few Mercury improvements. Should have Mercury cdm ignition, Mercury style lower unit, Merc fuel pump, etc.

It is much improved over any earlier Force.

Mercury discontinued production in 1999.
Recently, they stopped offering full parts support, most all parts are available for this model, for now.


Can you pull skiers, yes, depending on the boat, load, condition of motor, weight of the skier, correct propeller, etc.

Thanks for all the responses guys, this is very helpful. iBoats is awesome!
One more question: How do you mix oil with gas in such a big gas tank? Just fill up the tank most of the way, and then dump the proper ratio of oil into the gas tank? Or do you need to mix the oil and gas before it goes into the tank. If so, how the heck do you do that?

[pnwboat]

Yes, that's about it.

You put however many gallons of gas in the tank. Make a mental note of how many gallons and use one of these measuring containers to put the appropriate amount of oil in the gas depending on the ratio. The measuring container has a gauge embossed on the side with the Oil/Gas ratio and the number of gallons. Relatively simple set up.

http://www.iboats.com/Seadog-Accu-Mi...-view_id.39804

If you're concerned about it mixing well, fill it up part of the way, dump the appropriate amount of oil. Continue filling and repeat again until full.

[Frank Acampora]

NEVER put in the oil last! Many of these tanks have a low spot in the fill hose where the oil will just sit and never reach the tank. Estimate the amount of gas you will fill, put in the oil and then fill the tank. If you are a little over on the oil---no harm done. The engine will just smoke a bit more. After a while, you will get a feel for fuel usage and be relatively accurate on filling the tank.

Merc made that engine produce an honest 90. If you prop it correctly, it should pull out a skier, unless you have boucoup people in the boat. Might be a little weak for slalom, but no problem on two skis.