1988 Force 125 Gears or Lower unit needed

Maugust2

Recruit
Joined
Sep 7, 2013
Messages
2
Looking for some help in locating forward and reverse gears or complete lower unit for my 1988 Force 125 motor. Engine model 1258D8C.
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
4,251
Re: 1988 Force 125 Gears or Lower unit needed

EBay or Craigslist. I've picked up several complete lower units on each site.
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
4,251
Re: 1988 Force 125 Gears or Lower unit needed

I don't spend more than $300. There are some lower units out there that some folks must be pretty proud of considering what they're asking for them. Just be patient and you can usually find what you're looking for at a decent price.

You can also consider a lower unit from an 85HP motor in that general year range. The lower unit is the same, however, the gear ratio is slightly higher so the engine rev's slightly higher for the same speed. You have to get a prop that is 2 steps higher to compensate. If you normally ran a 17 pitch prop with the 125HP lower, generally you have to run a 19 pitch prop with the 85HP lower unit. These are general guidelines though. This may mot be the best for your particular set up, but you get the general idea.

The 1988 125HP lower has a 1.73:1 gear ratio. The 1988 85HP lower has a 2:1 gear ratio. Starting in 1990 or there abouts, the 4 cylinder motors came with 1.93:1 to 2:1 gear ratio. You get a slightly better hole shot with the higher gear ratio and slightly better performance, although "performance" is a pretty subjective thing. It really depends on your particular set up.
 

jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
17,923
Re: 1988 Force 125 Gears or Lower unit needed

Just make sure the new one is the same length.
It can be a 25" or a 20"
 
Top