1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

My Force 125 is a fantastic running motor. Starts quickly and runs smooth.

I've read a number of posts where folks are talking about how much gas their Force motors use up in an afternoon, so I understand they use a lot of gas.

Mine does too, but appears to be guzzling more than normal, so I wanted to ask for advice.

Here is some info:

I always run 92-93 octane (I know that's overkill) and mix it 50 to 1.
Always put the recommended amount of Sea Foam in every tank.
Performed a decarb in January of this year.
New Gas tank and fuel line.
Fuel pump screen is clean.
Motor does not sputter.
Idles great.
Spark plugs do not now any abnormal wear.
Wide open throttle is 5100-5200 RPM's.
The boat is a 22 foot Super Jon Sea Ark. (top speed is 35-40 depending on load)
There are not any visible gas leaks, and there is never a smell of gas when running the motor.

Went crabbing last Saturday. 1 mile from the ramp and never went above 2500 RPM's (on purpose - to see if it helped with the gas mileage).

Crabbed a 1000 foot trot line. Based on the number of times I ran the line (at it's lowest possible forward speed/rpm), add another 3 miles total. Add 2 miles (to and from the ramp), for a grand total of 5 miles.

10.5 gallons of gas used for 5 total miles, of which 3 miles were at idling speed and the other 2 were at 2500 rpm - half throttle.

That comes out to 2 gallons of gas per mile.

That cannot possibly be normal fuel consumption under these extremely light running conditions.......can it?

Any ideas or recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

Normally expressed as gph, gallons per hour. Miles per gallon is subject to too many influences, current, wind seas etc. Don't take this to the bank but I think I remember the formula- one gallon per hour per ten hp @ WOT.

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

foodfisher said:

Normally expressed as gph, gallons per hour. Miles per gallon is subject to too many influences, current, wind seas etc. Don't take this to the bank but I think I remember the formula- one gallon per hour per ten hp @ WOT.

Click to expand...

Ok thanks - so using that formula, 1 hour of WOT for my 125 HP Force...... would use 12.5 gallons of gas. Can it really be THAT thirsty?

Does anyone else concur with this result?

Thanks,
Tim

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

A gallon per hour (WOT) per 10hp is a pretty good estimate. I actually learned that the hard way a couple of years ago when I thought that the estimate was a little excessive and I put it to the test. Luckily I had a trolling motor to get me out of the boat traffic and to a marina that had gas!

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

Bigtim320 said:

Ok thanks - so using that formula, 1 hour of WOT for my 125 HP Force...... would use 12.5 gallons of gas. Can it really be THAT thirsty?

Does anyone else concur with this result?

Thanks,
Tim

Click to expand...

One hour at WOT with a 125HP will take you around 35~40 miles if you go on a straight line. It may not sound a lot compare to driving a car but that is a lot of distance for 12.5 gallons. Of course, you can do better if you stay out of the WOT and instead just maintain minimum speed to maintain plane! In cars, the efficient speed is around 60 MPH, on boats it's the min to maintain plane with minimum porpoising!

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

I think that motor should run 5300-5500 at WOT.
What prop do you have.
Might be too much if you have a 19p try a 17 to increase the RPM's.
Load??? Too much can be a problem.
I have twin 85's and thought I wanted more speed.
It came with 17's and I found a pair of 19's.I got about 3 mph more and it used about 20% more gas.
I changed back QUICK.

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

jerryjerry05 said:

I think that motor should run 5300-5500 at WOT.
What prop do you have.
Might be too much if you have a 19p try a 17 to increase the RPM's.
Load??? Too much can be a problem.

Click to expand...

Jerry,

Prop is a 17. Weight is me and a fishing buddy and normal crabbing supplies - maybe another 100 pounds worth. The weight of the boat is roughly 1000 pounds.

Thanks for the replies, but I think I need to re-state the scenario. I didn't go WOT, not even once. Here's the summary: 10.5 gallons of gas used for 5 total miles, of which 3 miles were at idling speed and the other 2 were at 2500 rpm - half throttle.

The question is - is using 10.5 gallons of gas for 5 total miles (see scenario above) excessive? Is there something that needs to be checked/replaced on the motor to improve gas consumption?

Thanks again!
Tim

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

That force was built to run, skiing,tubing etc. Continued slow running, not on plane, will cause carbon build up and fouled plugs definately a contributing factor to guzzling. A smaller kicker may be better for work and the 125 to get you there and back.

Re: 1985 Force 125 gas guzzler

I understand how you feel with my 150hp If I spend an afternoon out on the water, I travel an average of 25 miles according to my gps. My speed is between 25-40mph and use 15 gallons of fuel.
I don't want to start a debate in here, but you could save a bundle if you use regular gas (87 octane). When I bought my boat the previous owner told me to use hi-test. He then told me that his boat mechanic said run 92-93 octane to prevent burning the pistons. This is why he the motor rebuilt. I started using hi octane ethanol free fuel. Then they stopped selling it in my area. After spending $80 at the pump just for a day of cruising sounded excessive. So I put in regular and never looked back. I also use Stabil to help fight moisture draw.

Hope this helps,
Tom