150 FORCE or 69 100hp merc

[Deimus]

I have a delema. my 1968 merc 100hp has been leavin me stranded. the ignition pickup is screwed{i think) and is unavailable. bought as a project boat that my two sons and i restored together(boat not motor) was gonna sell the boat buy a better one one but they are now attached.

i have the possibilty of buying a 150hp Force from a local guy. says it runs great(but hey dont they all?) my question is in what derection i should go.

i say repower. price is good on force but have never ran or been around anyone who has run a force.. what do i look for? what are tell tele signs to a force motor? what should my excpectations be of this powerplant?


any and all input is greatly appreciatted. generalizations are recomended as i will be looking at this engine on sunday comin up the 4th. and i am proned to impulse buying.

PLEASE STOP ME IF I SHOULD

thanks guyz

 

[jim_b_20653]

Re: 150 FORCE or 69 100hp merc

I have owned a 85 hp force for about two two years and been very happy with it. I'm actually replacing this season with a 120 just to gain some power. I was reluctant at first since I've heard bad things about these motors. In my opinion Force engines are a good buy since the resale value is relatively low, parts are available from Mercury, or used ones from e-bay, and are so simple to work on.On the down side I think they use a bit more gas than some others, and you have to pre-mix. The only other think I do not like is no tell-tale for the cooling system, but there is a good explanation of how to add one on this forum.

Good luck, and happy boating

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: 150 FORCE or 69 100hp merc

A friend of mine has a 150 Force on his 19'-20' Bayliner. He bought the combo new in '93 I think. Its all still running strong. He has gotten more than good value out of this purchase after 15 years. The only thing he says he has had to do is replace the head gasket every few years and the impeller. Supposedly these are relatively straight forward and inexpensive tasks...beyond that, he has no complaints.
As many threads will clearly state....general reliability and trouble free boating can be attributed more to good maintenance and history than brand selection.
Check the motor out very well before buying/repowering (compression test? history? impeller? maintenance records? amm't of owners? fresh/salt use? etc).
Good Luck and keep us posted.
BP

 

[Dave K.]

Re: 150 FORCE or 69 100hp merc

I also have an 85hp & it runs real good, outstanding really!. outside of changing an impeller this weekend, i've only had to replace the rectifier. the main thing is general & yearly maintenance... i bought mine from the original owner & the guy maintained it by the book..also, these motors seem to be pretty easy to work on, straight forward two stroke combustion. Check the history as best you can. I'm real happy w/ mine.

 

[roscoe]

Re: 150 FORCE or 69 100hp merc

Make sure the ignition is working properly.
Stator, trigger, cd modules, coils.
Make sure all plugs are firing strong, and you are getting gas to all cylinders.
Check compression with a gauge, and test run before buying.