Are force motors good?

[soundchaser]

Are the force 90hp motors fast?

will this motor run faster then an evinrude 75hp?

Are they dependable?

 

[madman2021]

Re: Are force motors good?

dependability sucks!!!
dont by chrysler/force

 

[RRitt]

Re: Are force motors good?

no, they are terrible. that's why so many of them are still running even though their owners spend less than $50 a year in maintenance. Mercury is way better. All you have to do is compare your maintenance bills. Clearly the motor that costs $200-$300 a year has to be better. Even if it doesn't last quite as long.

They are not fast. They were not designed to be fast. If you want a "fast" motor then whip out your wallet.

 

[soundchaser]

Re: Are force motors good?

OK RRitt no need to act like an idiot, let me rephrase the question. What I'm actually asking is, Will the 90hp force run faster then a 75hp evinrude? I'm not a speed demon, I have an Aquasport 170 and my 75hp evinrude takes me along at about 33MPH, I may be able to do better then that after I get the right prop on it (still need to set up a tach just got the boat going) . But if the 90hp force doesn't go any faster then that, Well I may as well stay with the 75hp. The fuel economy will be better.

Oh and by the way, I've been boating for 35 yrs. If I wanted to go fast, I wouldn't be playing with size sh1t at all.

Didn't mean to start a problem here, I know from what I've heard Force/Chrysler tend to burn top pistons due to lubricating problems. But I'm sure some people haven't had any problems with them.

And like with most engines, It all depends on who's running and maintaining them how they'll run.

I've never owned a force engine, Probably wouldn't now if it wasn't pretty much free. But I'm willing to give it a chance if it can be a good motor.

 

[madman2021]

Re: Are force motors good?

Stick with the 75hp. What does your boat weigh? Max hp boat allows? I'd mess with props first. If you want a bigger motor. Stick with evinrude/Johnson. I've owned alot of outboards and they tend to be the better ones. Only one I haven't owned is Suzuki and yamaha.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Are force motors good?

Force motors tend to measure horsepower at crank which gives about 15% higher than at prop. So a 90HP Force is like an 80HP Evinrude.

But there is a somewhat larger issue. 90HP tends to be made by Mercury rather than Chrysler or USMarine. Force's reputation as an unreliable engine is due to the changes made by Mercury. You need to be extra wary of reed valve, stator, and trim system problems with the mercury engines. Find out if the engine has metal reeds, Chrysler stator, and prestolite trim. That's the durable stuff. The composite reeds have a record of cracking which can run the engine lean and burn out powerheads. The mid 90's stators are universal fit mercury which had a recall and are known failure point across all Mercury outboards. The Eaton trim systems are a better design, but due to a cheap grade of factory installed fluid usually last about 10 years less than the Prestolite and are prone to full failure rather than incremental maintenance.

 

[my1stboat1]

Re: Are force motors good?

I only have experience with Omc and force... 2 of the most badly talked about engines built, However I own an 1988 85 hp force and it clips along about 40 at 5100 rpms.. its been reliable. I mean i have had to put money into it... but its been reliable... I would buy another... As for the Omc it has always run well but it is terrible to start once cold...

 

[soundchaser]

Re: Are force motors good?

Thank you,

Fortunately I didn't have to pay for this motor. I bought a boat that had it on it, But didn't pay for the motor as it was sold as blown.

But it's not blown, The motor has good compression. So far it has a bad coil/CDI and a problem trim pump. I haven't tested the stator yet. and also Hoping the pick ups are good. we'll see.

Just figured I'd check with people that run them to see if I should bother.

 

[soundchaser]

Re: Are force motors good?

Sounds like I should get it running and sell it off. How much would a 1996 running 90hp draw?

I've personally never run anything other then an omc. We call mercury and force (welfare motors) But hey, I was just trying to have an open mind.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Are force motors good?

I wouldn't mind a Force 90, 1996 or newer, with the cdM ignition.

As for swapping your 75 rude for the Force, depends on the condition of your rude.

If it is a good, stick with it.

If it is old and giving you problems, swap it out.

Don't expect any great speed increase, but if you are move up from a 1970's rude, to a late 90's Force, you will see an improvement in my opinion.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Are force motors good?

I wouldn't bother with it myslef. The 1989 Force is probably the sweet spot in Force engines. It should last forever with pocket change maintenance. It probably puts out 5HP or so less than a healthy evinrude 115 ... but its going to cost you less than half the time & $$ to keep it healthy.

 

[my1stboat1]

Re: Are force motors good?

Id be interested in the 90 hp motor in the as is condition for like 250,,, not knowing weather or not it runs or the internal condition of it... Is probably fair

 

[wolfie-uk]

Re: Are force motors good?

OK people, please dont slag each other off, this is a friendly forum, designed to help each other with knowledge on engines and faults.

First off i have owned many types of engine and can only speak from my experiance as follows.

1) have owned Chysler / Force engines for many years ( 34 years since my late father got us into boats ) and have found them to be very simple reliable engines. parts are easily sourced and cheap in comparison to other makes, again having said that ANY engine is only as good as the maintenance given to it.
2) I also have a Evinrude which i use on my RIB, it is very reliable and i dont find any differance in performance against the Force of the eqivalent HP on my other RIB.

3) i also collect and restore old Archimedes / Crescent / Volvo Pentas, again all engines that have a bad reputation, I dont have any problems with any of the above.

As i mentioned in point 1, ANY engine is only as good as the care and attention you give it, so if you do the basics on a regular basis, use the Force and if you suffer niggles, sort them out and if your not happy then drop your Evinrude on and sell the Force.

As for the original point would a 90 Force be quicker than a 75 Rude, the answer is if the engines are propped correctly for the boat they are used on, then the extra HP will make a differance.

Just my oppinion and not put out to upset anyone, just my experiance.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Are force motors good?

I bought a boat in 1988 it had twin 85hp Forces.I bought it from the dealer where I worked.They were closer to 90hp.
The port motor, one of the packs went in the first month.That was really the only problem,I had that was serious.
Over the years the salt would cause the head gaskets to go bad.But all motors are subject to that.
They ARE dependable.
I moved to Fl.and thought it's about time to repower after 20 years.Both motors were still running when I removed them.NEVER had trouble with the lower units,EVER!!!
I removed both motors and repowered with a 97 Merc 225/EFI.
It NEVER ran right,EVER!!!
I'm selling it for parts.
I was looking on Craigslist for a couple of motors to go back on my boat and saw the same boat with the 88/85hp motors.
I went and bought it.
After some work the boat runs great.
I would trust my motors to run for as long as I take care of them.
They are harder on gas than the newer models but I don't have to take them to the dealer to hook them to his computer to get them diagnosed.At $85 an hour.
An 84/85hp held a speed record of 62 mph for a long time.
Parts are still available.Service is strait forward and simple.Change the oil and keep the impeller changed.And watch out for Ethanol.
These motors if maintained will run for ever.J

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Are force motors good?

The 1996 Force 90 is a big bore (3.375), long connecting rod engine with a mercury designed mid and lower unit. It has a Mercury ignition. It produces more power than previous non-mercury Force 90s. It should outrun the Rude 75 by at least a couple of MPH and you will have a good selection of props from which to choose. So: Depending upon your state of mind, it might be worth the couple of hundred bucks to get it running again. But before you invest any money, be certain the compression is high (120-150) and equal on all cylinders.

If it were me, I would repair it, 'cause here's an older 90 that tops out at 55 with no modifications other than a prop. Admittedly it is on a small 14 footer---but---

I got that engine for 100 bucks with no lower unit and all the electricals were cut, but it had good compression.

 

[will941s]

Re: Are force motors good?

Got to say....got a 98' Force 120 for $500, did a compression check and it was 150psi even on all 4. Sat for 2 years and not ran. Put it on a stand, cleaned the carbs, replaced the fuel pump and lines, new impellar, and lower unit oil. Pulled the plugs and loaded the cylinders with Deep Creep, reinstalled the plugs and left it alone for about 2 days. Grabbed the flywheel and rotated it about 20 times to spread the the Deep Creep, mixed a gas can about 35:1 and hit the key; it fired up right off the bat. I let it run about 15 min on the stand, pee'd good and stayed cold. Since then, thats all I have done to it (besides plugs). It was put back into service just like that. I have never had one come back to life like that. So far, I am really beginning to like Force.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Are force motors good?

Being well informed I got my Force thinking it was air cooled. These guys got me up and running and now it scares me. All the motor I'll ever want. Easy to do what needs being done. It'll outlast me.

 

[will941s]

Re: Are force motors good?

These guys are right.....I have a 98' Merc 25hp, 2 stroke it costs a chunk of change to maintain if it has to go to a shop, but doing myself it's not too bad, other than that VERY RELIABLE and FAST. The Force on the other hand....it's so simple. Almost refreshing to lift the coweling and the only things on the engine HAS to be there to make it run. Nothing extra to maintain and fail. Not to mention it's only 310 pounds and it's a 120hp. I really do think if I came across a midrange Force I would buy it in a heart beat.

 

[sidenberg]

Re: Are force motors good?

I guess it depends on the year. My US Marine 1987 Force 125 is a survivor. I love it. Any problems I have had were a result of neglect from previous owners but easily repaired.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Are force motors good?

Well, I have a 20 year old 90hp Force (blue ignition) that I bought 4-5 seasons ago and it has always run great. To my knowledge it has never 'been opened' and I have had no problems at all with it to date (knock on wood). It starts quickly and runs out nice.
I have no idea what the naysayers are talking about when they are dissing these motors.
I firmly believe the reliability of a motor is directly a link to the quality of the ownership and the maintenance put to the motor.
Like Jay Leno said.....don't buy into the car, buy into the owner.
I would never, ever buy a boat or motor that was neglected....ever, particularly with what I have learned from this site and it's members.
good luck
BP