First boat! 1989 Quantum 1800xb Force 125

[SoDakNovice]

I purchased this boat for 600$. It’s my first boat. It’s 18ft long(title was wrong at 17’10”). After checking the HIN I came to the conclusion it’s a 1800xb. No one has been able to identify what exactly this boat model is or what motor was originally on it.
A good chunk of the electrical is not working such as bilge pumps and live well pumps. Tilt on the motor works, however it will sag on tilt down if I don’t hit up afterwards. There are a total of 3 batteries on the boat. Tach, fuel and battery gauges have power along with the ignition.
The guy I bought it from stated he got it to run but would bog down and die once put into gear. I ran a compression test after soaking over night in penetrating oil.
Cylinder 1(top): 95
Cylinder 2: 30
Cylinder 3: 119
Cylinder 4: 30
I sprayed it again afterwards and will try again tomorrow. I did not check to see if I had the carb open before testing. I am new to boats and doing the work myself.
I am aware there are 54 versions of this Force motor made in 1989 with mix and match parts from Chrysler and mercury. All serial numbers are gone from the motor and all stickers. The only number I could find stamped on the block is M601470 on the bottom left when inside the boat.
Since I am new I won’t be removing any pistons. I am comfortable removing the head to check the gasket.
If the motor is past my ability to repair I am going to focus on the electrical and buy a new motor/rebuild(very unlikely) next year.

 

[racerone]

It is a blown head gasket or motor needs a rebuild.----Simple as that.

 

[SoDakNovice]

It is a blown head gasket or motor needs a rebuild.----Simple as that.

I watched a guy replace some pistons. I got no faith in myself to pull that off. Let’s hope for a gasket

 

[racerone]

Friend of mine used to work in a COLOR TV rental store.------But he bought a 1937 Pontiac coupe for $150 in 1972.---Bought a 64 chevy to get 283 engine transmission and everything else that could be used.-----Did everything himself , reading / learning / asking questions.----Still has the car today as far as I know.

 

[SoDakNovice]

Friend of mine used to work in a COLOR TV rental store.------But he bought a 1937 Pontiac coupe for $150 in 1972.---Bought a 64 chevy to get 283 engine transmission and everything else that could be used.-----Did everything himself , reading / learning / asking questions.----Still has the car today as far as I know.

If I can find the serial number I’d be willing to give it a go. But without that it’s a needle in a hay stack.

 

[racerone]

Perhaps your budget will allow for a new motor at about $14,000 or so.

 

[SoDakNovice]

Perhaps your budget will allow for a new motor at about $14,000 or so.

Not quite. I’d be buying used. Gonna search for the serial number again. Right now it’s looking like roughly 1,161 in parts and tools to rebuild it myself.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

I started with a Force......Got rid of it for parts. You will find mixed emotions regarding this brand. I hear that they weren't even a great motor when brand new, so I am going with something else altogether.....but the motor aside........How is your deck, stringers and transom? What condition are they in? Did you do a core test? Focus on the boat as well. You don't want to be in the middle of a lake while floating on rotten wood.

I am still considering myself brand new as well.....Just bought a 1989 Maxum back in January.....wish I would've known then what I know now.....Probably would have avoided a major headache and save a decent amount of money......but I am stubborn and remained persistent in my ventures.....and have learned a lot since.

With that being said....WELCOME!!! You are in the right spot and plenty of guys here have a wealth of knowledge!...Listen to them..... Soak up the knowledge....take notes....ask questions.....and get yourself a fully functioning boat whether it be a rebuild/restoration of this one or if you end up with another one down the line.

 

[SoDakNovice]

@1989_quantum_restoration on Instagram: "Noticed a good amount of fuel leaking from the carbs :("

0 likes, 0 comments - 1989_quantum_restoration on September 2, 2024: "Noticed a good amount of fuel leaking from the carbs :(".

www.instagram.com

I made an instagram account for photos. This site won’t let me upload photos even after verification
Ran another compression test with the throttle open, same results. Next steps are gonna be bring it to a mechanic and verify things. Hopefully he can find the serial/model number cuz I sure can’t! The search continues.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

Good idea! What about the wood on the boat? Was it tested?

 

[SoDakNovice]

Good idea! What about the wood on the boat? Was it tested?

I didn’t get it tested. I don’t quite understand this. However, I don’t see any damage to the transom. Flooring is all solid and looks to have been redone. No cracks in the hull. It does have a screw through the hull but no cracking.

 

[racerone]

No need to open throttle on a 2 stroke like yours , to do a compression test.

 

[SoDakNovice]

No need to open throttle on a 2 stroke like yours , to do a compression test.

Thanks man! I was getting conflicting answers so I didn’t think it would hurt anything.

 

[briangcc]

I didn’t get it tested. I don’t quite understand this. However, I don’t see any damage to the transom. Flooring is all solid and looks to have been redone. No cracks in the hull. It does have a screw through the hull but no cracking.

Looks can be deceiving. It's best to do a quick test drill from the inside as close to the hull as possible. If the shavings come out like fresh wood, reseal the hole and move on. However, if they're dark...or in some circumstances have released a good stream of water...you're in for a rebuild.

Given the age of the boat, the manufacturer, price paid, and construction at the time (quality wasn't high - hint...) its probably safe to say you may very well have a much larger project than the engine. Some dubious sellers love to perform what's called a deck-over...putting a fresh deck over top of an existing mess. Floor would seem solid at that point with major issues lurking below.

BTW....let's just get tapping the hull out of the way now...it's no where near dead accurate...

 

[SoDakNovice]

I’m in for a ride gents. We got a weak transom on our hands. Dropping it off at the marine repair. Trim is going out which I knew. Found some 150’s about 6hrs away.

 

[briangcc]

Sorry to hear that.

If the transom is shot, safe bet the stringers are too....which means that floor is coming up. If you're paying someone to do this break out the checkbook and defibulator. It's not going to be cheap in any sense of the word. Read: $$$$$.

Is that boat even rated for 150HP? I know my Bayliner 1800LS was only rated to 120HP and that's pretty much the same size boat you're talking about...just a few years newer. They were under the same parent company for a while...

 

[TripleJGraffis]

Looks can be deceiving. It's best to do a quick test drill from the inside as close to the hull as possible. If the shavings come out like fresh wood, reseal the hole and move on. However, if they're dark...or in some circumstances have released a good stream of water...you're in for a rebuild.

Given the age of the boat, the manufacturer, price paid, and construction at the time (quality wasn't high - hint...) its probably safe to say you may very well have a much larger project than the engine. Some dubious sellers love to perform what's called a deck-over...putting a fresh deck over top of an existing mess. Floor would seem solid at that point with major issues lurking below.

BTW....let's just get tapping the hull out of the way now...it's no where near dead accurate...

Exactly this is what I was referencing to. If the deck is good, I personally would access the ski locker or anywhere else where you can get at the stringers and drill into them to check the wood there as well.....And with that screw that you said is going through the hull, I definitely would also get that wood near there checked out. Never know if that screw was put there correctly or not. Definitely test the transom while you're at it....Check out my rebuild and use that as an example...... I can tell you with utmost certainty....that I could have danced on top of my transom because it was so stiff and I could have sworn it was in good shape.....but the shavings came out black at the bottom....and when I cut pieces of glass out to get at the wood.....It wasn't wood that came out......It was dirt!!!! It was that badly decomposed! If you are going to go into this......Make sure you do it right! My boat's PO slapped down some new decking over old stringers and ran around a lake with his family and kids with a 275lb motor that was resting on a transom made of dirt! Don't be that guy to just get a year or 2 of fun out of your boat. Make sure it is going to last, is sound, and that the motor isn't going to break the transom apart and cause a huge issue.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

I’m in for a ride gents. We got a weak transom on our hands. Dropping it off at the marine repair. Trim is going out which I knew. Found some 150’s about 6hrs away.

Sorry to hear that.
Saddle up! You're in for a ride is an understatement! One full cut and gut coming up! Enjoy the experience and learn a lot from it! You really going to pay someone to do the work? You're going to pay more than what the boat is worth...but you do you. I chose to do all the work myself.......I'm a glutton for punishment. I will be watching your progress!

 

[SoDakNovice]

Sorry to hear that.
Saddle up! You're in for a ride is an understatement! One full cut and gut coming up! Enjoy the experience and learn a lot from it! You really going to pay someone to do the work? You're going to pay more than what the boat is worth...but you do you. I chose to do all the work myself.......I'm a glutton for punishment. I will be watching your progress!

Nope. This stuff I’m comfortable with. I’ll have to buy the right sander for fiberglass, all I have is a wood rotary sander. And I’ll have to learn to fiberglass.
The mechanic I took it to said a 150 should be fine as long as the transom length is 20” to match mine.
The transom, decking, and electrical will all be done by me. I don’t have a cherry picker or engine hoist to transfer the motors myself or I would in a heart beat.

 

[airshot]

Far better off by taking the loss and starting over with something else. As a first boat owner, I would consider an aluminum boat as there is very little wood to rot and easier to repair by a long shot ! No one wants an old fiberglass boat, not even the dump, so be prepared when you try to get rid of it. If you choose to try and repair it, expect to spend 6K or more then you will need a motor, can buy a newer running outfit for less.