Force 50 (1988) comes out of water in reverse

[Remy Mac]

I recently picked up a 1988 Larson Citation DC-150 that has a Force 50 (by US Marine) of the same vintage. The motor has no trim control. When I put the motor in reverse and give it some throttle, the motor rocks up and the prop comes out of the water. I looked for some kind of manual lockout device on the motor to prevent this, but I can't find anything. I'm sure this is an elementary question with an elementary answer, but I am baffled at the moment. I've never owned a boat with an outboard before and am a bit lost here.

 

[FunInDuhSun]

I don’t have a Force, but there‘s definitely a reverse lock on it. My Evinrude has a simple lever on the starboard side of the gear case next to the transom clamp.

 

[roscoe]

check this web link.
parts 27 -28 - 29 .... are the reverse lock parts.

could be bent, missing,

#27 should connect to your shift linkage, and lock the tilt when shifted into reverse.

SWIVEL BRACKET AND STERN BRACKETS

SWIVEL BRACKET AND STERN BRACKETS

www.mercruiserparts.com

 

[Nordin]

Remy Mac and Roscoe, the reverse lock is not automatic at Force OBs as it is at Mercury OBs.
You have to lock and unlock by hand by the handle part 25.
The construction of the lock reverse part 28, it will free from the lock bar part 32 if you hit something and allow the engine to flip up.
When running the engine you set the lock/unlock handle in engage position then the engine would not flip up when running in reverse.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Parts 20-30 is what you need.
Easier to install if the motors off the boat.

 

[Remy Mac]

Thanks for this. I did see that lever (#25 in the diagram) marked with nothing more than "Engage" and "Release". It didn't do anything with respect to keeping the motor down in reverse during the maiden voyage, so I thought its function must relate to something else.

I'll have to take a look underneath and try to figure out what parts are missing/broken. And figure out why gear oil is leaking from the lower end. And figure out why the boat won't plane out. Or just accept that I got burned, cut my losses, and stick to dirt bikes!

 

[roscoe]

While dirt bikes are fun, they don't float very well.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Gear oil leak??
Sometimes the "leak" is just unburned gas/oil that leaks it way down from the carb???
Drain the oil, don't remove the slotted screw on the side of the nosecone, #29/30 #28/27 is the drain plug for the bottom drain and the vent/fill.
The screw on the side is a locating pin for the shift mechanism, you remove this then you need to remove the lower and reassemble it.

 

[Poormansboating]

The 50 I just sold was the same way it was broke I was just real careful when in reverse and it never bothers me just have to take it easy until you can fix it. My 40 Johnson on my bass boat is like that now and I take it out atleast once a week. Just have to be extra careful.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Not that hard to fix.

 

[FingerLaker]

Yeah, I'm with Poorman, with my 85 the parts are fine, but we do mostly fishing and the full pull-out of the bracket every launch got to be a drag when sometimes we are only under power for a short while, so we as a norm leave the bracket fully in place, and just pull it out from trailiering position and drop it to the first hole with the rod in- Good for river fishing levels. So, also, its like not having the lock in. The 85 is heavier, of course, but I've found i can get out from launch and off with no problems, just go a bit easy.