Force 85hp- Please Help!

[FrigginForce]

I own a 1989 Force 85hp that has been driving me crazy. The motor fires right up and idles like a champ, but when I try to get out of the hole, it bogs down and won't get up on plane. So, I went out and bought an inline spark tester, took it to the lake and ran it from idle to full throttle. It turns out that the middle cylinder has no spark once I reach 1/4 throttle. Is this a stator issue, trigger, or bad cd module? I really appreciate any help you can give me.

 

[chitownborn]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

it very well might be a bad coil that goes open at higher rpms, try swapping your coils around to see if the problem follows if it does then you most likely have a bad coil, if not well have to dig a little deeper

 

[bustermin]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

it very well might be a bad coil that goes open at higher rpms, try swapping your coils around to see if the problem follows if it does then you most likely have a bad coil, if not well have to dig a little deeper

I agree, before you switch the coils, be sure to put a small mark on the coil that is presently connected to the bad cylinder, that way there will be less chance of confusing which one is the one in question.

 

[FrigginForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

First off, thank you for replying. I really appreciate your input. As for the coils, I thought the same thing and replaced them all with brand new ones from cdi. It didn't make any difference in the middle cyl. I have a feeling it's a stator issue. Any more ideas? I just want to make sure I buy the right parts because I already replaced good coils. Thanks.

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

Try this to test the CD Modules. Each module has the ability to drive two coils. Since you have two modules and only 3 cylinders, the second half of the second CD module ( which drives #3 cylinder) is not in use. Take the trigger, coil, and stator wires from the first CD module that drives the second coil and hook them to the unused portion of the second CD module. If that restores spark, then your first CD module is bad. If it does not fix it, then most likely it's the stator.

You can also just swap the CD modules around to accomplish the same thing, whichever you prefer.

Before you do this, record color code and position of each wire. Maybe even take a picture w/digital camera. No sense in creating a bigger headache than what you started out with. Man made problems are harder to fix than naturally occurring ones.

 

[FrigginForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

Thanks PNW, I'll try that tonight. Maybe a dumb question but what exactly does the trigger do?

 

[FNForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

peel back the rubber on the spark pug cap and stick your tongue on it

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

The trigger signals the CD Module to fire each individual coil at the right time. The trigger assy. moves with the throttle linkage. As you push the throttle forward, the throttle linkage opens the carbs and moves the trigger assy. to advance the timing.

You have three pairs of trigger wires going to the CD modules. Two pairs go the the first CD module to fire coils for #1 and #2 cylinders. Third pair goes to the second CD module to fire coil for #3 cylinder. Trigger assy. generally don't fail as much as the CD modules and stators.

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

I re-read your post and saw something that caught my eye. You mentioned that you had spark until about 1/4 throttle.

Check the wires under the flywheel very closely. The trigger assy. and stator are both mounted under the flywheel and have wires that come out from underneath. As you move the throttle, the trigger assy. moves. Make sure the wires move freely and don't bind up or have rubbed the insulation off and are shorting out against the block.

 

[FrigginForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

I think it might have something to do with weathering and/or corrosion. The guy I bought it from hadn't ran it for a few years. I' make sure I check all of my connections. I had the carbs worked on last week (gas filled float), and the guy who worked on it said that the timing was way off.

 

[FNForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

Is there a way to see whether its the stator or trigger we'd hate to buy one and have it be the other, we just really want to get this fixed....

 

[chitownborn]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

to check these things youll need a meter, on the stator theres four wires for the power for the mods, they are paired yellow & blue one pair for each mod. set your meter to the ohms scale and put the meter probes across the first pair of yell & blue, note the reading, then do the second , the readings should be between 650 to 800 ohms, anything less will indicate a weak stator, for the trigger theres three pairs of wires meter each pair they should read 43 to 50 ohms, no reading at all on any trigger pair means your probably gonna need a trigger good luck don

 

[FNForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

do I have to get the flywheel of to do this?

 

[chitownborn]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

no you do not have to remove the flywheel these wires should terminate at the terminal strip

 

[PJGSP103]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

Ck all connections I had the same problem #1 cyl. had no spark, I found that the wire on the junction box between the stator and the coils had come loose,I had to put a new end on it and its been fine ever since.

 

[FNForce]

123

 

[FNForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

Ok, changed stator...no luck we moved CD from 1 and 2 to 2 and 3 we lost spark in bottom cylinder instead of middle....would it be the CD ? Trigger? im gonna lose it wasnt the coil, stator or plug wires....

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

It wasn't the stator! The stator charges the capacitors for both 1 and 2 from the same windings so if 1 gets spark and 2 does not, that winding is still good. Thus, it would be either the trigger or CD box or coil.

Usually, a trigger is good or bad--no in between. Thus, the triggers are good BUT you may have a shorting lead at over 1/4 throttle. So check for broken or frayed wires.

Switch the 2 coil to 1. if the problem is now on 1, then the coil is bad.

Finally, Reverse the CD boxes on the mounting plate. If the problem nowdoes not occur, the 2 side of the CD box was bad. Bottom cylinder only used 1/2 of the two circuits inside the CD box. When you switch boxes, the second circuit (originally 2 cylinder) is now unused and you are using what was the 1 cylinder circuit. Sounds complicated but it is really simple.

 

[FNForce]

Re: Force 85hp- Please Help!

they switched the cd already went form losing spark in middle to bottom....
has all new coils and wires also a new stator