Force outboards & saltwarer use?

[QuietRider21]

so, a while back i was talking to an owner from the marina i use(freshwater lake) and the topic came up about saltwater. I told him i'm planning on taking my boat down the NJ shore to use in the bay and he told me outright that my late 90's Force by merc 120 o/b would NOT hold up in saltwater. We didnt get into the specifics about why, but he told me this motor should be used in freshwater only. any truth to this? its off season & now would be the time to 'upgrade' motors if i decided to go that route.. any1 here with first-hand experience with forces & saltwater?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

There is an anode in the lower unit of earlier Force engines but I don't remember if there is one on the Mercury designed lowers. They may have a zinc trim tab that is an anode.

I use my Force engines in Barnegat Bay once or twice a year and don't bother to rinse afterward since they get dunked in fresh water later. No real problem with occasional use, but it is a different story for continued use or storage in the water.

You can buy anodes to bolt to the top of the anti-ventilation plate and that should help. You can also buy a "stick" anode that screws into the top of the cylinder head where there is an existing stainless or plastic 1/8 NPT pipe plug. If I were going to use my boat regularly in salt water, I would certainly add at least one anode. If there is not one already there, I would also consider strongly adding an anode at the bottom of the power tilt/trim assembly. Again, some Force engines already have one, some don't.

 

[QuietRider21]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

thanks for the tips Frank..i dont believe he meant i should avoid saltwater due to a lack of anodes. he made it seem like these motors arent designed for a saltwater enviroment where as a better brand motor would do better. is it just about the anodes or is there more to this? its kind of funny, i actually chose this boat with the outboard over the i/o's i was looking at due to future saltwater use, and then i had this guy telling me to avoid saltwater at all costs lol. anyways, i believe i do have an anode at the bottom of the tilt/trim & one on the anti-vent plate however i do not have one on the powerhead..

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

Well, You should get at least a couple of years out of the engine in continued salt water use--I don't know-- but a lot of people on the other coast have Force engines and a lot down in Florida do too. ANY engine, with or without anodes will eventually suffer corrosion damage. The question is how much. My 1990 Force 125 was used extensively in the Atlantic off Long Beach and dry rack stored. The previous owner sprayed the complete powerhead with some sticky compound said to reduce corrosion. Apparently it worked. The mounting clamps were split from corrosion at the mounting bolts, which on pre Mercury Force engines (late 80s-early 90s) were a weak point anyway so I replaced them. However, mechanically the engine ran very well with no outward signs of corrosion damage.

So, as I see it your dilemma right now is whether or not to sell the Force (while it is in good condition) and buy another brand, or to simply use it until it drops dead then buy another brand. Personally, a bird in the hand---I would use it until it corroded to pieces. And who knows? You may sell the whole rig before then.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

Bull. All OB motors are made for saltwater use.

Perhaps a badly made motor of substandard materials for a given year may have issues but I seriously doubt a whole product line. Not that Force motors are known for quality. And what usually gets a motor in salt water/salt air is not the water going through the system but bolts, fittings, electrical connections, etc. So take care of them and cover them (white lithium grease).

Running in salt or fresh water is like whether you keep your car in a garage or in the driveway. Garage (fresh water) is better. Driveway (salt water) isn't that big a deal. Likewise, flushing is nice but not essential, as anyone who has any history with salt water use knows.

That fresh water motor may last you 40 years; the salt water one maybe four decades. Your choice.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

Well, someone better tell that to my old "workhorse/Dogs boat". !988 Bayliner cuddy w/125HP Force! Been in salt here 20 YEARS! Sits in the slip 3/4 weeks then out for a bath and flush (I use Saltaway). Only prob was the known stator problems, but fixed that long ago with the Merc upgrade. Still runs fine, and zero problems me.
Salt aint battery acid. Just flush it when ya can.

 

[QuietRider21]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

Homecookin; good tip on the lithuim grease. i will start using that..also do you think it helps keeping the motor tilted up and out of the water when not in use(when kept in a slip). i guess to preserve the lower unit. ive noticed at marinas in south jersey, some people do & some dont..
Scaaty; its nice to hear when a highly bashed motor such as a Force has been in salt for 20 years and still running strong! hope you get many more years out of it.. I wonder if the salt-away stuff actually helps?...

Now, why is that saltwater takes its toll so much on i/o's internally, but not o/b's? outboards dont have risers/manifolds etc, but you do hear about salt corroding i/o's block from inside out but not so much on outboards..

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

you tilt them up mainly to keep stuff from growing on them. Remember, stuff doesn't rust much under water; it's when it's exposed to air.

One enemy in the salt environment is electrolysis. Bottom paint and its metals with the salt makes a current. Stray currents also react with the salt water. The zincs take the hit first. But reduce the effect with a battery switch to keep your stray current confined. And don't leave a battery charger hooked up--totally unnecessary.

Some marinas have stray current in them but not much you can do about that.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

The reason I/O have more problems is because outboards are self draining. When you stop the engine, all water drains from the block. Raw water cooled I/O are not fully self draining--evidenced by the drain petcocks for winterizing.

 

[QuietRider21]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

so if an i/o's motor/block were to be drained and/or flushed on muffs after every use, it would do just as well as an outboard for saltwater use?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

in reality, probably not. Keep in mind that boating is a leisure activity, and you want to maximize boat time and minimize grunt time. Although boats need care and attention, the goal is to get as close to turn-key, walk-on and walk-off, no worries in the down time-like you do with a daily driver car.

Unless you want a boat like a show car with severe limits on how and when you take it out and how much time you have to spend to do it.

Also keep in mind that any water plus air plus metal will "rust" so flushing with water doesn't solve the problem 100% even if you got all the salt out.

 

[phillyg]

Re: Force outboards & saltwarer use?

A few dunks in SW should not affect the motor if you flush it after each use, which every OB owner should do anyway no matter what motor they're using.