Looking to buy a Force 120

[bustermin]

i am considering buying a used 120hp force, how can i tell if it is in fact a 120hp will the model number tell me? the problem is there is no way to test run it before i pay for it. all i have is a picture and the sellers comments. the seller claims it runs, but he had to remove the power cables and fuel connector. he is asking $500, is it worth the chance? and, are the controls from a 75hp Chrysler compatable with a 120hp Force? fyi, history of this motor is unknown as it was "supposedly" given to the seller. also, are there any commonly known issues with these motors?

 

[jbwillis76]

Re: Looking to buy a Force 120

Tough call.

Tell seller you have a power cable, a hot battery and a compression tester and ask him if he minds you spinning it over to do a compression check on each cylinder. If he gives you ANY reason why you can't then I'd walk away. A 4 cylinder 2-stroke will idle out of the water with one cylinder down.

If he says sure, then stop at your local autoparts store and grab a compression tester (pretty inexpensive), and a battery cable end. You can hook it to a battery and jump the solenoid to turn it over. Anything over 100psi will run, 125-145psi is standard, just make sure there is not over a 10-15% difference in numbers between the cylinders.

If everything checks out good then take a big flat headed screw driver and break open the fill plug on the lower unit. If any water or watery oil comes out you will in the least be putting seals in the lower and hoping there is no damage done already.

You will have a hard time verifying spark to the cylinders unless he has an ignition switch if the 120 is the same as the slightly older 85 and 125's as the switch has the magneto in it, but someone here might know a way. Electronics for these engines are expensive, $200-250 per CD Box (x2), $100 per coil (x4), $250ish for the stator.

Ask a lot of questions, even dumb questions. How he answers them should give you an idea whether he's trying to hide something from you. $500 is a lot of money to just back up into a guys yard and have him load a motor into your truck. If all the above checks out then I would probably go for it. Under NO circumstance would I leave with it without doing a compression check, and NO honest seller would mind you doing it.

I'm sure others will have more advice.

Good luck, James

*EDIT* Rereading your post it sounds like you are buying and having it shipped (Ebay)?? Or buying auction style and picking it up. If you are picking it up then I'd contact seller before buying and ask him if when you pick it up you do a compression check and if bad him let you out of the deal.

Sight unseen and shipped, unless I needed a certain part, ie. full electronics, lower unit, etc. then I'd buy it assuming it needed rebuilding, which may or may not be the case. Best case, you replace a couple parts and tune it up for a very good price.

The model number should tell you HP and mfg. date. Mine is a 125hp 1989, model is 1254x9B. 125 = hp, x9 = 89.

Don't know about the controls but would guess they would work but don't hold me to that.

 

[bustermin]

Re: Looking to buy a Force 120

Tough call.

Tell seller you have a power cable, a hot battery and a compression tester and ask him if he minds you spinning it over to do a compression check on each cylinder. If he gives you ANY reason why you can't then I'd walk away. A 4 cylinder 2-stroke will idle out of the water with one cylinder down.

If he says sure, then stop at your local autoparts store and grab a compression tester (pretty inexpensive), and a battery cable end. You can hook it to a battery and jump the solenoid to turn it over. Anything over 100psi will run, 125-145psi is standard, just make sure there is not over a 10-15% difference in numbers between the cylinders.

If everything checks out good then take a big flat headed screw driver and break open the fill plug on the lower unit. If any water or watery oil comes out you will in the least be putting seals in the lower and hoping there is no damage done already.

You will have a hard time verifying spark to the cylinders unless he has an ignition switch if the 120 is the same as the slightly older 85 and 125's as the switch has the magneto in it, but someone here might know a way. Electronics for these engines are expensive, $200-250 per CD Box (x2), $100 per coil (x4), $250ish for the stator.

Ask a lot of questions, even dumb questions. How he answers them should give you an idea whether he's trying to hide something from you. $500 is a lot of money to just back up into a guys yard and have him load a motor into your truck. If all the above checks out then I would probably go for it. Under NO circumstance would I leave with it without doing a compression check, and NO honest seller would mind you doing it.

I'm sure others will have more advice.

Good luck, James

*EDIT* Rereading your post it sounds like you are buying and having it shipped (Ebay)?? Or buying auction style and picking it up. If you are picking it up then I'd contact seller before buying and ask him if when you pick it up you do a compression check and if bad him let you out of the deal.

Sight unseen and shipped, unless I needed a certain part, ie. full electronics, lower unit, etc. then I'd buy it assuming it needed rebuilding, which may or may not be the case.

The model number should tell you HP and mfg. date. Mine is a 125hp 1989, model is 1254x9B. 125 = hp, x9 = 89.

Don't know about the controls but would guess they would work but don't hold me to that.

i already asked him if i could do the compression check, the seller said i could do any tests i like.

 

[jbwillis76]

Re: Looking to buy a Force 120

If you can do the tests and they check out then that's a good price for the engine. James

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Looking to buy a Force 120

Your 75 controls will directly swap to the Force if it is earlier than 1994, for sure 1992. I think around 1994 Mercury switched to Merc cables and ends but I know for sure the controls were the same as Chrysler up to 1992.

 

[bustermin]

Re: Looking to buy a Force 120

sombody told me the cables on the Chrysler Outboard are considered "Universal" does that mean they will fit any outboard (ie Johnson, Evinrude, Mercury,...ect) or just Chrysler, Force, and some older Mercury Outboards?

 

[keepNitreel]

Re: Looking to buy a Force 120

"the seller claims it runs, but he had to remove the power cables and fuel connector. he is asking $500, is it worth the chance?"

That is one of the top 3 famous selling lines used for bad motors.

Lets see if I take off the battery cables & get rid of the fuel line, they will pay me and test it when they get it home. When they call or come back saying it didn't work, I will tell them the guy I got it from told me it did and good luck with that, now get out my face sucker

For $500 I gotta see it run.



DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER