Re: New member with UN-new boat...Need help identifying if possible!
Timing of Force engines is USUALLY 30degrees BTDC. If timing is checked at cranking it is set to 28. IF your engine has mercury ignition, I believe the timing is marked right on the flywheel. Your engine has the 10 inch diameter, thrust pin drive prop so it is probably a little older. That means it would have either battery and points or first generation electronic ignition--NOT Mercury.
Once you get the engine running correctly, you will want to replace the stock prop. The blades are very thick and the prop is inefficient, making it more difficult to get on plane and limiting top speed. A good used Michigan aftermarket prop in the 10 3/8 diam. X 12 1/2 pitch would be a good starting point. The first two photos are a Bronze Michigan old school which are still available used on ebay. The last two show an aluminum prop with different methods of securing the prop. Vibration CAN break the tailcone or cotter pin and you will lose the prop.
The 60 had power trim and even with it tucked all the way in, the boat took a long time to get on plane. The 50/55 does not have power trim so it is set to optimal running position. It also takes a long time to plane and again, I need to lean way forward, over the steering wheel.
As far as I know, there is no specific trailer--anything the boat will fit on. It is way easier to launch with a smaller trailer and 8 inch wheels. And remember: the boat itself is not much more than 100 pounds. My Cub only weighs about 400 with the engine, a full tank of gas, and the battery so a large capacity trailer is not needed. The trailer you have it on is probably quite sufficient as long as it is sound.
If you are interested in maximum efficiency and letting the little boat deliver all the speed of which it is capable try lifting the engine until the anti-ventilation plate is about one inch above the hull bottom. This is easy if your engine has two holes in each transom clamp AND you used the top ones to mount it. Simply use the bottom holes, no extra drilling required. If you do need to drill more holes, seal the original ones with silicone RTV. That way, if you need to drop the engine again, you can push out the cured rubber. This, assuming that at least the bottom two 3/8 bolts also go through the transom--I can't tell from your pictures of the plate you made. If your plate is only 1/2 inch thick as it appears in the photo. then you need to do a bit more reinforcing.
It is surprising that your engine has power tilt. Very few of them came through stock even though Chrysler and later Force always had a tilt/trim unit available. That may have been an add on by the previous owner. Later Mercury built engines with through prop exhaust did come equipped with a single cylinder tilt/trim unit. Smatter of fact, I have a 50 sitting in my garage
