Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

[grant_boat]

I need assistance with my recently purchased boat. it has an 85 HP FORCE outboard engine. On the first try, it starts and will run good but will not exceed 10 MPH when it should be able to go somewhere around 50. I think the engine isn't getting enough gas. Maybe the choke on the key start is messed up, or something in the engine is stuck and won't release enough fuel. I ran it for about a 1/2 hour, but once we turned it off and started it up again it stalled once put into gear. I was able to eventually inch it forward so it wouldn't stall (thank god we didn't get stuck on the lake). This is what made me get the idea that fuel is not passing properly to the engine...like there is a choke problem or the carburetor isn't opening up. When I took the cover off and manually pulled on the pin that controls the throttle I could really rev it up (in neutral). But it just won't do it in gear by itself, it almost always stalls once put into gear

it has compression. The carburetor was just rebuilt. new sparks. Gas tank is venting

Any help?

 

[MWBROWN]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Welcome,

I have an 85 HP on a 16 ft bass type boat, and can get 38 to 40 MPH. That will give you some idea of what you will get when the bugs are out.

Sounds more like the linkage for the throttle and gear shift are messed up.
There are some experts here that will help out.

All I can suggest is when the cover is off, and engine off, push the throttle all the way forward and see how far the throttle plates on the carb are open.
My guess is that they are barely opening. The trottle should open the carbs until the plates are horizontal, no further. There is more to it than that, but it is a start.

Get a manual as quick as you can. Clymer is the one suggested most.

Good Luck,

Mike

 

[ski_king]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

I'm in the same boat as you (no pun intended) except I have a 125HP Force.

I checked compression, fuel, new fuel pump diaphragm, water in the gas, fresh gas, carb rebuild, new plugs, checked timing etc. I'm replacing my reeds (hopefully tomorrow if the parts show up) with Boyesen reeds as I think this is the problem. I'll let you know if this works or not.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Let us know what you think about the Boyeson reeds. They are really supposed to wake-up these engines. I saw a set on a V4 Evinrude and I wasn't impressed by them though.

 

[ski_king]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

I took mine apart to get ready for the UPS man tomorrow and my reeds are bad. I had several reeds that are not completely closed.

 

[ski_king]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Let us know what you think about the Boyeson reeds. They are really supposed to wake-up these engines. I saw a set on a V4 Evinrude and I wasn't impressed by them though.

I will let you know how they work. However I can't make an accurate comparion because the boat never felt like it ran right from when I bought it. The boat is new to me this season and the speedo is broken but it felt like the boat wasn't going over 25 mph. That was with a 19 pitch prop and it felt over prop'd ( I don't know how many rpm's because I don't have a tach yet). So I switched it to a 17 and the boat ran great for all of 10 seconds and then I started having all the problems (the extra rpms probably killed the old reeds).

The boat is a 18.5' Bayliner Capri cuddy cabin and I think it should have done at least 30 or so. I'm putting the reeds in tomorrow. I should have the speedo fixed and tach installed next week. I'm hoping the boat will do 40 (maybe I'm dreaming). Wish me luck.

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

BTW, my 18' Capri bowrider with a 90 will hit 35 (GPS) with 500 lbs of crew and a full tank; so your 18.5 with a good running 125 should do somewhat better than that, i would expect.

 

[scoopyex]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

I'm in the same boat as you (no pun intended) except I have a 125HP Force.

I checked compression, fuel, new fuel pump diaphragm, water in the gas, fresh gas, carb rebuild, new plugs, checked timing etc. I'm replacing my reeds (hopefully tomorrow if the parts show up) with Boyesen reeds as I think this is the problem. I'll let you know if this works or not.

How does one determine if the reeds are bad? what types of sypoms would one look for w/o actually removing them?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

With a 125 and new reeds, you should be unhappy if you do less than 45. Use a 19 pitch prop. I just rebuilt an '87 125 on an 18 Bayliner Bass boat with regular reeds. It did 47 on double oil.

 

[JDP]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

OK I'm having the same problem with my 86 125 force. I just picked it up last monday and the guy said it an great the last time he had it out. Which was 1 1/2 to 2 years ago. I right away I drained all the gas and took the carbs apart and rebuilt them. It started up fine on the muffs but I had trouble getting it started in the water. Finally got it started and got out past the no wake zone. Went to open it up and nothing. Got about 10 MPH with only about 350lbs of crew and gear. I pulled it right back out and started working on it at the camp site. I went to the local shop and got all new plugs and a new diaphram for the fuel pump. Then I couldn't get it to start at all. I noticed later that the primer bulb would not get hard at all. I must have pumped that thing 50 times. I replaced the bulb and all the fuel line Saturday. Within 3 pumps the bulb was hard and stayed hard. Took it back out yesterday and still have the same problem. I'm going to do a compression check today and make sure I have spark on all cylinders. If I pull the reeds will it be pretty obvious wether or not they are bad?

SkiKing let us know if that fixed your problem..

 

[MikDee]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Ski king, Please let me know where you got the Boyesen reeds from?

 

[ski_king]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Sorry for the late response.

I hate to say the reeds didn't fix the problem. I thought for sure I found the problem but I was wrong. The boat does idle and start better but still no power. I was away this past weekend so I didn't have time to work on it.

The only thing left to look at is the electrical / iginition system. My engine has the prestolite system. I have the Seloc manual and plan to go through the diagnostics and wiring diagrams this week.

 

[ski_king]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Ski king, Please let me know where you got the Boyesen reeds from?

I got my reeds from http://www.bobsmachine.com .

 

[supamaki]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

I'm having the same problem on my 1994 Force 90. I had it last year too, but not as bad. I live at the end of a long 5mph harbor, and as soon as I get outside the 5mph zone and open the throttle up, the boat stalls. I can go slow and it used to be that I had to gradually work the boat into a high speed, and eventually it would take. The way home was never a problem. Now it happens for about 10 mins, and then will "catch" is the beat way to describe it, and the boat will motor great. I stalled narly 10-15 times trying to get up to speed on the way home too. My mechanic when I told him about this when he unwinterized my engine said the compression was fine, the carb was fine and the plugs were changed. What can the problem be, since it seems to solve itslef eventually

 

[JDP]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Just curious if all of you that are having this issue have checked for spark on all cylinders? I reread all the posts and everybody says they checked compression but I didn't see that anybody checked for spark. I'm having the same issue with my 86 force 125. I found yesterday that I have a weak spark on the the #3 cylinder and no spark on the #4. Turns out that the problem is in the CDI module.

 

[mrwglo]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Not to revive a dead thread.... and I am new so to this board and to boating, so flames understood.

Still no resolution here? I have a 1994 Force 90 that has similar stalling issues. It's either all or nothing, it doesn't like to do much more than idle unless you're already moving along. It's most prevelant when you run it, then turn it off, and before it cools down try to restart and go. When WOT, it runs like a champ, but only around 3900K, might be overpropped. Most significant stalling issue was a 12 mile non-stop cruising run at about 3800 RPM, then we hit the no wake zone and it sputtered stalled, and barely got us back to dock. Sprayed carb cleaner in the carbs and let it sit, washed the bottom off while I had it out of the water, and pulled and cleaned the plugs. Runs good after that. It seems as though whatever buildup takes place doesn't take long to happen as I only has the boat a month and had to do this. Now I'm at my third week after the last cleaning and it seems like it's still ok, but I still have the "warm-start stall" issue. Threw a bottle of Seafoam in the tank, too to try and keep things clean. Is this engine just one that needs kept up with from a cleaning standpoint? I have it on a 16.5' Invader BR, does around 31 fully loaded with gas, two people, and a cooler of drinks. I can get 38 with just me and 1/4 tank of gas.

 

[mrwglo]

Re: Force will not exceed 10 MPH/ sometimes stalls when put into gear

Figured it out. Carbon buildup on the plugs. Seems that they need pulled every other week and cleaned, then it runs fine. Part of my problem is maybe since I have to manually mix my oil directly to the gas tank, I don't get it exactly 50 to 1 and have more oil than needed? Dunno why else the plugs get so dirty so fast.