Hi, folks. I'm a noob to this forum. 1st post as I've been lurking and getting info from this site for long time. Please, no Force-bashing because I think I got a good one--beats the heck out of a Merc dud that once bought me. And I apologize for long message in advance.
Bought '87 Cajun Demon II with '87 Force (they said it was an '87) 50 at dealer in 2005. It was a great deal given the large numbers of boat dealers in that part of NC--engine ran great on muffs--I told them to check the water pump/impeller/thermostat and to put in new impeller if not entire pump--I would rather believe that they did than didn't--took them a while to get it ready--looking for parts, I guess; it was spitting water out the exhaust port and continued to do so in driveway at home. I had my fishing buddy check it at dock. It was spitting water there. (Have been meaning to put a telltale on it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.) Decarbed it with Deep Creep in carb and in cylinders REALLY well, esp. through splug "holes" after new gas tank, new primer bulb, little Seafoam in tank, (DID NOT TOUCH CARB settings, as all my younger brothers are good auto mechanics and own boats: they hate messing with outboard carbs, can be a real pain, finicky.) Changed lower unit oil. Just checked wires to make sure no loose/frayed connections; it ran beautifully after carb clean, LU oil. Added fluids to manual, starboard, stern mounted tilt switch. Bought new tires for it, bearing buddies, transom saver, etc. Maintained boat/OB since 2005. New plugs in spring etc. Winterized. Under carport. Have had some minor stuff done--new live well(s) aerator, bilge, etc, wiring, "stuff," over the years.
SO . . . after doing the usual, took the boat out this spring. Been out 5X in it this year. (Had to get garden in.) 6th time got off at dock and went up lake to WOT and it just wouldn't. Felt smooth. No engine misses: just felt like it was firing on one cylinder. Would not plane. Got it back to dock--very few people in water on weekday--had friend hold boat to dock while I took off cowling and opened the throttle in neutral, revving to see if there was a miss, if engine felt hot, cut engine, felt leg and not HOT, checked to see if water spitting out exhaust; it was. Not hot, smooth idle, water spitting and one last time tried WOT and while I don't have a working tach--it wasn't going over maybe 10 mph. Felt like a 25 hp pulling a 16' fiberglass boat WITH a 50 hp dragging behind.
Well, it just wouldn't go at WOT. My fishing buddy--also a woman, who did "mechanikin" work in army--don't laugh, she's GOOD--warned me about plugging plug wires while standing in water--muffs, to test the cylinders for fire. I didn't get popped THAT TIME. BUT the top cylinder continued to run when sp wire pulled and the bottom plug, when pulled killed the engine--the top cylinder wasn't firing--or that was my guess. My brothers were using their compression testers and plug wire testers that week at their shop, so I couldn't do those tests myself. Economy is horrible so not gonna bug them when they need to do the work that they have.
So, called the marine mechanic I've known forever (30+ years) who's had his mechanics do ALL work done on this boat. Didn't get owner, old buddy, on phone but one of the other mechanics who said, "Probably power pack." Got boat up there and "this kid" (who's going to be REALLY good) said, "Probably power pack." Said he'd hardly ever seen a coil go bad.
I called today and the young guy said, "Power pack and switch are bad on that top cylinder. They have two of those for each cylinder. Two black boxes." He has no idea what it will cost "exactly" but he suggested around 250 bucks without labor but didn't say whether that included both "black boxes." Owner (the old friend) wasn't there. But I want to know what he meant by "switch." Do any of you think he meant the switch box? Also, he said stator was good. I asked him what the serial numbers were for OB, but he hadn't looked for them yet. He didn't mention doing a compression test.
My question(s) is/are other than "am I being paranoid?" and the answer to that is "yes" before you beat me to it. But I'm gonna trust "the kid" while trying to verify, hopefully with you guys. What year and "model" (approximately) do you think this Force really is with the power pack as a separate unit from (if he meant) "switchbox"? And with the manual tilt--I think the OB is original to Cajun boat. Am I stuck on "CDI"? Are there any other diagnostic tests he can run? Will a new power pack and "switchbox"--if that's what he means--mess with the old power pack and "black box" that work? Make them age even more quickly? For instance, will compression in the top cylinder be that much greater than the bottom--which works? Also, kinda curious to me . . . seems odd that tilt seems a heck of a lot slower out of water. Could be unrelated issues. (And could be my imagination!)
From what I can gather, assuming the Force is an '87, there were A, B, C and X models of this?? And on another board I read there were "15 different models" of '87 50 hp Force. Again, I don't have the serial number--asked but he hadn't looked. Again, this was a sudden problem. 2 weeks ago it was fine. Took me a week to get "the field" planted, and last week it would not go WOT. Any suggestions would be helpful because I hope to talk with the 30+ year marine mechanic and friend who owns the place next week. Also, by no means am slamming this young mechanic because he knows a hell of a lot more than I do! Would just like some other ideas or maybe what he meant by "switchbox." Thanks!
Bought '87 Cajun Demon II with '87 Force (they said it was an '87) 50 at dealer in 2005. It was a great deal given the large numbers of boat dealers in that part of NC--engine ran great on muffs--I told them to check the water pump/impeller/thermostat and to put in new impeller if not entire pump--I would rather believe that they did than didn't--took them a while to get it ready--looking for parts, I guess; it was spitting water out the exhaust port and continued to do so in driveway at home. I had my fishing buddy check it at dock. It was spitting water there. (Have been meaning to put a telltale on it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.) Decarbed it with Deep Creep in carb and in cylinders REALLY well, esp. through splug "holes" after new gas tank, new primer bulb, little Seafoam in tank, (DID NOT TOUCH CARB settings, as all my younger brothers are good auto mechanics and own boats: they hate messing with outboard carbs, can be a real pain, finicky.) Changed lower unit oil. Just checked wires to make sure no loose/frayed connections; it ran beautifully after carb clean, LU oil. Added fluids to manual, starboard, stern mounted tilt switch. Bought new tires for it, bearing buddies, transom saver, etc. Maintained boat/OB since 2005. New plugs in spring etc. Winterized. Under carport. Have had some minor stuff done--new live well(s) aerator, bilge, etc, wiring, "stuff," over the years.
SO . . . after doing the usual, took the boat out this spring. Been out 5X in it this year. (Had to get garden in.) 6th time got off at dock and went up lake to WOT and it just wouldn't. Felt smooth. No engine misses: just felt like it was firing on one cylinder. Would not plane. Got it back to dock--very few people in water on weekday--had friend hold boat to dock while I took off cowling and opened the throttle in neutral, revving to see if there was a miss, if engine felt hot, cut engine, felt leg and not HOT, checked to see if water spitting out exhaust; it was. Not hot, smooth idle, water spitting and one last time tried WOT and while I don't have a working tach--it wasn't going over maybe 10 mph. Felt like a 25 hp pulling a 16' fiberglass boat WITH a 50 hp dragging behind.
Well, it just wouldn't go at WOT. My fishing buddy--also a woman, who did "mechanikin" work in army--don't laugh, she's GOOD--warned me about plugging plug wires while standing in water--muffs, to test the cylinders for fire. I didn't get popped THAT TIME. BUT the top cylinder continued to run when sp wire pulled and the bottom plug, when pulled killed the engine--the top cylinder wasn't firing--or that was my guess. My brothers were using their compression testers and plug wire testers that week at their shop, so I couldn't do those tests myself. Economy is horrible so not gonna bug them when they need to do the work that they have.
So, called the marine mechanic I've known forever (30+ years) who's had his mechanics do ALL work done on this boat. Didn't get owner, old buddy, on phone but one of the other mechanics who said, "Probably power pack." Got boat up there and "this kid" (who's going to be REALLY good) said, "Probably power pack." Said he'd hardly ever seen a coil go bad.
I called today and the young guy said, "Power pack and switch are bad on that top cylinder. They have two of those for each cylinder. Two black boxes." He has no idea what it will cost "exactly" but he suggested around 250 bucks without labor but didn't say whether that included both "black boxes." Owner (the old friend) wasn't there. But I want to know what he meant by "switch." Do any of you think he meant the switch box? Also, he said stator was good. I asked him what the serial numbers were for OB, but he hadn't looked for them yet. He didn't mention doing a compression test.
My question(s) is/are other than "am I being paranoid?" and the answer to that is "yes" before you beat me to it. But I'm gonna trust "the kid" while trying to verify, hopefully with you guys. What year and "model" (approximately) do you think this Force really is with the power pack as a separate unit from (if he meant) "switchbox"? And with the manual tilt--I think the OB is original to Cajun boat. Am I stuck on "CDI"? Are there any other diagnostic tests he can run? Will a new power pack and "switchbox"--if that's what he means--mess with the old power pack and "black box" that work? Make them age even more quickly? For instance, will compression in the top cylinder be that much greater than the bottom--which works? Also, kinda curious to me . . . seems odd that tilt seems a heck of a lot slower out of water. Could be unrelated issues. (And could be my imagination!)
From what I can gather, assuming the Force is an '87, there were A, B, C and X models of this?? And on another board I read there were "15 different models" of '87 50 hp Force. Again, I don't have the serial number--asked but he hadn't looked. Again, this was a sudden problem. 2 weeks ago it was fine. Took me a week to get "the field" planted, and last week it would not go WOT. Any suggestions would be helpful because I hope to talk with the 30+ year marine mechanic and friend who owns the place next week. Also, by no means am slamming this young mechanic because he knows a hell of a lot more than I do! Would just like some other ideas or maybe what he meant by "switchbox." Thanks!
