Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s

[Diegoville]

To make a long story short, I'm new to boating in general. I just picked up a 1986 bayliner Capri with a Force 50.
I knew absolutely nothing about boating or towing.
I was told NOT to use a transom saver when I picked it up to tow it home.
Half way home I hit a pothole and the motor took a heavy bounce crushing the manual tilt support and makin the motor come crashing down into the freeway destroying the lower unit.

I've tried pricing a replacement lower unit only to find them VERY costly and hard to come by complete.

I did however find a complete 1985 force 85 with a fresh rebuild from the ground up. Lower unit in awesome shape, 138/140/140 compression.
Even comes with power tilt.
I got it from someone that really needed the money for $600. I felt that was fair and I could always part out the lower unit/trim for more than that.

So my question is, how difficult would it be to swap the 50 out and put in the 85.
Do the existing controls for the 50 work for the 85? Steering/throttle/gear.
I know I will have to hook up a switch and relay for the tilt but that's no issue.

I'm fairly mechanically inclined, so I'm just wondering what parts(if any) I'm going to need for the swap. Or would I better off parting out the 85 and trying to source a lower unit for the 50?

Any and all help or critisim is welcome.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s



WELL! First you need to know the size of the hull and the horsepower it is rated to hold. If it is the small Capri, they were rated for ONLY 50 HP. Powering with an 85 will

1. Weigh more, possibly putting the tramsom drain hole below the water at rest. Following seas will very likely come over the transom when you slow down.
2. You will open yourself to liability issues and Law enforcement can issue you a citation for overpowering.
3. Boat handling may be adversly affected.
4. On the positive side, acceleration will be breathtaking and top speed will be much higher--you will pay for that in about twice the fuel consumption.
5. Bolt hole pattern is larger. You will need to drill the transom and seal the old bolt holes.
6. Wiring is essentially the same and steering and controls will swap directly. You may need to rewire the ignition switch but that only involves switching existing wires onto different terminals.
7. you may need to reinforce the transom to handle the extra weight and thrust of the 85.

NOW: I can not tell you to do it but if you are still dead set on mounting the 85, here is a 14 foot hull that has been extensively modified to handle the bigger engines. With an 85 it tops out at 55 MPH and a 125 gets it up to 60 MPH. If you do decide to use the 85 and your Capri is the small one, I strongly advise you to reinforce the transom and do your homework. Be extremely careful as these speeds can easily get you into trouble, especially since you are a newbie.

BTW: If it is a 1986 Force 50, you can use a lower unit from Chrysler 1970s 35-55 right through Force 1990. You are not limited and you should be able to find one rather easily.

 

[Diegoville]

Re: Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s

What do you consider "smaller Capri"?

Mine is the typical 16 foot open bow, I've seen these with 85's an would figure all the hulls were built the same for this length boat. Would the transom be adequate enough for the motor?
You are very versed with the motor and I trust your judgement.

The transom on the boat is VERY thick, and in excellent condition.
Just looking at the motor initially I get confused since the linkages for the throttle/gear are to the rear on the 50, and more towards the front on the 85 and look different.
The manual doesn't really go into depth and specifics so I'm rather confused......

 

[Diegoville]

Re: Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s

Also, my general use for this boat will mainly and soley be used for slower speeds, not really any towing or tubing.
Just light fishing and lounging for the woman.

 

[Diegoville]

Re: Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s

Yeah it's the 1986 force 50, but I can not find a lower unit anywhere locally(San Diego) that is complete with gears and prop. As mine is completely destroyed.
The only lower units I find on ebay are just for the lower unit itself and would still require more parts that will add up quick.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s

The smaller Capri was a 14 foot hull. At 16 feet long your Bayliner Capri (They used the name Capri on a couple of models) will be capable of handling an 85 with no problems. I suspect that you will be much happier with the 85 than you would have been with the 50. Buy the 85 and sell the 50 for whatever you can get without a lower unit.

The 1985 85 and the 1986 50 use the same control box and control cables. It is a direct swap and if you have never done it I would guess about 2-3 hours work. The 85 does weigh about 275 so you need either three men or a lift. Two strong men can lift the 50 off the hull.

Even for slow puttering and lounging around, having excess power Or in this case adequate power, is better than not enough as the 50 would have been.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Force 50 to Force 85 swap general ?'s

You should be able to find the Coast Guard Rating sticker someplace on your boat.
The 50 came on the 14 and some aluminum boats by Bayliner,I think called Bluewater or something like that.
85 came on te 16 Capri/Trophy.Post some picks of the boat,transom area too.
All the controls and wiring should hook right up.