captquest
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2008
- Messages
- 120
I am in the process of rebuilding my 1998 Force 120. I had a really tough time deciding weather to rebuild or just buy a used outboard. I searched locally, as well as ebay. A 9 or 10 year old outboard in good condition would be in the 2800 to 4000 dollar range. Then of course the controls and ignition harness. And the job of swapping the motors. Rebuilding my engine has cost about 2000 dollars. This exceeds my original estimate because I had a damaged crankshaft and had to buy that as well. I have also put quite a bit on unrelated repairs too. New stater, trigger,starter, fuel pump kit, reed valves, and reconditioned the steering head. I have heard many opinions, and most seem to go with "new engine", "get rid of the Force". I had one old timer very familiar with Force recommend the rebuild. I went this route mainly because of money. I thought this would be cheaper and easier. I was afraid of buying a used motor and then having new problems with it. I know I would be better off with a Yamaha or Johnson than a Force, but at least I know it's in good condition when all is done. My plan is to keep it for a couple of years, then buy a "newer" used engine. And I could sell the Force as a good running motor. So, I just wanted a few more opinions I guess. Who agrees with my decision and who thinks I'm a knucklehead? Thanks for your honesty.
