Rod bearings on 1990 to 1994 Force 120

[mmnieson]

Hello out there, I am looking for a little help installing rod bearings on my force 120. The newer Force motors have a "caged" rod bearing. looks like the 90 to 94 uses the same cage but does not hold the needles in place. I am in the middle of replacing number 4 piston with the motor still on the boat. The problem I am having is keeping the needles in place during assembly.

Does anyone know if the new bearing will allow the needles to get held in by the cage. All pics that i have seen on parts pages show the items seperate. Before I order i would like to know.

I have tried to assemble with grease and next step might be a little crazy glue before I go crazy.

going through the intake does not give enough room to make sure the needles are in place correctly.


Let me know if there might be a better way out there.


Thanks


Mike

 

[tater76]

Re: Rod bearings on 1990 to 1994 Force 120

It can be quite frustrating to keep all the bearings in the cage while keeping the rod, piston, and your hands in the right place. The cages will not hold the bearings as you have likely found, and thus need some sort of grease to hold the bearings in place while you manhandle the other half of the cage. I like to set the clean cages up on a clean piece of cardboard or towel, then run a fairly large bead of white lithium grease between each rectangle that holds the bearings. The key is to be liberal with the grease here. Then CAREFULLY slide the cage into the cradle of the rod, between the crank and the cradle. I then grease the two most outer edges where the cages come together, insert the two bearings carefully into the grease as there is only one cage edge to hold them. Then repeat the grease in the other cage half, but this time stick it to the rod cap. This is a real pain in the a#% job when its on the leg, and may make you wonder why you didn't pull the powerhead, but it is doable, just be patient. Maybe take the lower pan loose if it gets in your way. Oh, and remember, if in doubt walk away. The time it takes you to cool down from the frustration may save you money and the motor from becoming an anchor