US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

[mhufford]

I have owned a 1990 Quantum 18F/S 120hp Force Outboard for about two years. I am having a minor issue, but WHAT IS IT? (the engine that is) The serial/model number sticker is faded beyond recognition and I have no idea where to turn for assistance, so I picked you guys! I am very mechanically savvy and understand I either have a carburetion or ignition (coil, cd) issue. When the unit hits 1000rpm it begins to mis or sputter. But the big question, before I can order a manual or parts WHAT THE HECK IS IT? Thanks for the assistance. Other important info: Boat S/N USJA25PCH990, Stamp on lower area of Block M609820, Stamp on Top of block 698, Coils are 089 and 179, CD's 199. I am specifically wanting to determine the make and the model number of the engine. Thanks Again.

 

[roscoe]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Welcome to iboats.

Can help, sort of.

West Bend (yes the kitchen appliance company) sold their motor division to Chrysler.
Chrysler was forced to sell during their bankruptcy/government bailout in 1984. USMarine bought them.
They sold to Mercury in late 1989.
Mercury quit making them in 1999.

Your motor looks like a 1990 model.
The graphics,
old style 2-stage fuel pump,
cd ignition with blue cd's and coils,
terminal strip connections for the wiring, all point to 1990.

The USMarine logo should mean a 1989 model.
But, technically, the 120hp wasn't produced until 1990.

Either case, all the parts should be the same until you get into the carbs, or the lower unit.

I hope this helped.

 

[Robert D]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Looks just like my 150 hp, minus one CDI box and coil.......vintage 1989, although officially a 1990 model. That's the Prestolite CDI ignition system. My engine graphics are identical, even down to the US Marine logo on the head. The Solec manual for the Force engines is very good, complete with useable wire diagrams for each year. Get yourself a ohm meter to test out the coils if you don't have one. The CDI boxes require a DVI adapter for the meter.....but you can test everything else as a process of elimination. The flywheel with magnets glued inside, stator, trigger, CDI boxes and coils are about all there is to the ignition. Upgrade the voltage rectifier with a regulator if you still have the original one on there, and you won't be boiling batteries & frying electronic toys at 17.8 volts anymore. 2 resetable 25 amp circuit breakers inside cowling...if original, better replace them. Had one periodically open up, was just getting old and tired. (Like a lot of us!) Very easy to work on, very simple......but new CDI parts are expensive beyond belief. Look to Ebay for used stuff....there's a lot there usually.

 

[Robert D]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Standing behind the motor, look for a white sticker on the top left of the engine. From the factory, will have the engine model on it. Mines still there. Left side of the transom bracket is a plate with serial number and model.....mine is almost unreadable. Top of the flywheel should say Prestolite, and there should be a wiring schematic decal on top of the engine.

 

[Robert D]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Here's a few pic's of mine. The small white sticker in the first pic has the model number on it, not readable in the pic though. I have my CDI system apart, as I'm testing everything....fried the CDI boxes by a reversed battery connection. EXPENSIVE. The wiring looks messy, but very easy to follow, and Solecs wiring diagram has the correct color coded wires described.
Also, you may note on the top of the water jacket where I have my custom water temp sending unit and a tell-tale hooked up. Both work excellent there.

 

[mhufford]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Standing behind the motor, look for a white sticker on the top left of the engine. From the factory, will have the engine model on it. Mines still there. Left side of the transom bracket is a plate with serial number and model.....mine is almost unreadable. Top of the flywheel should say Prestolite, and there should be a wiring schematic decal on top of the engine.

Thanks for the input, my sticker is faded beyond recognition.

 

[mhufford]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Thanks for the reccomended updates. What should the coils read in resistance? Or have you seen a post on testing the coils and cd boxes?

 

[mhufford]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Welcome to iboats.

Can help, sort of.

West Bend (yes the kitchen appliance company) sold their motor division to Chrysler.
Chrysler was forced to sell during their bankruptcy/government bailout in 1984. USMarine bought them.
They sold to Mercury in late 1989.
Mercury quit making them in 1999.

Your motor looks like a 1990 model.
The graphics,
old style 2-stage fuel pump,
cd ignition with blue cd's and coils,
terminal strip connections for the wiring, all point to 1990.

The USMarine logo should mean a 1989 model.
But, technically, the 120hp wasn't produced until 1990.

Either case, all the parts should be the same until you get into the carbs, or the lower unit.

I hope this helped.

Still hoping that someone can jusy say YEP, you got yourself a B-4-9'er, unmistakable. ( I know they didn't make a B-4-9'er ) but according to some documentation i found it looks like they had around 20 different model numbers for that year. Thanks

 

[Robert D]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

My Solec Manual says yours is a 1989 model, and uses the same electronics as my 150.
Coils: Primary resistance is between .02-.07 ohms, secondary is 800-1100 ohms
Trigger: 48-52 ohms (Large wires that go to CDI boxes via bus, check pairs 1 & 2, 3 & 4.....)
Charge coil: 680-800 ohms (Small wires that go to CDI boxes via bus, checkpairs #1 & 2, 3 & 4....)
Stator: 0.5-1.0 ohm (Detach two wire connector from rectifier/regulator. Good time to detach the battery wire as well, and check the diodes in the rectifier/regulator.)
Kill switch is connected on the back of the board holding the coils and CDI boxes. A small 3 terminal bus exists there, and the wire goes over the top of the engin eto the larger bus where your ignition switch wiring connects. Check to make sure that isn't grounded with the key in the run or start position.....or you won't have any spark. Not sure how it affects it, but in a no spark situation, my Solec suggests as a first step, to disconnect the rectifier and see if you now have spark. If so, replace it. Second step is to disconnect the above refernced kill switch and check for spark. If spark occurs, trace for a grounded wire.

 

[mhufford]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

My Solec Manual says yours is a 1989 model, and uses the same electronics as my 150.
Coils: Primary resistance is between .02-.07 ohms, secondary is 800-1100 ohms
Trigger: 48-52 ohms (Large wires that go to CDI boxes via bus, check pairs 1 & 2, 3 & 4.....)
Charge coil: 680-800 ohms (Small wires that go to CDI boxes via bus, checkpairs #1 & 2, 3 & 4....)
Stator: 0.5-1.0 ohm (Detach two wire connector from rectifier/regulator. Good time to detach the battery wire as well, and check the diodes in the rectifier/regulator.)
Kill switch is connected on the back of the board holding the coils and CDI boxes. A small 3 terminal bus exists there, and the wire goes over the top of the engin eto the larger bus where your ignition switch wiring connects. Check to make sure that isn't grounded with the key in the run or start position.....or you won't have any spark. Not sure how it affects it, but in a no spark situation, my Solec suggests as a first step, to disconnect the rectifier and see if you now have spark. If so, replace it. Second step is to disconnect the above refernced kill switch and check for spark. If spark occurs, trace for a grounded wire.

Thanks for the info Robert, The motor starts and runs idles just when it hits 1000rpm it starts to mis out or sputter. Are the 2 sets of coils different. Mine are stamped (uppers) 089 and Lowers 179 ( i wouldn't think so but when you see two different stampings and the are paired up off the cd's, kinda makes you wonder) my CD boxes both are stamped as a 199. Gonna clean the carbs real good and check ohmage on coils. Thanks Again

 

[ezimmerm]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Hey sorry to get a bit off topic but I've got a 1989 quantum 18ft...did that swim ladder come standard on yours or was that an aftermarket add on?

Thanks.

 

[DJ]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Hey sorry to get a bit off topic but I've got a 1989 quantum 18ft...did that swim ladder come standard on yours or was that an aftermarket add on?

Thanks.

Yes, off topic. a.k.a-"hijack". Please start your own thread in "Boat Questions".

 

[roscoe]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

The Seloc manual can say anything it wants, but if you go to a dealer and try to order parts for an '89 120, they are gonna look at you funny, then laugh when you leave.

 

[mhufford]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

The Seloc manual can say anything it wants, but if you go to a dealer and try to order parts for an '89 120, they are gonna look at you funny, then laugh when you leave.

Go to the Dealer? If you walk into any marina and tell them what you got they'll look at you funny. No body around here knows anything about this engine, so I'm on my own. But I really do appreciate everyones input/suggestions. To me when you don't know, you ask those who do. Thanks Again for any assistance. All input is worth its weight in GOLD!

 

[Robert D]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

Someone may have swapped out 2 of the coils at some point. Shouldn't matter. I like matched sets....so as long as the resistance is all equal, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Robert D]

Re: US Marine or Mercury or Chrysler?

The Seloc manual can say anything it wants, but if you go to a dealer and try to order parts for an '89 120, they are gonna look at you funny, then laugh when you leave.

uh....not exactly. I've ordered/purchased parts from 3 different boat shops here in Oregon. 2 actually had the entire impeller assembly on the shelf. Another didn't have to order the carb kits, he had those in stock. But so far, they've been able to get whatever is needed. The seal kit for the lower unit? Took 2 days to get it.