Topic: Hey boat guys... blade and pitch question

[greenjeans]

Got me a boat last week.  It has a 1995 120hp Force (made by mercury?) that came on the boat and ruins like a top.

There was a post a while back about the pitch of props etc.     Long story short - my prop got stolen.

I am going to get another, but I don't have any literature on the boat.   It's a 1995 17' Bayliner openbow.

For the most part we just motor around and tow the occasional innertube.

any suggestions appreciated.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Is there any more water in Texas to float in right now? I thought it dried up.

[Stev-o]

I would go with a 19 pitch. This will give you good out of the hole performance and decent top end, it's a happy medium.
Are you sure Force is made by Merc? I think it is Chrysler or formerly was made by them.

Here is one for $100, but comes with hardware that you may not need.
I would call the Bayliner dealer parts dept and ask details, but buy it cheaper elsewhere.
..
.http://cgi.ebay.com/Aluminum-Prop-Force-Chrysler-75-150-HP-13-X-19-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2c5ab73d18QQitemZ190500519192QQptZLHQ5fDefaultDomainQ5f0#ht_1796wt_922

Also - I prefer SS props, they don't get damaged as easily as aluminum, but can be pricey.

PS. Pics or it didn't happen!

[trueblue]

I would go with a 19 pitch. This will give you good out of the hole performance and decent top end, it's a happy medium.
Are you sure Force is made by Merc? I think it is Chrysler or formerly was made by them.

Here is one for $100, but comes with hardware that you may not need.
I would call the Bayliner dealer parts dept and ask details, but buy it cheaper elsewhere.
..
.http://cgi.ebay.com/Aluminum-Prop-Force-Chrysler-75-150-HP-13-X-19-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2c5ab73d18QQitemZ190500519192QQptZLHQ5fDefaultDomainQ5f0#ht_1796wt_922

Also - I prefer SS props, they don't get damaged as easily as aluminum, but can be pricey.

PS. Pics or it didn't happen!

Mercury made a model they called 'Force', also ss props are good as long as the unstoppable force, doesn't meet an unmovable object, ask my brother-in-law about this one, he completely smashed his gearbox to pieces, where-as an alloy prop would have just sheared a blade, so before you buy a stainless prop consider where you use it, if it is in clean water go the stainless, (which for interests sake also improve performance because they don't flex as much under load as an alloy prop will) but if you use it in waters where there is a lot of debris or rock that can all of a sudden come up and say gday to your prop  go the alloy prop, because it is a lot cheaper to replace a prop than a prop and a gearbox.  I would see if I could get a loan of a few props to try, I would be guessing you would want between a 17 and 19 pitch depending on the weight and hull design of your boat.

[Duanob]

I hate to burst your bubble but Mercury never 'made' the force. They bought the company and even then the Force outboard was such a POS they sold it at a loss. Of course Volvo Penta did the same thing with OMC in the 90's. Some corporations never learn.  These model Bayliners with the Forces were pretty much a disposable boat. Too bad too because Bayliner made a hell of a hull in the 70's. Built like a brick $@&*^#house! Of course the Volvo-penta motor was tempermental as hell kind of like a....like a...SOHC4!

On the subject of SS props get one with a sacrificial hub, no worries about damaging your drivegear. They are plastic composite and spin when you hit an object. Hubs are about $30 - $40 less costly than replacing an aluminum prop every time you hit something.

As far as forums for good boating and repair advice go here:

http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/forum.php

[kirkn]

I've got a Bayliner "disposable" boat.  I love it, but that's just exactly what they were!    Mine is a mid-90s 13.5 footer and it has the Force 50hp outboard.  My understanding was the Force outboard was made by Chrysler in those years.  I thought Mariner was a rebadged Mercury...  I dunno.

I like aluminum props 'cause if you ding 'em, you can hammer-and-dolly them right back again without any replacement $$$  :-)

[Duanob]

Hey cheap boats are great, until they start costing you money!

You are correct, mariner is made by mercury, force was made by chrysler until US Marine bought them some time in the 80's (same owners as Bayliner) and they sold them to Mercury.

[greenjeans]

Cheap doesn't necessarily equate to disposable.    This thing is 16 years old now and looks almost new.    They've probably used that exact v-hull shape for the last 30 years.    If you take care of things, even cheap things, they can last.       

I bought the boat after unexpectedly selling a 75 CB750 for $3900.  I paid $400 for the bike, put another $300 into it making it a great everyday rider.
So, I guess it could be labeled as a "disposable" boat.   I'll definitely get $700 worth of fun out of it.   

From the world wide interweb...
West Bend Co. [outboards] in 1963 sold to chrysler [chrysler outboards] which was bought by U.S. Marine in 1984, renamed the motors Force [the very first ones said 'Chrysler by Force'] they were built in Hartford until US Marine was bought by Brunswick and they consolidated the outboard manufacturing by shutting down the plant in hartford and moving outboards up to Fond du lac in 1992. LOL Merc made them with various changes until 1999, when production stopped.


So......   a 19 pitch aluminum blade with a sacrificial hub ?    Need to get one before the weekend.

[kirkn]

Here's mine.  Not bad for $800, at least around here...

[333]

The bad reputation that Bayliner has gotten since the early days is based on the thin hull that can be damaged by your fist.  I don't know what they're like now.

[Stev-o]

Isn't Brunswick owned by AMF which owned Harley?

You bought a Harley Davidboat!!!!!!

[Retro Rocket]

I hate to burst your bubble but Mercury never 'made' the force.

Oh yes they did, Chrysler sold the engine line to Bayliner, who I believe are the ones who gave it the Force name. They wanted low cost engines to factory rig their boats.

Then, when Brunswick purchased Bayliner, these probably unwanted, and mostly obsolete, engines came with the deal.

"Mercury decided to spruce them up and improve them, with Mercury gear cases/props, CD ignition systems, etc., and market them as 2nd tier engines. They were actually pretty good, but not really hot performers and with a second tier, "cheapout" image for the owners. The situation spooked Yamaha and OMC enough that they downgraded their own lines, removing oil injection and other items, so they, too, would have a second tier line. OMC called them the "Special" engines, with odd ball HP number to set them apart. Yamaha had a designation for theirs also. As clean technology became mandated, this engine had to die, so Mercury dumped it in favor of putting Merc engines on Bayliners, and all their other brands also." Mercury started manufacturing these in 1986 and stopped  in 1999.

[faux fiddy]

Hey cheap boats are great, until they start costing you money!

You are correct, mariner is made by mercury, force was made by chrysler until US Marine bought them some time in the 80's (same owners as Bayliner) and they sold them to Mercury.

I think DitchWitch was contracted out to build alot of the merc-mariner stuff (?)!

Not sure how to check, the guy that worked there is past.

[Duanob]

Actually US Marine/Brunswick company gave them the Force name in the early 80's. I did some research and you're right RR it does look like Forces were made in the mercury plants for a while. My bad. But, you may come from the land down under but I come from the land of Bayliner and the Capri model was pretty much a disposable boat. The indian reservations and trailer parks around here are littered with Capri hulls.

Don't get me wrong, the 70's bayliners were a well built boat. Even the Trophys and Ciera models which share the same hull are fairly well built. The Explorer models are awesome boats I am looking for one a 2270 model right now. But the Capri was a entry level model not made to last. The fiberglass was chopped glass, the wood transoms and stringers were cheap, the upholstery I would dare anybody to find an original in good shape that wasn't stored in a heated garage. They faded and cracked within a few years. AND last but not least I would not trust my life out on the ocean with a force outboard.

I had plenty of friends and relatives that have replaced Force outboards over the years. We always like fishing the ocean, but if you can't make it back you're in big trouble. Going over the Columbia River Bar in an untrustworthy boat is commonly fatal.

I see craigslist ads all teh time with the Force by mercury all the time. That might be true but they are still a POS. Too bad for Mercury. Just a PNW bias on Bayliners I guess. There are more of them here than any other boat by far.

[333]

No, Bayliner made crappy boats for a few years nationwide.

[Retro Rocket]

No, Bayliner made crappy boats for a few years nationwide.

+1, there were tales of people putting their fists straight through the hull....

you may come from the land down under but I come from the land of Bayliner and the Capri model was pretty much a disposable boat.

That may be so but Aussies have more boats per capita than any other country in the world, 85% of our population live within 60 miles of the water, also my Dad managed a boat company for 30 years.  Most of your US boats have been built under license in Australia at some time or another,even marques like riviera, Donzi, bertram, carribean, Glastron and many more....

[Stev-o]

I've read that Australia has approx 800,000 boats, Texas has 600,000 and population is fairly close - 22 mil.

Green jeans, what lake are you heading out on?

[trueblue]

Between me and my old man we own 6 boats all for different purposes and all in seaworthy condition

[greenjeans]

Taking the  crappy-built like a tank Bayliner out to Ray Roberts.  Looks pretty good, and the guys at the boat shop said they'd put it on their lot for $4995 !    Not a bad trade for a bike I had $700 bucks in.

Guys at the shop tested the 'ol Force and said it runs very, very strong.   They like them because they are very simple in design and easy to work on.

[Stev-o]

I've boater on Ray Roberts, not a bad lake.Lewsville has the bars though!

What prop did you get?