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They are simple "old school" engines that can give good service for the money.When Merc's parent company bought 'em they tightened up the tolerances and put Merc lower units on em' to improve durability.You would need to check compression first to determine if its worth fooling with.
I had a choice in 1995 on a couple of rigs(18 ft F & S).....one had a 150 Force, the other a 150 Mercury....was going to get the Force but I accidently ran across a guy bringing his (150 Force) in for repairs......just didn't have power to pull skiers and didn't run good.....I went with the Mercury and all I heard after that about Force was not good.....Chrysler didn't have a good reputation back then either.....
I was in much the same situation as you. Had a chance at a great deal on a 1999 Force 50 hp. Did all the research you're doing now; heard all the same exact things.. Not much good. But I went for it and it has worked out great. Haven't even done good maintenance on it (no new impeller or even plugs, did change lower unit oil). Not one problem and runs real well. Starts every time and has good power. Good luck.
I had a 96 force 40hp. Nothing but problems. Motor ran good but the power just isn't there. Prop changes didn't help, had the gears replaced twice and complete lower unit replaced once, all in a years time. I would find something else. You can find older suzukis pretty cheap and they are a great motor.
I got a used 1998 Merc Force 90 hp a couple of years back and I've been happy with it.
Also, I know a mechanic, Mike Free in Memphis who will service these motors. I haven't had to utilize his services other than a couple of minor troubleshooting issues after Rip and I installed it :)
Pretty simple motor to work on, only 1 carb.
NEPHEW , ENDED UP BUYING A NEW YAMAHA .:ThumbsUp
Best move he made the right choice.
I had one on my old Nitro Fish/Ski and never had any problems with it at all. It sat there for a year and a half one time and all I did was charge the battery and crank it. I may have just been lucky