1989 Force 85HP Outboard

[mlvaj]

Hey guys, I was recently given a 1989 Astro Star bass boat with a 89 Force 85HP. The problem is the boat hasn't been use in about 4 or 5 years. With this being my first boat ever, I have no clue on what I need done with it. All I know is that it will need a tune up. Also, the tilt trim doesn't work. I can only find 2 shops here in the city that service Force motors but neither one are willing to tell me how much it would likely cost to get it service. I don't want to start messing with it and screw it up some more. All the wires that connects to the batteries are unplugged and I don't want to connect them to the batteries in case the batteries are dead, which is more than likely since it hasn't been used in years. So my question is what can I do or where can I go to get an estimate on fixing the motor/boat? I sure hope it doesn't get too spendy like in the $1500 or $2000 range. Any advice? Thanks, Lee

[oilguy]

If you can get it running, start your tune up with a dose of Mercury QuickClean in fresh fuel. It's usually only available at Merc dealers. It's the only fuel treatment that is worth the money and can actually work miracles on dirty carbs and injectors. IMHO everything else like it is JUNK. If your tilt trim motor still works, try re-filling the hydraulic oil. If the Trim motor is toast, its a costly repair-replace

[JeffB]

For starters you will need to get it hooked up to a good battery to know what you have to work with. Dit it work when the previous owner quit using it. Get rid of all the old fuel. Then try turning it over with fresh fuel. Pull a plug to inspect the plug and see if it has spark. Its hard for a mechanic to give an estimate for getting it running, because they have no idea what may be wrong with it. You will have to pay to get some diagnotic tests done to see if you have something decent to work with (compression test). After they look at it and know what parts and labor they need then they should be able to give you an estimate.