I don't know what gauges you have, mine are VDO with the square aircraft style bezels. I think jamestown distributors was selling the bezels a while back but I don't remember for sure if it was them. I would look at the wiring as the first thing though. I am currently rewiring everything on my boat that is not on the Mercury harness. My wiring was a absolute cluster. All accessories were powered by a 10 gauge feed that connected one after another down the breaker/switch panel. 2 bilge blowers, all navigation lights, 2 50 watt docking lights, sun pad actuator ram, cabin lights, stereo, sink pump, refrigerator, cabin fans, VHF radio, etc. . All on 1 10 gauge wire, with a ground wire system just as bad. When I first was out for extended night cruises I was sure the alternator was going bad because the lights got dimmer and I was worried we would be stranded, but motor kept running fine. Replaced alternator/made no difference. It turned out to be the overloaded wiring creating excessive resistance. The dash was about as bad. I would have gas gauge move about a 1/4 tank if I turned on the bilge blowers and so forth. Something to look at before putting a new gauge on old wire. I also have had to replace my original aluminum gas tank as it was leaking out of about a dozen different pinholes. water in absence of oxygen, will corrode aluminum, as the protective aluminum oxides cannot then form. We kept smelling some gas, but could not find any leaks, hoses,filter,pump,carb,fill,vent all good. After trailering home 100 miles I opened up the boat and had literally an inch deep pool of gas under the engine and under the gas tank. I am amazed we didn't explode. Of course I had to replace it with another aluminum tank, but I installed it a little higher so it should get some airflow and last almost forever, I hope

And by the way, $6500. does seem like a screamin deal .

Budman II, Ill keep that in mind if I ever upgrade. Right now Im thinking of rebuilding the heads since there is over 500 hrs on them and maybe the 502 is not performing at 100% witch is causing the low speed. Im also kicking around the idea of a pro charger over the winter months. $5200 for 200 added HP is CHEAP along with the ability to still run pump gas :) I would still be into the boat for way less $$$$$ in comparison to others out there with that kind of power. Seeing a old force hulling the mail across the water would be pretty bad ass.


The Escalade pulls it pretty good. The ride quailty it just awesome even with the heavy/ max pay load!. Got to love the automatic air bags :) Pulling I avg about 9.5 mpg. One thing I think it could use is a larger tranny cooler, but coming up here Im going to install a new filter and oil too see if it helps with the temps at all.

1989Force,

Good thing you found the leak when you did!!!!

I will also have to look into upgrading my wiring/ground wiring. By the sounds of it we just need to run a few more 10 agw ground wires to the switches and accessories. I just got done rewiring the 12 volt + for the switches so I don't have to have the key on in order to use the lights, blower, radio, ect. Now as long as the master switch is on I have power to them. I just had to move the wire to the other side of the key switch. My fuel gauge did the same thing with the blowers on/off, till I rewired them. But it still dose that 1/4 gauge movement with the nav, dock, cabin, ect. lights on. Also my volt gauge will also spike to 16+ volts randomly with the engine on or of off but key on. Sounds like that will be added that to my project list along with the sea pump rebuild, witch I also already have. Small drip coming form the plastic housing and the impeller is probably in need or replacment. I read it should be replaced every 2 years.

Question, what is the ACC. switch for? Maybe 12 volt pump for sink (witch I dont have any ways)

Ya I scored a pretty good deal on the boat considering it has the repower to the 502 efi/mag engine, the custom 2007 Heritage trailer, 612 hrs on the boat/510 hrs on the 502. But that price didnt come with out lots of elbow grease. I have had to do plenty of work to it. Compleat detail, shampoo, buff, wax, ect.. New bilge pump and wiring along with 6 or more other ground wires in the engine bay. (old pump over loaded the ground and melted its own wiring and took other wires with it.) The trailer had a bent axle and chewed up a tire befor I knew about it. Removed the axle and brought it to a frame rack (buddie ownes one :) ) to straighten it and new tire. 3 new batteries, New bellows, gimbal bearing, trim sender and switch, VST valve, plugs/tune up, re wire of radio then the other switches. Sea pump rebuild (I have the parts jsut need cooler weather to do it in) Plus others I sure Im forgetting. But still Im at a good price :)

Any one have link to the sea pump rebuild? It looks straight forward but I always like to research it before starting, plus that rubber impeller fits into the plastic housing!!!!!!!! That is one tight fit! It must have to the oiled up to fit in?

Thank you all for the Info! I really appreciate it! Keep it coming. Now if i could just stumbleupon a replacment bow rail it would be stylin :)

acc switch on mine turns on the depth sounder.

someone must have jacked with your wiring, on mine as long as the master switch is on everything in the boat works like radio, blowers, depth sounder ETC

for pump impeller i just coat it with some vaseline and the housing also before jamming the impeller in there.

i personall remove the whole pump from the boat to replace the impeller, i find it easier than trying to do all that **** while your stuck upside down in the compartment. if you have any parts of the impeller missing i highly suggest you remove the hose going to the inlet side of the oil cooler to make sure the pieces are not stuck in there obstructing flow.

NSX, there are plenty of threads about replacing the seawater pump impellers if you do a search on the technical forum. I took a saw to the back of the storage compartment under the back seat to create an opening to allow access to the lower pulleys of the engine. This makes dealing with the seawater pump much more bearable. I just used a couple of metal plates and wood screws to reinstall it, so now it is a removable access panel. Lithium grease works well as a lubricant, or dish detergent.

I ran some #6 cables from the battery up to the helm area, and hooked these to a pair of distribution terminal blocks for both power and ground. From here, I split off smaller wires to the gauges and the accessory panels. I also have a set of dedicated cables like this running up to the stereo and the amp in the cabin. Make sure you install an appropriate inline fuse back near the battery. This greatly cleans up the wiring mess up at the helm, and helps to alleviate the gauges reading differently when the lights or other accessories are turned on.

For the engine hatch, I strongly encourage installing a set of relays to operate the hatch motor. There is a lot of amperage drawn by this circuit, and you will find yourself replacing switches on a regular basis because the contacts burn up from all this current. The hatch will work much faster after this fix as well. It is also a good idea to install a hitch pin in place of the bolt on the top of the actuator bracket, and then run a heavy gauge wire out the side vent to act as an emergency pull in case the hatch motor stops working and you have to get to the engine. Ask me how I know about this... :rolleyes:

Try TaylorMade for the bow rail, but it will be a long shot. Those are pretty much specific to the boat. At least you have the one that curves down in the front. Mine wraps around and is much higher, and is an absolute PITA when climbing onto the front of the boat. I have thought about just removing it and plugging the holes.

I am doing the same kind of thing as Budman II with wiring, I have installed a bluesea safety hub and 2 buss bars to power the acc. along with another on transom for trim,k plane, and sun pad pumps. My acc switches are hooked to docking lights and depth sounder. I would lose the bow rail and fill the holes if I could justify the cost of the gel/glass work. It isn't big enough to make bow riding legal, and makes it harder to step on the front deck. It serves no purpose other than hanging fenders as far as I can tell. It would also take a decade of years off the look of the boat to get rid of the rail.
I also remove raw water pump to service, it's just to tight to do in boat for me to do. I would try to use a screw in deck plate to access through seat base to get a water/gas vapor tight seal

Force, while you are at it, install a set of relays on the hatch actuator. You will be glad you did - no more burned up switches. There are lots of threads about this on the Tech forum if you do a search.

I cut out part of my back rail to make it easier to sit on the sun pad with your feet on the swim platform. It wraps around on the older hulls that originally had the teak platform. Major PITA. I used small stainless plugs to cover the holes - really doesn't look that bad. You could probably do the same thing with the bow rails - I think they come in white too, less conspicuous. Biggest issue is getting to the bolts underneath in the cuddy. I think you would have to pull the headliner to get to them.

I don't think vapors are that much of an issue. The side pockets are far from airtight, and the rear seat acts as a barrier as well. I guess you could put an aluminum plate over the opening, but sealing it with weatherstrip is overkill IMO.

Some one else must have knowen we were talking about the hatch switch :)
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...ft-switch.html

Budman got any pics. of where you cut and how it looks? Just wondering.


As for my hatch, well I havent "yet" burnt out the switch, but it dose move at a turtle's pace. So I think Ill add the relays in for the added speed. I already added a couple other relays (auto/manual bilge pump, & exhaust) so a couple more wont hurt. Maybe I'll just make a relay "bank" on a piece of alum and mount it some where so it cleans up the engine bay. Ebay here I come again for another batch of 10 bosch style relays..

Also I already installed the pins and took out the bolts. But my hatch I can pull it up and open by hand (if needed) with the hydro's hooked up. It isnt to bad. Then I just unhooked the rams (bolts/ remove pull pin now) and used a prop rod to hold the hatch open. Had to do this when I bought it and all 3 battteries were shot.

As for my ACC switch I guess it dose nothing since I have aftermarket depth gauge (that sucks as well). It only reads if Im moving between 3-8 or so MPH. Stopped it always 3.0 feet and over 10 mph it just starts showing really high #'s like 153 feet when were at maybe 15... How ever I believe the transducer for the old one is still in the boat. There is a black puck glued to the hull under the engine with a wire coming from it. Im guessing it is a threw hull transducer. Ill have to trace that wire wile workign on the "to do" list. My current one is mounted on the out side of the transom :( dragging in the water slowing me down along with the dream-o-meter water pick up.

Back on the ACC switch I better trace where the other end leads to, when on. I would hate to bump the switch and feed a bare wire with 12+ to nothing and then have the wire touch a ground...

Any one have source for the factory style switch in our boats? Mine are toggle style switch, silver with a red LED in the center.

Regarding the unused acc switch, just pull the power feed off of the switch and tape it up. On my boat, one acc switch turns on the radio, and the other turns on the depth gauge. You are correct in thinking that the black "puck" is the transducer. I had one of the transom mount transducers on my last boat, and it wasn't worth much. I think Baja was using the Lowrance brand depth gauges back then. You may be able to find someone parting out an older boat with a working gauge. Get in touch with FullForce here on OSO - he is parting out an 86 Baja Force 320 - he might still have some of the old gauges from his boat. Also, some of the older Formulas used the same square bezel VDO gauges that the Baja's used.

Budman II , you are right about the sides being open, I just think if there is a compartment (under rear seat storage) that will not flood till there is 15 inch deep water on the floor, I might as well keep it that way, hope I never need that extra potential buoyancy, but if I do need it, I'll sure want it. I have buried the bow in the water deep enough to put water over port side of windshield (Overtaking a large cruiser plowing a huge wake I greatly misjudged) and that was just as close to the bottom as I ever want to get.
I got also tired of the slow sun pad hatch and have replaced with Dana hydraulic powered hinges, but not done yet so I don't know if it is a real improvement. The plywood was getting soft in the hinge area so I have made a new sun pad thats also not quite done. I also have the silver led toggle switches and the only place I've seen them is at home improvement store.