It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 4:53 am




Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ] 
 Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades 
Author Message
MMT Member

Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:54 am
Posts: 30
Post Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Hey guys...
I'm pretty new on here...surf around a lot looking and reading.

I got my first mud boat back in fall of 2013. I'm running an 1856 Phowler Extreme MV, with a stock PD 36 Gen 3 on it. 3 blade prop.

I've posted a little this year talking about speeds and such and trying to figure out what I can do to nurse a little more umph out of my motor and ride. It's been seeming really slow when it's loaded down with a bunch of stuff.

The end of this season I was running in the upper teens, 15 - 18 loaded down, which I wasn't so pleased with.
When I say loaded down here's one example...
Myself (260), dog (72), gun box (guns, coffee thermos', throwable cushions, 2 guns, anchor, all the miscellaneous junk we seem to need EVERY time we go duck hunting), 12g gas (under the extended deck in front of the boat, running 93 no ethanol fuel), Box with an extra set of clothes and prop in it, decoys...decoys...decoys...2 dozen foam filled divers, 5 dozen g&h weighted keel divers, a dozen golden eyes, 2 layout blinds, a dog blind, and blind bags. Does anybody ever take enough stuff when they go hunt!? :shock:

So, with that load, I'm running DEEEEP water lakes here in Tennessee, so I'm getting those 15 - 18 mph speeds, feeling like I'm pushing water as hard as I can, not wanting to jump on pad and just sluggish...

So with that being said, I've been looking at the upgrades I can do on this motor...

Here's my wants...
I want something that moves on decent and gets me in and out easily.
I want to be able to get up on plane so I'm not getting pelted with water spray the whole time

I DON'T want to cam it...I feel like that just kills the longevity of the motor. I don't run this motor hard...I usually just turn around 4000 rpm. Which may be a big part of my problem. I've been told 4200 or so seems to be the sweet spot for these motors so I probably haven't been trimming it up high enough to get that rpm, because it will run on up to those rpms if I ask it to.

So I'll stick with the carb motor for right now...I have a 6 year old, just built a house, building a horse barn, 6 year old and wife showing horses so you get the point...

So, for upgrading a stock PD 36 Carb Gen 3 what do you do...


Fri Feb 09, 2018 11:06 am
Profile
MMT Addict

Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:50 pm
Posts: 574
Location: Muscatine, Iowa
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
That's a pretty good load for any stock motor. Might help with a prop change, maybe something with less pitch and more diameter. Not being able to change gearing in drive like you can on a belt driven motor, kind of limits what you can do.


Fri Feb 09, 2018 11:24 am
Profile
MMT F.E.

Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:19 am
Posts: 981
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
I'm not a PD owner but heads would be my #1. Also can you change to gen 4? I thought the gen 3 was the notoriously slow lower.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Fri Feb 09, 2018 12:26 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:38 am
Posts: 4323
Location: Cut Off, La.
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades

_________________
Refurbishing a Prodrive


Fri Feb 09, 2018 12:40 pm
Profile
MMT Sponsor

Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:16 pm
Posts: 2107
Location: Gladewater TX
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Ive been messing with a gen 3. Stage 2. Its respectable but even with a "special" worked gen 3 prop its spins a lot coming out of the hole and top end is decent but not where any other frame would be with the same motor. For you a carb/heads motor with a worked prop would be a major improvement. If anyone else has some magic gen 3 info I'm listening


Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:07 pm
Profile
MMT Member

Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:54 am
Posts: 30
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Swapping to a Gen4 lower, what cost would be involved in that?

I hear and see a lot of things but what is really the "stages" of upgrades?


Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:09 pm
Profile
MMT F.E.

Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:19 am
Posts: 981
Post Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Use the search feature for the stages but in general they are a combination of headwork (~$700), cam ($400 part, not including labor), carb (~$800 new), and performance exhaust (~$75 to gut stock up to probably $700 for high end performance). Most everyone agrees that headwork is the biggest bang for the buck upfront. After those mods you can do other things but those are the major ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:21 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:38 am
Posts: 4323
Location: Cut Off, La.
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades

_________________
Refurbishing a Prodrive


Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:23 pm
Profile
MMT Elite Member

Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:45 pm
Posts: 9869
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
My .02

Have someone work your heads, buy a Mikuni kit, and get a decent flowing exhaust. Run a 2 blade prop, or get a 3 blade worked from Baggy with some more cup so it doesn't slip like crazy coming out the hole. Gen4 swap is only going to benefit you with a little bit more top end speed...What it seems like you are missing is the power to get that load on step, not just push it 2 mph faster.


Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:07 pm
Profile
MMT Member

Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:54 am
Posts: 30
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades


Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:38 pm
Profile
MMT F.E.

Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:19 am
Posts: 981
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Just get Will C, Maxxis, or Boat Dr to do your heads. They've done it a lot and have their recipe down pat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:25 pm
Profile
MMT F.E.
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:36 am
Posts: 822
Location: Jefferson TX
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Heads, carb, exhaust gave me an extra 5 mph(24-25top speed to 29-30mph) allowed me to hit the rev limiter on a CDI w/4350 coils. Also it would turn a hammer pretty damn good. With that being said, Heads and exhaust to start if you want to spend less, or go for it and do all three.
I am a little impatient so, I bought the "kit", carbs, heads, and BPS Q from BPS and did it myself in one long afternoon. The only issue was the Mikuni had a 160 jet(way too lean) I changed it to a 172.5(still not sure if that is rich enough).

_________________
SEAARK FX 2472 CC Merc 150HP 4Stroke(CypressCadillac)
Uncle J Custom - 19x54 CC Skiff w/40XD GTR


Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:12 am
Profile
MMT Elite Member

Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:45 pm
Posts: 9869
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades


Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:50 am
Profile
MMT Pro Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:41 am
Posts: 107
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
I had a gen 3 and looked at doing the lower unit swap they quoted me about 2000 of i remember right. Ended up selling it and buy one that was alrdy swapped and has head mukuni and a marsh mellow. Runs right at 30 with 12 gallons of gas 6 life jackets winch 2 batteries up front one in the back and misc stuff in front deck storage and me at about 230lbs with a baggy worked prop in choppy deep water. Havnt had it in the shallows yet. Ran 24-25 with same load plus 500lbs of ppl before the prop in the shallows


Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:29 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club

Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 1:46 pm
Posts: 1210
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Depends on your budget, but I think swapping to a Gen 4 ,ay be more than you want to bite off based on your comments. If you had to do it in phases, I would do Heads First, Mikunie 2nd, Cam 3rd (that’s me I know you don’t want a new one) and exhaust 4th. I would try to keep your compression in the 170-190 range for performance and longevity. I


Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:11 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:18 pm
Posts: 1726
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
if you are running deep water and want more speed, it might be alot cheaper to buy a used outboard and swap it out with your mudmotor. that way u have a reliable mud motor when u need it, and the convienance/speed of a outboard when that's what u need.
A $1500 40-60 hp outboard might be the way to go and/or be another option for you.

good luck either way.


Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:50 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:18 pm
Posts: 4310
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
OR..... the money you would spend on a gen4 lower, and all the other shit, Buy a kawasaki and be done with it. Cheaper to mod, and if you deck the heads (stock valves) port and clean up, stock cam with exhaust, you will be able to tote elephants at 27+ mph with the stock cam.


Mon Feb 12, 2018 4:55 am
Profile
MMT F.E.
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:36 am
Posts: 822
Location: Jefferson TX
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades

_________________
SEAARK FX 2472 CC Merc 150HP 4Stroke(CypressCadillac)
Uncle J Custom - 19x54 CC Skiff w/40XD GTR


Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:08 am
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:18 pm
Posts: 4310
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
:lol:



Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:31 pm
Profile
MMT Member

Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:54 am
Posts: 30
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
Good night I'd love a Kawasaki sitting on the back of mine. It would be unreal!


Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:45 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:18 pm
Posts: 4310
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
;)


Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:04 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:18 pm
Posts: 1726
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades
a 60 merc would make that kawi shit it's pants. lol


Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:46 pm
Profile
MMT 1000 Club
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:18 pm
Posts: 4310
Post Re: Let's talk Pro-Drive Upgrades


Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:09 am
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 23 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 230 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to: