Hey all-I'm in NJ and stumbled onto mud motors kind of by accident. I'm building a 16' plywood and fiberglass garvey/jon boat from these plans:

http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?pr ... d4WLvmceBE

The boat will mostly be used on HP restricted (10 HP max) lakes nearby, but also on the Delaware River. I live up in the Northwestern part of the state where the Delaware is shallow and rocky-the few that do run the river up here use jetdrives, but there are folks running mud motors here and there. I'd like to build a 10 HP mud motor for use on both the river and the lakes. I might eventually build a larger one (15-18 HP) for the river depending on how it goes. Anyone have any experience with the kits sold on Ebay? They look kind of bare bones, but I figure I could beef them up a bit if needed. I have access to plenty of engines-my dad runs a small engine repair shop and can get me anything I need. He actually just picked up a non-running Vanguard 18 HP FREE, put $20 worth of work into it and sold it for $300 Wish I had known about mud motors then!

Just a couple of things I'm trying to get a better understanding of:

-Do you get more HP at the prop since mud motors are direct drive, no gear train, etc...?

-How about noise? I was thinking of looking at the kinds of mufflers that come on generators-they're usually pretty good.

-Is it possible to fit an external fuel tank? If not, no big deal, just wondering.

-I was thinking of using a small trolling motor for reverse-is that what a lot of folks do since there's no way to get reverse otherwise?

-Does a mud motor put more stress on a transom than an outboard? Less?

Looking forward to learning a lot more here. Can't wait to show up at the lake with one of these and have everybody wondering what the hell it is

Look into copperheads 10hp. The motor will put more stress on your transom depending on what your hitting, as far as open water just too and from not so much. Copperhead doesnt offer a reverse so tje trolling motor is a good idea.

I build a 13hp from mad for about 800 $ harbor freight predator motor.

keep the gamefisher. add a prop guard. you dont need a mud motor at all.

you get the idea...

X2

sent from the former Republic of Texas.

16' with a 18hp copperhead. If you plan to do 16hp longtail goodluck planing out depending on prop

So the rocks would kill your outboard but not a glassed wood boat?

sent from the former Republic of Texas.

Sounds like you don't want to spend any money. At all. Maybe this just isn't for you... I just saved you thousands.

If you think you are going to get a seaworthy, durable, non-issue/maint free boat and motor for $1000 you are smoking crack.

11hp is not quite enough for 16' youre gonna be doggin it (my 16hp will plane out a 1436 tin can when its empty or with a moderate load). My advise would be if you're dead set on building one do it, but wait to sell your outboard if possible I would guess that when you see how it is going to run on your boat you are going to want to go back to the outboard. The parts you've described are gonna be close to hittin that $500 mark once you figure out what you need and if you have to get them shipped.

build one of those coonass rigs with a vertical shaft lawnmower engine bolted to the outboard.