Mud Motor Jon Boat Speed Test

Testing out the speed of the 1436 LT Alumacraft jon boat paired with a Predator 13 hp 420cc engine and an SPS Swamp Runner Longtail Mud Motor Medium Kit.
This is the tachometer that I use and really like - amzn.to/2N0KeXe - I like the settings that it has. It keeps track of your engine hours and your RPMs. It will also track what your highest rpm was that you reached during a run. So I really engine it.
The top speed of this 1436 LT jon boat is around 20 mph. After 20mph, the wake behind the boat stretches out further than the tail can reach causing the longtail to jump out of the wake. To fix that, you just pull up on the tiller handle more and force the prop in the water.
The prop that I tested out first is the 9-inch regular prop. The top speed I got was 23 mph. That was with pulling up on the handle and forcing the prop down in the water to get the max speed I could get from it. At 20 mph it handles with ease, the RPM's were around 2600 to 2800, and it just floats in that crest.
In the end, I put the 8.75" weedless prop on. It is the smoothest riding prop that I've put on it. It has the least amount of vibration and it's weedless! The normal speed I get with this prop is 19 mph and if I have the wind with me I'll get 20 mph.
So after testing these two props, I would put the 9" prop on it and run it at 20 mph at 2600 to 2800 RPMs so it would be better on fuel and less vibration.
The 8.75" weedless prop handles nicer than the standard 9" prop and it's weedless but it is slower.
I normally run the weedless prop for everything but if I was to do a long trip I would run the 9" prop.
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Music by Epidemic Sound.
#jonboat #longtail #mudmotor

[@SluSharkND]

great video and good luck gatoring!

[@JTgatoring]

Thank you SluSharkND!!

[@treylarsonproduction]

Check out this video. Gave you credit for being awesome!! Keep up the videos man!

[@walkertongdee]

Hey folks this boat is set up right. Sometimes the governor is not set correctly you can adjust the Governor at the post the one with the clamp to allow the governor to not cut out allowing the top rpm in the power curve. Find the top rpm in the spec sheet, use a tachometer and adj. Exceeding top rpm bypassing the gov is not a good idea because that results in less power.Continue having fun! Thai Sean

[@walkertongdee]

So this boat works well and is set up for all around boating it works just like one of my boats I often use does. But if you want to surface prop and go like a bat out of hell or want better handling you should lower the engine it’s the high engine that makes that prop jump out and then you lose control. How you lower the engine is you bolt on what is called a thwart motor mount then the engine is down in the boat a bit not on top of a transom this lessens the shaft angle and that keeps the prop balanced and half in the water surface propping like a hydro or it will just perform better with all around hands off operation, yes I did say hands off operation. Check out a thwart seat in a canoe, make it like that but lower than in the canoe and attach the swivel pins bushing sleeve into that thwart. About a foot inboard is plenty but make sure that the prop can reach the water and that the shaft doesn’t hit the transom. Set the engine swivel pin height so it’s 12 in. higher than the hull bottom. This is the way nearly all Thai boats are set up, some are even lower They pilot better with the motor low and can surface prop with stability if desired. Even if you don’t want to go faster by surface propping it will handle exceptionally well and hands off in calm water. I can run hands off and just nudging the tiller with my knee. Now sitting down feet up, hands off and nudging the tiller is comfortably chillin… Thai Sean Walkertongdee

[@jmccain6369]

My jon boat used to look that nice. Until I bought an SPS. In the Midwest, I run a lot of small rivers & creeks which has a tendency to beat up a jon boat in a hurry. You don't be chance have any videos with it running sloughs or skinnier back water do ya? You really get a sense of the speed of the motor when your flying up a small creek. Good luck with them gators.

[@JTgatoring]

Where I'm at, there isn't too many sloughs, marshlands, or skinny water. A lot of the bodies of water are man-made and deep. So this motor really shines when I have to run over grasses that have built up on the top of the water that has secluded an area. Also, the majority of the bodies of water I'm in is minimum wake zones. So when I test speed, it's in the only body of water that isn't minimum wake and its deeps haha I wish I has some rivers to fly around in and race in. It looks super fun!

[@solarfunction1847]

If your shaft was inside a tube near the waterline then you could easily put a triangular vertical wing at the bottom & top of the tube, this added weight would keep the prop deeper in the water & make it easier to control. You could also use a broom handle with a bent metal conduit clamp that is like the shape of OMEGA symbol, just bend the side flaps over the top of one end of the broom handle & make the broom handle long enough that it fits into the bottom of the boat & pushes the motors throttle pole. The broom handle will tilt as you turn the motor but always push the throttle handle up which forces the propeller down, this would help you by stopping getting a sore arm as you wrestle with the throttle arm trying to pull it up all the time. Just a thought anyway.

[@JTgatoring]

For longs trips, the broom handle is a nice trick. Especially if you don't plan on hitting anything. But if you're riding unknown/unfamiliar water, then the prop wouldn't have any place to go so you risk breaking your handle, the shaft, and/or the prop. With a properly sized prop, this longtail handles great and I don't need to force it. Easy to drive with one finger with full throttle. It's only when you start to over prop it and get up to high speeds when it becomes difficult to handle. Good idea 👍

[@walkertongdee]

I use an engine tachometer too. After determining the power curve usually about 3,500. I then see what the rpm is at while running full throttle..If it reaches that rpm. that's a matched prop to the engine and the drag of the hull dependent on the total weight of the boat with normal gear.. You can grind down a too large of a prop if it lugs to reach the proper rpm. Actually I have a video of how to do this on my channel.

[@JTgatoring]

Yes, I remember. I watch it almost 2 years ago. There wasn't much information out on longtails then. I've never had to do it before, but makes sense the way you explained it

[@rustyshackleford886]

Are you using the regular kit or saltwater shaft? Looking at building one for fresh or saltwater (bay fishing). Is it worth the upgrade or just rinse off and oil down the regular kit?

[@JTgatoring]

I use the standard shaft. I mainly use it in freshwater. If you plan on using it in saltwater and actually putting some hours on it, I think the upgrade would be worth it. The maintenance on the upgraded shaft would be greatly decreased due to the stainless inner shaft and bayou bushing throughout. It sounds like a lifetime shaft to me. My standard shaft is still going good. No issues.

[@rondemers8046]

Jt if you move the motor back will it bottom out on the transom bracket...on my clp kit can only go 1 hole back and then it will bottom out...any advise to keep it from bottoming out.....thanks and keep the videos comming

[@JTgatoring]

I can move the motor back with out it bottoming out but I like the balance point on it right now. It rides good and its not heavy on the tiller handle. If I move the motor back, it will make the tiller heavier and I don't run for long periods of time on plane so its not much of an issue for me. To fix the bottoming out issue... I would try making a wedge for the transom mount. Other than that, I do not know how to fix that. If I did I would be able to test the other kits better.

[@cdp50359]

Hey bro. Try moving the motor back further to give it a little more distance in the wake. It will also give it more weight in the back to help keep the prop down

[@JTgatoring]

I may give that a try, but for my everyday use I'm normally not on a plane because the majority of the bodies of water here are minimum wake 😑 I would like to see the top speed I could get out of it so I may see if I can get a 100" shaft and also try moving the motor back to see what happens. My problem with moving the motor back is putting more weight on tiller handle which will wear me out faster. I'm definently gonna give it a try though!

[@cdp50359]

@@JTgatoring think it of the box bro. Just build a stop that would prevent the motor from completely tilting if you get go. I did that to my mud skipper 6.5 and it did great

[@JTgatoring]

I still have the pictures haha I really liked that idea. The way the SPS pivots is different from the way the Mud Skipper pivots. It would have to be a different a different kind of stop. I did just get a thought that I would like to try when I take the longtail out again that may work as a stop. Let me know if you come up with any ideas for a stop for the SPS kit

[@walkertongdee]

I built a wider boat and use an eight and a half sps prop. The new boat I am building is the same size as yours but not a john.

[@JTgatoring]

Yeah if I were to get another boat, I would keep the same bottom width and just go longer to 16 or 18 feet long. The 36" bottom seems to ride pretty well for me

[@TheRenante27]

and also what is the Maximum Rpm on 8.75" weedless prop.?

[@JTgatoring]

My engine governs out at 3890 rmps, and I govern out with the 8.75" weedless prop at WOT, and it's very easy to handle.

[@billclintin326]

Hey JT do you think that my tracker 1036 which weighs about 100 lb and has a 15 .5 inch transom would plane out with two people if I put my 420cc electric start mudskipper Pro-Drive setup it weighs 130lbs any boat weighs 100 but with me inside of the boat and the guy that I hunt with both of our guns and ice chest and decoys weighs boat t is because it is 36 in on the bottom rather than 32 so I figured my 13hp should push it just fine especially being the surface Drive what are your thoughts my fear is sitting too low in the water because on the surface Drive the prop has to be halfway out of the water we weigh 400 lb sitting inside of the 100 lb boat and that is without the motor on there I think it will do okay since it is 36 wide on the bottom I just was wanting to know your preference thank you for any feedback

[@JTgatoring]

Yeah... thats not gonna work out. The boat is too small for what you are going to be using it for. Get a bigger boat and you'll be golden

[@jakelundgren7933]

hey it what would you recommend for shaft length 100" or shorter

[@JTgatoring]

It depends on your bottom width and speed. Generally, if your bottom width is 36" or less, an 85" shaft will treat you good. But once I get over 20 mph the prop wants to fight you a little and I think having a 100-inch shaft would help with that because at 20mph I'm out running the wake behind my boat (the distance between the transom and the crest of the wake gets greater when your speed increases) so I think the extra 15" will give me enough reach to go faster while handling better. So I normally recommend that if you have a bottom width of 36" and plan to ride at 20mph or slower, an 85" shaft will ride best for you (normally) and if you plan to go faster than 20mph or have a bottom width greater than 36" I would recommend the 100".

[@jakelundgren7933]

@@JTgatoring thanks bud

[@jamesgunnyreed]

Have you ever had 2 people in the boat? How did it do? Would it plane out? I'm looking to either get the same size boat with the 13 hp Predator, or a Tracker 1542 also with the 13 Hp predator.

[@JTgatoring]

Two people plane out and can go 19mph. 1542 you'll probably get 16mph max. With having the wider bottom on the 1542, it will slow you down compared to the 1436.

[@JTgatoring]

Most people bump up to the 670 when they go to the 1542

[@jamesgunnyreed]

@@JTgatoring Thank you.

[@spacemonkee7705]

Is an 8hp engine enough power for one of these setups?

[@JTgatoring]

Yes. Most people choose the 13 hp though because the 1436 boats are normally rated for 15hp, and the 13hp engine isn't too much of a price jump from the 8hp engine and the same kit will fit on an 8hp as the 13hp engine.

[@gregorybond2859]

Have you ever tried this setup on a river with a current?

[@JTgatoring]

Yes

[@pfcshawley1]

JT So These speed tests compared to the previous ones, how much do you think the Wetlander coating helped? Im still wondering if its worth the money and effort to do it to my boat.

[@JTgatoring]

As of right now, I have not noticed a difference in speed. It did completely seal the boat so I no longer have any leaks allowing water in the boat. It does help tremendously when running over grassy patches and loading and unloading of the boat. But for speed, I haven't noticed any major differences. I will have to do some more testing with other props to get some more info on it

[@pfcshawley1]

@@JTgatoring damn I thought a gain of a mile or 2 an hour would have happened, but going over vegetation easily is a huge plus! I dont have any leaks,.....yet lol

[@JTgatoring]

I was expecting that too but I haven't fully tested it either so I'll make sure to get on that after gator season when some time gets freed up. Keyword there.... yet hahaha

[@pfcshawley1]

@@JTgatoring You seem to be managing, keep up the awesome work!

[@bashir7329]

Speed depends on weight and loads carried

[@mattwhalen892]

You should look at Backwater Motors!

[@JTgatoring]

I actually have one for this 13hp. I'll be planning out that video series today

[@mountainmuskies1826]

How long is your shaft?

[@JTgatoring]

The longtail shaft in this video is a 85" shaft

[@barettbelk9977]

how big is this boat? 12 or 14ft?

[@JTgatoring]

it is a 14ft boat. Alumacraft 1436

[@ronnie918644]

ok this video was posted over 2 1/2 tears ago but its the first time youtube let me see it. f--k youtube. that being said THANKS FOR YOUR VIDEOS I AM A SUBSCRIBER !! Now truth you are stating some misinformation about motors and props on a direct drive shaft. --- The bigger the diameter prop at stated pitch that we dont know what the pitch is -- the more torque it will take to spin said prop at a certain rpm. the power IE HP is only how quickly said prop can be spun by torque to its maximum thrust .MAXIMUM TORQUE IS MAXIMUM POWER !! up to governed rpm as is around 3600 rpm for stock predator 13. HP has nothing to do with true power. only torque has true power rating. HP is how QUICKLY a motor can push to max torque !!! Simple physics. THANKS FOR YOUR VIDS BRO !! I WATCH ALL IVE BEEN SUBSCRIBED FOR A YR NOW !! Thank You And take care and Gods Bless You My Friend !!!!

[@JTgatoring]

Thank you for the longtime support ronnie918644! I keep learning more and more about how HP, Torque, and prop size affects how a longtail runs. Keep bringing on the information 👍

[@ronnie918644]

Because of You im building me a 14 ft 8hp longtail ! Im driving 10 hrs to pickup used boat and trlr this weekend Brother !! I ll let you know how my build comes along. Thank You for all the info and vids !!!!

[@JTgatoring]

@@ronnie918644 Love it! Best of luck on the build and I look forward to hearing about!!

[@gavinwatson5936]

Is the government bypassed on this engine

[@JTgatoring]

The government? If you meant the governor on the engine, no. I did not touch or do anything with that. It is a stock engine.

[@walkertongdee]

best leave the gov factory setting it doesn't help to remove it.