I think we needed a new prop...

[bman]

Just got the prop replaced on our 27 Longtail.
No doubt it was time! Hope to go out tomorrow and do a speed test :blob1:
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300479_10150345563356973_569476972_8278535_1709277 438_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/310211_10150345563601973_569476972_8278537_1441186 518_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/297327_10150345563461973_569476972_8278536_1684205 997_n.jpg

[fishnbilly]

I am curious........Can the props be rebuilt and rewelded back to factory specs like boat props or do you think it would be too expensive???

Just wondering if there would be any money in reconditioning mud props and or re-pitching them???

Txs

[bman]

I paid 180 for my replacement prop... it was a reconditioned prop.

I asked and its 160 to send the old one back and have it reconditioned.

[Raul G]

bman, I shaved my prop down during teal season and changed it out. I also run a MB 27 but notice that I do better with a 9x6 than the MB recommended 9x7. Do you have a "trim tab" on the lifting plate? I bought a Ron Hill prop a couple of years ago on ebay for a lot less and its a near duplicate of the MB Tiger prop I replaced. Backwater motors have new props for $150 on their site. With the GD props, I notice I actually gain some rpms after some wear. Hopkins used to make longtail props and they were also favorably rated. I get 19.5 with the Hill 9x6 on my grizzly 1648- 17.5 with two hunters and gear- not ideal but gets the bacon, err, duck home.

[bman]

Ours is a 27 Mudbuddy and we had lost TONS of speed at this point.
It was flat out slow.

I just looked at the ones on ebay- not bad! but after shipping they are 175.
We looked several other places and the local guy was 180 Cash

I wonder how those backwater props would go on a Mudbuddy?

[Raul G]

bman, the Backwater props, from the several reviews I have gleaned, are good and solid. I believe they are the standard size thread so they should fit the MB shaft fine. I also like their curved lifting plate- according to the site, a video I saw, and several testimonials, this is supposed to be a breeze to plane correctly- there are a couple of adjustment points as well. A worn prop will definitely impair performance big time! I still like the longtail design; the shortails are a definite improvement in many ways, but in the shallow water/hard bottom areas we run, the longtail is still a good fit. MB is working on a "Superlongtail", basically a longtail with gear reduction/ clutch, to get more speed by turning a larger prop and momentary neutral- I welcome these improvements, but I'll qualify that by stating that I'd be happy with just the gear reduction and no clutch (I fear this will add another breakdown issue). The larger prop may mean more speed but necessarily may mean more water depth. Both the Kohler 25 and 27 powerplants are good motors. I think you mentioned it before, but is that a Dixon hull you have it on? That sand/marl bottom here in Florida is a demon on any prop!

[bman]

Yes sir- its a Dixon boat.
Whats the "trim tab" you talked about?

I agree about the simplicity factor of the longtail. We can fix it most of the time and if i need help my lawnmower mechanic can work on it ;-)

[tailfisher17t]

I just got a new GD prop to replace my Ron Hill prop. It looked the same!!

Before I changed props I was doing 13.1 mph with the new 9x7 GD prop on a 25 GDLT I am doing 19.5 solo and 18 with two people no gear.

[Raul G]

bman, on my 2004 MB longtail lifting plate, there came a small metal tab on the trailing edge, bolted on. To adjust the planing depth of the prop you bend this down or up- obviously down to make it ride higher, up to ride lower, whereas with the older models, to achieve this, you would have to bend the whole trailing edge of the lifting plate. I find it much easier to adjust this way. If yours did not come equipped with one, I am sure you can order one from MB; it would only require driling four holes for the retaining bolts. On some hulls, this adjustment may not be necessary; a friend has been running a GD 25 on his Lowe 1648 rivetted jon (c.1980) and never needed to bend the plate.
tailfisher17t, I agree the prop is a critical item. My MB Tiger 9x7 works ok, if I run it half out of the water, like a surface drive, I can actually run 21 mph!! Not sure if that means it has too much cup or what. In the water it is slower than my 9x6- this one I can turn more rpms and it runs smoother; the 9x7 vibrates more. Years ago I had a 3 bladed prop on my 18 HP GD longtail and it was noticeably faster than the 2 bladed SW prop; the problem was the 3 bladed prop got bogged down in the weeds so I went back to the SW prop unti the more "cupped" props appeared.

[tailfisher17t]

I am/was running a 25GDLT and I haven't ever needed to adjust the plate.

I run my new prop half out of the water and I pick up a little more speed. (alot more in veg,mud 2-3 inches of water.) It's pretty cool to be shooting up a rooster tail behind a LT!!

[bman]

The angle of the mudbuddy drives it down on the dixon boat.
I need to try adjusting that tab- I know exactly what your talking about now.

We were down to 10mph with a load.. and the dixon boat is a heavy fiberglass boat.
With the new prop we hit 16.5 Not fast but a great improvement!

[tailfisher17t]

Should have gotten a Go-devil .........

[bman]

Should have gotten a Go-devil .........

Mudbuddy was on the boat when we got it and has been a good motor.
If I can sell my skiff then I think I'll sell this one too and get something faster and a little bigger ;-)

[tailfisher17t]

Like a 36 Yellowfin with Triple 350 merc V-rods?.......

You could have Wallie custom paint it to order......

JK - About the mud buddies, I will be a mud buddy Surface drive owner one day and when I am and someone posts up a GD I will say. "should have gotten a Mud Buddy :evil6:

[Steve.r]

Like a 36 Yellowfin with Triple 350 merc V-rods?.......

You could have Wallie custom paint it to order......

JK - About the mud buddies, I will be a mud buddy Surface drive owner one day and when I am and someone posts up a GD I will say. "should have gotten a Mud Buddy :evil6:

You should get a beavertail boss hog.

[D Duck]

I will be a mud buddy Surface drive owner one day and when I am and someone posts up a GD I will say. "should have gotten a Mud Buddy :evil6:

And then you can say: "should have bought a ProDrive". :laughing9