newsletter mud motors

8/13/2019 Newsletter Mud Motors

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Inside this issue:

Mud BuddyCelebrating summer with fall colors.

Hottie Cover

$129How often did you race to your favorite duckhunting hole, scramble to get set up and then

wait for the engine to cool to finish hiding

your rig. You didnt dare toss your expensive

travel cover over the engine. Wet grass and

reeds would do but they create a smoldering

mess.

The Hotti motor cover is lined with silicone

impregnated fiberglass cloth that can take the

heat as much as 800 degrees claims the

manufacturer . But we have found that even a

1000-degree muffler can be covered within

seconds after turning the engine off.

However, we have learned that it is best to

wait 60 to 90 seconds to ensure the trapped

heat does not cook your wiring and rubber

components.

The Hotti cover camo choices are Nat Gear,

Max-4 and Duck Blind. Duck blind seems to

be the most popular. The grassing s traps

make it easy to add natural grass and reeds.

The weighted cover needs no tie down straps

while hunting and the handle is fully covered.

Super LongtailHang on to your hat.

Is it practical and economical to add an electric clutch neutral and

belt drive to a longtail? Traditional longtail users often asked the

question, thinking a larger propeller and more power would make

pushing large boats easier. We knew it could be done, but we

also thought it would be expensive and the power might be a

handful.

With that in mind we took the challenge and designed an easy to

run longtail that matches the price needs of todays market.

Wasnt easy, but its done. Summer 2011

LarryD - Larry Dobbe

Gun Doc Don Berry

Corrosion is your number

one enemy. P 7.

Micah Triplett

Give your engine some

love. P 2.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

I soon learned that I had a

skill for running into sand

bars and stumps. P 4.

Deadbird Gary Kutak

Boat and trailer service.

P 6.

Rick McCurley

Summertime duck

scouting tips. P 12.

Glenn ForemanInnovation from our

garage to yours. P 5.


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MUD BUDDY NEWS SUMMER 2011

2

By Micah Triplett

Take care of your engine and you can count on your

mud motor for many years of hard use. These

engines are air-cooled and rely on free flowing air

and oil to keep them at proper running temperature.

You should always keep an eye on your oil level.

When low you will cause premature wear from heat

and lack of lubrication. If you over fill the engine

you will cause blow by which can cause spark plug

fowling and will lead to

extensive carbon build upin your combustion

chamber and around the

valve heads. Change your

oil at ten hours when

breaking in a new engine.

And I recommend other

changes at twenty five to

forty hours. Change

every season prior to

storage regardless of

time. A by-product of

combustion is acid, which deposits in the oil. If left

in the oil over long periods of storage, pitting can

occur on engine parts. Run a good grade of 10W-

30. I prefer Valvoline.

Your fuel system is very important to yourengine.

Make sure there no air leaks, an air leak will cause

an engine to run in a lean condition, which will

cause your engine to run very hot, and you will

notice power loss and hard starting. Check theintake connections and seals. Run premiumfuel

with little or no ethanol. If you run your fuel tank

more than six feet from the engine make sure you

run a 5/16 in diameter fuel line. You can use a

primer bulb but quick disconnects reduce fuel flow

and your engine can cut out at high speeds. Your

fuel tanks needs to vent - make sure your vent is all

the way open when running your engine. Water in

the fuel system will cause poor running condition.

If you live in a high humidity area or in radicalchanges of weather use a heat product with alcohol

to dissipate water in the fuel.

When running your engine in 35F or colder run a

cold weather fuel treatment, change your fuel filter

every fifty hours or once every year.

Spark plugs are one of most neglected components

of an engine. They can fowl with timeso you

should always keep a set in

your boat toolbox.

Change your spark plugs every

fifty hours and gap them at

.032 for a proper burn.

Adjusting your valves is very

important. A new engine

should be adjusted at ten hours

then every fifty hours.

You can easily adjust your

engine valves. Begin with acold engine. Facing the engine, remove the right

cylinder head spark plug and disconnect the kill

switch. Turn the engine on and engage the electric

clutch. Rotate the prop (wear gloves since worn

props are very sharp) until the piston gets to the top

dead center on the compression stroke. Your valves

will be ready to set at this point. Remove the valve

cover and adjust the valves. When on the

compression stroke both rocker arms are in the

upward position, valves are closed and there shouldbe a little bit of slack on both of them. If one or both

are tight you aren't on the compression stroke. Set

valve clearance at .006 to .008. Loosen adjuster nut

on rocker arm, slide gauge in between roller and

valve stem. Turn screw in until you have tension on

the feeler gauge and lock the adjuster nut down.

Adjust intake and exhaust the same, once you have

that side set your ready to adjust the other cylinder.

Give your engine some love.adjust your valves


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BPS MufflersAdd style and performance to your machine.

Twin BPS

Made exclusively for the Mud Buddy HD

models, these twin mufflers double your fun.

They are a little louder than the twin mufflers.

The tig hand quality welding and style is

unmatched. The twins are easy to install and

come compete with all mounting hardware.

Single Crossover

This performance exhaust is designed formaximum horsepower. The Single Crossover

has wrap around contoured pipes that help tune

your exhaust. The Single Crossover comes with

a silencer insert that can be removed when you

need a little extra boost.

Single Mikuni Carb KitThe single most powerful bolt on power package.

No doubt, if you want to

bolt on a significant

improvement to your mud

motors hole shots, mid

and top end performance,

you will love the BPS

Mikuni 42mm carb kit.

The kit contains everything

you need to quickly convert

your motor to a lean, mean

Backwater Performance Systems will offer three

great mufflers for 2011. All three mufflers have

three things in common quality stainless

construction, superior design, and in one squeeze

you will be hooked.

New Q Muffler

Customers are hard to please, and when it comes to

mufflers they are even tougher. They want a muffler

that is quiet yet offer more power through the power

band. New for 2011 is the new BPS Quiet muffleralso known as the Q. This stainless high quality

muffler delivers exceptional bolt on performance for

you large block Vanguard and 27 Kohler motors.

Any Muffler $419 limited time offer.

smooth running machine.

Every part of this kit is high

quality, to include a custom

cast intake manifold,

performance air filter,

governor lock, throttle cable,

intake flange, and mounting

hardware. Step by step photo

instruction are included.

From $659


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4

Regional Roundup - WisconsinLarry Dobbe (LarryD)

I moved to the LaCrosse WI area in 2000 and built ahome right off the Mississippi River. When duck

season opened I quickly ran out and bought a flat

bottom boat with a 40 horse Evinrude. I soon

learned that I had a skill for running into sand bars

and stumps more often than not. In the meantime

there were these guys with lawn mower engine

contraptions that could motorthrough skinny water,

mud and weeds like there was no tomorrow and I

was hooked. A friend from work had a 14-foot boatwith a 16 horse long tail, after 1 trip I had to have

the biggest model made at the time, a 29 Kawasaki

longtail and thus began my own mud motor

extravaganza. I would go for hours scouting and

learning my way around Pools 7, 8 and 9 of the

Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Refuge

bordered by WI, MN and Iowa.

The very next year Mud Buddy came out with their

first Hyperdrive and I had to have one, so I got the

biggest model made - a 31 Briggs. I was in heaven

and the ease of operation and greater operating

speed opened new areas to me until a 35 hp model

was released. I was hooked on the need for speed

and power began. My addiction was filled by doing

demonstrations, surfing the Internet for information

on bigger and better models and helping a local

dealer. Before I knew it I had three different 45s and

serial number three 6000. I have owned an Excel, a

Geaux and a Gator Trax boats including a Gator

Hyde. During the course of doing the

demonstrations and shows I met a lot of like-

minded mud motor enthusiasts and have seen many

new areas of WI like Horicon Marsh and the

backwaters surrounding the Mead Wildlife area. I

have taken my rigs on trips to the Dakotas and

I have taken my rigs on trips to the Dakotas and

down to the marshes in Illinois. Places that Iwould never have even considered before this

quest began.

I have seen some of the most beautiful and serene

backwater areas that a person cannot even

imagine in the Midwest. The curiosity of what

was around the next bend. My desire to explore

grew more and more. I needed to carry extra fuel

for my excursions as my trips got longer and

longer. It has not been unusual for some stranger

to show up at my house asking me to help with a

problem on his rig. I cannot even begin to think

what my neighbors must think of me. My family

puts up with me using the mud motor to pull the

kids tubing and skiing instead of the Lund we

leave at grandma and grandpas.

My two girls are hooked on hunting and fishing

the river bottoms. Our bond is cemented during

outdoor activities.

There is no doubt that some of the people I have

met will be life long friends. And to think, it all

started out with my boat bumping off stumps and

getting hung up on sandbars in the dark while I

asked the Lord for guidance and patience.


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Innovation you have come to enjoy.coarse mud. Longtails then got a marine powder

coat frame, a uniframe one- piece engine and frame

mount, a lighter frame using chrome moly tubingand a host of innovations that would make the

longtail easier to run and a drive. In all, these new

machines lasted longer, drove easier and were much

more fun to own.

Today, the Mud Buddy is evolving and running

faster than a hummingbird in mating season.

And I wont even try to claim we dream all these

things up in a duck blind. Our customers are savvy

and with their help, demand for quality, need for

power, speed, ease of handling and durability, we asa team, have created innovative mud motors that

cause soon-to-be customers lost sleep in

anticipation.

You have to admit innovations like

handle end controls with a seriously

powerful Mercury trim, stainless

performance exhaust, Mikuni carbs

that shoot your boat on step, the Big

Blade, and sealed waterproof cast

aluminum belt outdrives help usmake the transition from Friday rush

hour to Saturday blue skies more fun.

Our greatest achievement today is that

our loyal customers have joined us at

our forum and in the field taking the reins

helping us think from our garages into the future.

By Glenn Foreman

When we built our first longtail mud motor in my

garage in 1994, we had one thing in mind create a

motor that does what we want to do. Meaning, we

have choices, we had good jobs, we worked our tails

off 40 hours a week and our biggest vice was

running the backwaters hunting waterfowl and we

deserved a better motor. We were passionate about

our sport and our boats and motors. We could have

bought a longtail from our local dealer, but that

didnt satisfy the creative urges we hunters get in

mid summer that drives us to build a better blind,

find the boat that does it all and figure out how we

can build a better mud motor.

On our short list was that darn long tailshaft that

hung off the back of our boat. How did the designer

sleep knowing the longest part of the motor was

hanging into traffic, in harms way. On our

mind, and chances were, we would get

rear-ended and ruin a week or two of the

hunt. Plus, warming an engine was

dangerous and trailering turned into a western

rodeo. So we changed the mount and created the

first longtail that swung into the boat for

trailering. That simple. The first of a

long list of firsts.

Later we would develop the first

bearing drive and a seal system

that would last even when run in


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7/13


7

Boat Wiring Tips

By Don Berry, Ph.D. (Gun Doc)

Glenn asked me for half a page. I cant tell you

much in half a page. I gave this some thought,

but I didnt plan it for weeks, so please dontconsider this to be all you need to know.

Rule #1- I spend time in salt water. I have a

saying about boat wiring, You can do it right, or

you can do it again . . . and again . . . and Not

only that, but the best place to have wiring

troubles on your rig is when it is in the garage.

Maybe you are born lucky, but this seldom

happens to me. If wiring messes up on you at

the wrong time, much worse can happen. Think

sunk boat.

MATERIALS (and how to use some of them)

Wire If you are doing some new wiring, use

marine or salt water wire. It is tinned

copper and withstands harsh environments much

better. (When you strip a piece of old regular

wire and the copper is all black, then you will

understand.) Unless money is no object, try to

find a source other than West Marine. Boaters

World may be a bit better, but not much. You

can probably get by with two (three at most) sizes

other than the big cable you need for battery,

trolling motor, winch, etc. me.

Dow Corning 4 Electrical Insulating Compound

Find a local source and get a tube or two.(http://www.dowcorning.com/applications/DistributorFinder/Default

.aspx?prod_id=01903128&prod_ids=PROD&country=USA&language

=E)

(or Google Dow #4). This stuff keeps the

environment away from joints and connections. Itdoes not cure like RTV, but is like thick grease

that gets all into the wire and around the

connection. It is silicone based, so it lasts, but it

never hardens. See Syringes and needles below

under TOOLS. The syringe saves you a lot of

Dow 4 and puts it where you want it. This stuff

goes on every solder joint, under every piece of heat

shrink (unless it is the expensive heat shrink that

already has glue inside it), and inside every

connector. Slide the needle in along the side of eachwire that goes into the back of factory connectors

(such as the ones on the B&S engines) to inject Dow

4 into the backs of the connectors. Most of the wires

in factory wire harnesses are not marine wire, so the

Dow 4 really helps here. Try to put some in the

front of the connectors, where the terminals slide

together, as well. Put some in you nose, ears, and

under your fingernails (j/k on that last part.)

Anderson connectors Anderson connectors,

sometime called fork lift connectors, arewonderful (Google them, and shop around for

price!) They are the best ever to quick connect a

trolling motor, MUCH better than conventional

trolling motor connectors. I use them many other

places as well, anywhere I need a high amperage

quick disconnect, like the big front spotlights when

they had high wattage incandescent bulbs. These

connectors are made of polycarbonate, stainless

steel, and silver plated copper, all good materials for

a marine environment. This is hard to explain, but

there are no male and female halves, yet they are

impossible to hook up backwards. When you have

one in front of you this will make sense.

They self clean, meaning they wipe the contacts

as the connections are made and broken, and they

connect with a satisfying snap. They come in

colors, and the colors will not connect to each other.

This prevents you from connecting a 12v device to a

24v source and vice/versa. Cont. next page.


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8

heat shrink spade type disconnects. I use the ones

that have a cover over both the male and female

part. Thus, the covers overlap as the connection is

made. I use these when I think I may have to undo

the connection more often than when I use the

bullet connectors. You cannot use bullet connectorson wire larger than #14, so for big wire I use these

connectors. You can sometimes use these

connectors where the wire changes sizes. For

example, I run BIG bilge pumps, a 1500 and a 2000.

The wire to these is #10, because there is no reason

to run a big pump then starve it for power. But the

wire on the pump is much smaller than #10. So, a

#12-10 yellow colored connector will mate up fine

with #16-14 blue colored connector. (Check this for

the ones you use before taking this tip as always

true.) Another place I use these connectors is to

connect to switches that have spade terminals.

PHILOSOPHY

Craftsmanship- Every joint I make gets three

things: 1) It is soldered, 2) coated in Dow 4, and 3)

covered in heat shrink tubing. Terminal ends such

as rings or eyes get the same treatment where

the wire connects. You might get by with Dow 4

and crimping the regular insulated connectors, but

see Rule #1. The only exception is the expensive

crimp on terminals or connectors with heat shrink

tubing. You cannot solder these. Cont. next page.

Boat Wiring Tips - Don Berry

The 50-amp size is about the size of a Zippo lighter,

and can use up to #6 wire. I have never used

anything other than this size. You connect the wire

to the contacts and then snap the contacts into the

body of the connector.

Be sure to buy the right contacts for the wire size

(#6 or #10 for the 50 amp connectors.) A good

supply source will sell you extra contacts, and I

suggest you get a few for when you mess one up. In

other words, messing up a contact doesnt ruin the

whole connector.

Connectors and terminals Use terminal ends!

Twisting bare wire around a screw wont do! (see

Rule #1.) If you are forced to do this at least form a

loop or hook and make it solid with solder. For ring

terminals, I use bare connectors or take the

insulating sleeve off. A bare connector soldered,

treated with Dow 4, and the connection covered in

heat shrink is as good if not better connection, is

trim, and is MUCH cheaper than the expensive

crimp and heat shrink ring terminal. I do use those

expensive terminals and connectors, but only where

I have to. I seldom hard wire anything in (see

Plan to replace devices under PHILOSOPHYbelow.) For connections I may need to break, but

not often, if the wire is small enough I often use

what are called bullet connectors, but I strip off

the plastic covers. Solder the wires to the

connectors, put the connector together, then use

Dow 4 and heat shrink tubing on the connection.

This is a connection you can trust but it is

reasonably easy to replace the device assuming you

can get to the connection in situ to heat new shrink

tubing. Getting the plastic off the female bullet

connectors can be tricky. I file the insulation from

the side until the metal part you crimp is exposed,

then the part you want comes out easily.

This seems a pain, but doesnt take long once you

are practiced, and it is MUCH cheaper than the

expensive crimp and heat shrink connectors. (I have

never been able to find bare bullet connectors.)

Now, I sometimes do use the expensive crimp and


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TOOLS

Nail clippers The ends of wire ties cut with

diagonals are sharp. Use common nail clippers, big

ones, to cut the ends off flush and as slick as

expensive tools.

Syringes and needles Farm supply stores (Tractor

Supply is a good one for me) will sell you syringes

and needles without looking at you like you are a

druggie. For most things, like Dow 4, you need a

short big bore needle (1 16g.) They are SHARP!,

so file off the point but leave some of the angle cut

that made the point. This helps you slide the needle

in where you need to. If you dont need to inject

the material, you can use a syringe with no needle to

make a nice easy to use dispenser. (I keep Dow 4 in

both kinds, without a needle to just smear it on a

connection, and with a needle to inject into

connectors.)

Crimpers When you do crimp, dont use pliers!

The crimper/stripper/screw cutter, all in one

electrical tools are cheap. Get a couple of different

styles. Some where the crimpers are on the ends of

the jaws, as opposed to back behind the hinge, are

nice.

Soldering gun Get a good pistol style (Weller is

good.) For big wire, like lugs on #6 and larger, you

need a big high wattage gun, so you really need two.

(I once had a big Sears Craftsman gun. One time

when I was really pushing it, soldering a big

connection, the entire end that held the tip fell off.

Why? Because the damn end was SOLDERED to

the coil! Im a big fan of Craftsman tools, but that

one wasnt the reason!)

I hope this helps some of you. I didnt get intorunning wires and keeping things neat. But neat,

clean wiring not only looks good, it is much easier

to diagnose. Following are some pictures of my

small console that is on the bench seat in front of

where I sit to drive, and what it looks like when the

console is hinged up.

Boat Wiring Tips - Don Berry

Ground path- DO NOT use your hull for ground!

This can cause all sorts of issues, the worst being

that you create a galvanic corrosion situation.

Remember that the ground wire must carry as much

current as the hot wire, so it needs to be just as big.

Plan to replace devices I like to avoid hard

wiring in lights, bilge pumps, or any other device

because I believe good wiring will outlast most

devices. So, I put in connectors from the beginning

assuming it will save me time and trouble in the

long run when I need to repair or replace the device.

(See Connectors and terminals above.)

Use enough fuses This is really a luxury, but I likea fuse per device, meaning one fuse for the running

lights, one for the GPS, one for the depth finder, one

for EACH bilge pump (you should have TWO), etc.

This makes finding any problems easier. It also

means a device that blows a fuse wont disable other

devices. NEVER put both bilge pumps together on

the same fuse! That is plain stupid.


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How to choose the right mud motor for your boat.Clint Hovey Mud Buddy National Sales Manager

A few simple questions and answers are the key in determining the proper mud motor for your

boating needs.

What size is your boat? Bottom width, length, hull thickness, hull design and transom

height?

What does the Coast Guard placard in your boat list as Max HP?

How far do you run on the water?

How much of a load do you have? People and gear?

What type of water are you running?

What is the elevation where you will be running the boat?

Do you have any physical limitations?

Call me with the answers to these questions and I can quickly recommend the best motor for your

particular boat and situation. If you dont have a dealer nearby, I will be happy to help you.

801.352.8011


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12/13


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By Rick McCurley R&B Outdoors.

Off-season scouting is just as important as scoutingduring the season. Obviously you wont be looking

for birds as hopefully they are back on the breeding

grounds cranking out a record fall flight. However,

there are several other indicators you can find when

looking for your next honey hole.

First, and foremost, FOOD! This, by far, should be

tops on your list of what to look for. When scouting

by water, you want to look for aquatic vegetation that

ducks love to grub on. However, you must keep in

mind that certain ducks prefer certain foods. Forinstance, you motor up into an area that is loaded

with hydrilla, duck potato and widgeon grass then

you can bet that when the season rolls around it will

be frequented by gadwall, widgeon, teal and pintail.

You then motor over to another area that is loaded

up with smartweed and you will most likely find that

all puddler ducks want in on this table fare. Go

weaving thru some flooded green timber and see

acorns/pecans dropping into the water and you can

bet the farm that mallards and wood ducks are gonna

find it. On the rivers, ducks prefer freshwater

shrimp/invertebrates/snails to dine on.

Looking for food should not just be done by water

though. Drive the backroads around the waters you

are looking to hunt and check for crop growth in the

area. Speak with local farmers or the guys at the local

feed store to glean info as to what is growing that

season and where. Remember, mallards and pintails

love to feed in dry fields and loaf later on the water of

nearby secluded areas.

As for deciding which area to start in, satellite

imagery on the Internet is your friend. Let your

mouse do the clicking before you start out. Many

times back roads leading close to backwaters can be

seen as well as hidden boat ramps to launch your

craft from.

Secluded waters can usually been seen as well in

the timber. Make sure though not to cross private

property or state owned land unless permission is

granted or a state permit is offered and available.

Contact the county clerks office for plat maps to

gain info for private landowners. At times a

phone call can lead to a meeting which could then

lead to access to some fine hunting on their

property.

Finally, pay close attention to water levels while

out scouting and as the season approaches.

Record levels the day(s) you scout and make notesof the depth and vegetation line. There are a

plethora of Internet websites that have lake, river

or tidal conditions on a real-time basis. However,

keep in mind that what may not have had much

water in it in Sept may be full come Oct. And vice

versa.

Follow these simple guidelines and I guarantee

you that you will find and kill more birds. Always

keep records of your daily hunts as well noting

water depth, vegetation, weather, etc Good luckand good scouting to ya!

Rick & Bart April 2005

Off season scouting what to look for.


13/13


Upcoming Events

Washington's second annual mud motor festival/roundup and poker run.Potholes Reservoir in Washington June 17, 18 and 19th

6thAnnual Bama Mud Buddy Roundup.

Stevenson, Alabama - August 12, 13 and 14th,

see forum for details

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