For me to put a prodrive clutch, in my new inboard mudboat?

what im wanting is to be able to have neutral.
Reverse isn't a big deal, and I put the boat together for cheap and don't want to start making major changes or drop the cash on a F-N-R Transmission.

Im thinking of just buying the prodrive clutch and spline adaptor, and getting my friend with a machine shop to spline the shaft to fit the adaptor.

The biggest thing for me wanting to do it, is obviously to have neutral on the water, but sometimes im not able to put the boat in the water for months at a time and id like to be able to crank my motor on the trailer, and not have the shaft spinning, causing my cutless bearing to go out.

Is this idea not possible?
Am I trying to do something that will not be reliable?

Inboard? What is your goal? I see a bunch of issues if you are trying to make an actual mud motor. If you want an air cooled inboard motor then I am sure it could work.

I don't see it being that hard . The couplings getting made would be the hardest part


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Damn... How does that work? What steers it? You got a pic of one of these tubs?

Some are direct drive and some have a f n r trans
Steering is either a rudder like the one picture or the lower unit turns like an inboard


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Here is forever dragging's build thread.

My boat is all aluminum, with stainless rigging.
Picked it up for really cheap, and did some work to it.
If I can get the clutch and spline adaptor hooked up, all I really should have to do is cut my shaft, and have the machine shop spline the shaft to match the adaptor.

Maybe im thinking its too easy and theres more to it, but I thought id ask.

Damn... FD build is crazy! How does a boat like that with a rudder handle in the mud. I would have guessed not real well.

Damn... FD build is crazy! How does a boat like that with a rudder handle in the mud. I would have guessed not real well.

Actually handles pretty good.
A lot better than you'd think.

Bryce,

The only issue I see, is the spline adapter that bolts to the clutch (female) is held to the crankshaft by the bolt on the crankshaft. The (male) spline end is a slip fit. Like you mentioned, you would need a way to have a "coupling" so that the drive shaft would not slip out of the coupling.

Thanks banded!
It's been a while since I pulled a clutch off of a Prodrive, would I have to drill and tap the crankshaft on my motor, so
I can bolt the clutch/adaptor onto the motor? I'm thinking of just having an adaptor made, that the shaft will slide in, and either put a bolt through the shaft and adaptor, or key the shaft and just use a set screw.

Looking back at my pictures, they do show me that there is a bolt going into the crankshaft holding the clutch/adaptor on.
Is it not worth it to try and drill/tap the crankshaft?

Not exactly this, but similar. have one end with a plate lathed on it so that it can bolt to the clutch and crankshaft. then the outdrive shaft doesn't need to be splined. It can be, but doesn't need to.

Im sure I will be able to get an adaptor made, but how will I bolt the clutch/adaptor to my motor?
It is a solid shaft, with no way to put a bolt in it.

If your crankshaft doesn't have a threaded hole in the end, then you have to go the set screw route. I haven't had a long tail in a while, but the older GD longtails had a u-joint that slipped on the crankshaft and was held in place by 2 setscrews 90* from one another. If you have a local machine shop, I would go that route. Very reliable and very easy to install. Now to incorporate the clutch, simply take the u-joint to the machine shop and have them weld and machine a plate on it. that way 1/2 of the u-joint "bolts" to the clutch like the female spline adapter on the PD. Then from there, the other 1/2 of the u-joint can be whatever the hell you want.