just ran my new copperhead 18Hp on my 1648 all weld and wow i was really amazed . with me and one person and a full ice chest i was getting 22 mph and by myself i was getting 24 mph.

nice, did u get the kohler or brigg's ,your going to have fun with that set up, how about the low end torque there great i have the kohler good luck

That is impressive! I was looking on the Copperhead site and they don't even list an 18 HP. That is a good development. What is the weight on that puppy? I presently have a 1648 with a 27 MB longtail and that 18 already tops my top end speed. I would prefer a simple balanced drive with no clutch. What kind of conditions are you running in? We have mostly weeds no real mud and hard bottom. Please advise.

The 18 briggs weighs 135# its super light and i couldnt be happier with it. I was really impressed with the speeds i was getting because of how big my boat is but it preformed awesome. I plan on putting the film on Youtube in the next couple of days i will post a link when i get it done. We running the boat thru lilly pads in about a foot of water, it actully runs faster thru the lillys than it does in open water.

Is that on a .125 gauge hull?

no

you could run .125 gauge will be a little slower but still get the job done my phowler 15/40 .100 /5086 stiffer than 5052 with the 18hp great set up

Tremendous numbers on the 18! If and when Copperhead tries out a 23 HP, that would really be cool. That just might be the ticket! I like the marketplace and competition usually produces gains to the mud motor consumer.

If you wanted it bad enough, a 23 and 18 have the same bolt patterns and crank specs.

Personally, I would mod the 18.

The 18 and 23 are identical blocks, the 18 has a slightly shorter stroke and a few different parts (carbs, cams, ect.)

The wieght of the two are nearly identical, the only problems there could be is if the frame has the strength for the extra torque of a 23. You would also need to change gear ratios to get optimum performance.

how could i mod the 18 hp to get more out of it.

I'd leave it alone, don't wanna go too fast in dry prong

Start with an exhaust, then heads, then fool with a carb or cam.