I have a 15x43 alumacraft 21 in transom. I want to put a 18 or 23 hp longtail on it. What major problems will I run into? Will the width be a concern? I know i will have a problem with the transom to, what are my options. Most likely a mud buddy will be on it because I'm going through fast duck motors in FL.

Any thing helps. Thank you.

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It will be hard to keep in the water, either get a bigger tab on the end of the cav. Plate or cut the transom down, I'd choose the later

Get a Backwater Inc. 25hp they are made for 20-21 inch transons

X2 on cutting the transom down.

Does any one have an idea how much those motors are, I live in central Florida.

Www.mudbuddy.com
Www.godevil.com

These may help some.

Ok thank you . But I was wondering about the price of the back water inc. Motors

Call mud buddy, they make a longer long tail for tall transoms. I have one on my 21 in transom, no problems (cav plate removed).

I think Go Devil makes something for tall transoms, but can't speak towards that.

Ok thank you, what size boat and motor do u have?

first i will say that this boat will get you by but i see several issues that you will have with using this boat. the back deck is gonna prevent you from picking the motor up. I see that there is an opening for this when it is facing straight forward but there will be times when it is necessary to pick the motor up in a position other than straight forward(exspecialy if your running in the trees and need to turn around.) Second being that the bottom of the boat has ribs. This is will cause it to hang up in the veggies and in the stumps. Being that boats of this type tend to have smaller guage aluminum and tend to be rivited thier integrity is not as good as a true mudboat.
having a 21'' transome is gonna make the motor enter the water at a steeper angle picking the back of the boat up therefore pushing the front down. This is not all that bad of problem but it will make it slower. where the 21'' truely suffers is when in the mud. Due to the steeper angle at which the prop enters the mud it does not push the boat in a forward motion as well as a 16" transome. Also watch making sharp turns with a longtail on this transome ( it tends to push the back corner near the water line).
Not trying to bash your bot but just wanted to give you an idea of how it will perform. The deminsion for this boat are nearly ideal for a 18 or 23 horse power longtail. I ran and still own an 18 on a 14*36 rivited 1978 polar craft but never use it. I now run a 23 on a 17*38 kliebert.
If this was my boat i would just cut the back deck out and leave the rest alone. Save your money and get a mudboat when you can afford it.

Yes that helps a lot, thank you! I would love to buy a mud boat but my budget is way to tight right now. I won't be going over any stumpy areas at all, and yes I was thinking about cutting the middle out also. Not sure if you know sid from fast duck motors, but he is gonna take a look at it tommarow. It's light as a feather so I'm hopping that will help with getting met through the mud. Sid said I can bend the cav plate back to make it work

I had a 25hp kohler GLT on a 1648 with a 20 inch transon and it sucked .Tiller handle in my armpit to keep it in the water thats with the cav plate bent almost to a 45degree angle that combonation was the worst Ive ran.

Damn ok thx, was hopping the boat would work for a long tail

Its a 1754 Grizzly with a 35 hp lt. Easy to drive to me, but I've had a LT for 11 years now. This boat I've had for 2 years.

Just get it overwith and cut the transom to 16" and remove those benches from the back... or its gunna run like shit

You'll be happy you did.

copper head have a long transom motor? they would be a good one on thet boat. looks like he will be fishing.

Either cut the transon or buy a motor that works with a 20t

I bought one and really like it. why?

bolt the motor up first and see what you got going on. my boats like that in the back and i got lucky and didnt have to cut nothing. far as the transom it will have to be cut unless you buy one made for a 21 in transom