This is my first post on MMT but I have been reading and learning here for a while. I decided in the winter that I wanted to try and build a mud motor. I bought a 9hp Briggs off MMT member Buzz Kilington and went from there.

My plan was to build frame and mount with my home welder, then take it to my friend to finish with proper welds. Before I started, I contacted a few local (Ontario, Canada) machine shops to outsource my prop shaft. To buy the shaft and housing, machine key way and threads, I was getting quotes from $175 to $250 for it. To me that seemed high after reading what guys were paying in the states for the same work. So I took to the internet and looked south as I have a PO Box in NY State so shipping is no issue. I found a couple young guys starting their mud motor business in Texas and they were selling complete drivelines. Well in talking to them, I decided to try their unfinished 6.5 hp frame, with the intentions of using transom mount and driveline, and re-fabing the motor mount to house my 9hp. It was a different bolt pattern, shaft length and had a 1" shaft instead of 3/4.

Once I received it, my first goal was figuring out how to attach shafts. I wanted a shaft coupler for a direct drive but the proper one was $150 to go 3/4" to 1". Trying to keep costs down, I got a sleeve that goes over 3/4' shaft to make OD 1" Took the key and ground down a portion so that it would fit both the 3/4" and 1" shaft. I then mated the 2 up with a 1" coupler and it seemed to work.

Next was to cut off the back of the frame, and with assistance from a friend, fab up the new rear mount. Seemed to go together now, and didn't look to bad!

Greased it up, popped a seal in the process.... Remove motor to replace seal and try again. It fired up and seemed to run smoothly. Throttle assembly purchased from princess auto, put on some truck bed liner and camo and threw on a boat I then bought on line. Lowe 1236.

Today I put it in the water with a junk prop to test. The prop had a bent blade but want to try it before I buy a stainless. Surprisingly it ran really well. Smooth until the blade on prop broke off. I took it back to launch so not to do damage, and with one blade it still moved me well through the cattails and lily pads. Now I need to decide on what to get for prop, maybe cut down tiller handle as it feels long and find myself mid boat trying to operate. Oh and I need to learn how to operate this lawn mower...