I'm located near Red Deer, Alberta Canada and have decided to take on setting up a longtail mud motor. I need all the help I can get. I bought a used 20hp kohler today and got mounting and pivot kinda figured out and it gets fuzzy from there. I'm a welder and machinist by trade so doing the work is not a problem. Proper set up is another. There is no one selling LT here and I know no one that owns one. I have read here that 1" - 4.5" works good for transom - tail length. Main concern is bearing +/or bushing seal combos. As well I have heard the tracker grizzlys are a little piggish but that's all that's available locally thanx to Bass Pro. I could build or have built a custom hull but have no idea were to start regarding hull design. To sum it up I need a ton of advice so I am at your mercy.

Thanx
Smoke

For a 16" transom, you need a 72 inch shaft.

The shaft will need to be 3/4 10 tpi so you can get a prop to fit. The mounting bracket will be the hardest part for you to figure out, I recommend bearings top and bottom with 2 or 3 seals on each end.

If you can weld aluminum, you can build a boat pretty easily. A slick bottom boat with a long rake will out perform any tracker with a mm and will cost about the same to make.

With that 20 I would recommend a 16x42.

Also, use the search feature in the little tan bar under the MMT banner at the top of the page... This has been talked to deat

When figuring for a 72" tailshaft do you measure from motor to prop or mid u-joint to prop?

The shaft itself, that the prop threads to and the u-joint keyways to.

Your actual shaft housing will be slightly shorter.

Thanx for the clarification will continue to gather parts

Spent some time drawing things up tonight in autocad getting closer to having a rough design. Went with the 72" shaft at a 12deg angle from the engine shaft at level. Might have a little to much iron in her. Any idea what a finished 20hplt should weigh?

23 is 154, maybe in the 130+- lb range?