I bought my rig from a guy in texas a few years ago and now i want some more speed. Its a 14/48 triangle shape (large rear) and a 9.9 briggs & stratton go devil long tail. The guy said he went from a 4.9 or 5.9 to the 9.9 with mods. Im not sure if he changed the prop to accomodate extra hp or if would even make a difference. Can i get a faster prop, what kind? Can i put a bigger motor on the frame? Thanks

Ive been reading past threads and appears my prop may be small by todays standards. I measued it at 7X3.5, it really didnt look 4 but i guess it could gave been...Can anyone tell me if a bigger prop will increase speed?

If the prop you have is worn, getting a new or bigger prop could be a game changer, but if it's a fairly good shape prop a bigger prop would just help load carrying but you would lose speed if it was just you in the boat, but with a 9.9 you're not gonna set any speed records period

100 people looked at this thread and no more opinions? No one else has a 9.9? I did talk with Glen at Hopkins he seemed to think bigger prop and bigger motor would strain a small frame.

newbie, in the past 25 years, I have seen a number of 1448 conventional jons with small motors like yours all the way up to 25 HP LT's running successfully. What gauge is your boat? I am assuming a rivetted boat. Does the transom have wood sandwiched by aluminum? What type of support bracing does the transom have? I am also assuming a 15-17" short transom that can use the 72" conventional LT design? A 23 HP LT sounds like a good fit but you must first determine if the boat hull can handle it. Like was stated before, any wear or nicks on the prop will slow you down, get a new one- there are a bunch of good mfg.'s out there. My gut feeling is the 9.9 is too little for that hull. A transom can be "beefed" up and even a thinner gauge hull can work as long as you are not running in stumps and jumping beaver dams. The downside is most welding is not cheap. I ran a 1436 jon for several years with an 18 HP GD that was reliable but slow but then that was an easy to hide, easy to move hull, but safe with at most two hunters and gear and then you must always have all the requisite safety gear and keep the load balanced. I have seen videos of smaller hulls carrying for example, a Copperhead surface drive 12 HP, and really moving quick. If you could give more info on your hull, we may be able to offer more specific advice. Welcome to the challenging world of LT's!

Thanks Ranger! Be happy to share more. It's a 2001 Tracker (very similar to the Grizzly now) 14/48/18 sides and transom is 18 also i believe, in between i know. No wood, just clamped to back. It's riveted w/open floor plan and only a bench seat in the rear.

Ok., that 1448 tracker is like my 1648 grizzly, suitable to hang an LT 23/25 on the transom- yours is rivetted and mine is welded, but my two good friends have been running 1648 Lowes rivetted hulls for years with 25 HP LT's and no issues. I would inspect the transom closely however. A simple inverted U 1/8" plate between the motor mount plate and bolts can afford instant strength. If you are keeping the rig for a while, you can think of hull "mods" like pods and steelflexing the hull bottom. There are good deals out there on used LT's since many people are going to shorties....if you have relatively short runs, hard bottom areas, and are in mostly protected marsh areas, the LT is the ticket- having said that, those new entry smaller SD's like the copperhead are very attractive. Find a reputable dealer in your area, they should be able to give you a test drive. I'm only repeating what many here have counseled, and that is to get as many horses as you can afford- and safely hang on that 1448 hull. I think many here would agree that a 23 Briggs SD is a good choice and investment, perhaps the 14? or 18? HP Copperhead is suitable? I've been running LT's for 23 years because of conditions cited and they were the only "mud toy on the block" for many years until the SD's hit the market. I want to stress again, how important it is to balance your load, wear the kill switch lanyard (make sure the switch works!), wear a PFD or self-inflating vest for safety, get plenty of practice, leave a float plan each time out, have working lights for nightime running, add a grab bar, get a GPS,.... sorry to get so prolix but since you are just starting out, I want you to enjoy this activity for many years, hope that helped!

if i were yo i would sell that old lt and buy an sd like a copperhead 18 or a 23 sd of wich ever mm company you like. they hadan 18 CH on here a lil while back and i think he got 25 solo.

but if you wanna save alittle bit of money you can check out the classified section on here and get a higher hosepower lt or a sd

hope this helps,trey

In order to determine if your prop is correct size, you need to know your rpm. If you don't have a tach, get your boat up to full speed, then push your prop up out of the water, if the motor sounds the same you need new prop, if the motor sounds like it speeds up your prop is ok, or possibly to big. Only way to know for sure is with tach, you should be around 3500 in the water.

I did this on my first 1436 jon with the 18 GD LT. Basically you take a 1/8" thickness alum sheet cut to size for just the area of the transom that the motor mount rests on and where your clamping bolts (or thru bolts) go. This can be epoxied on or just slid on. It helps to make that area more rigid and strong. My friend ran a 35 MB Hyper on his 1980 rivetted 1652 SeaNymph .072 gauge jon for five years and this year the transom finally got a stress crack and he's having it redone with aluminum pillars instead of the wood bracing and additional alum plate welded on. I think if the wood is not rotted and your transom is in good shape, the 35 should be fine, albeit adding a plate or additional transom brace to floor ribs or floor would not be a bad idea. A local welder who has experience with alum boats should be able to help. Your 1648 weldbilt is a good hull and will serve you well if you don't abuse it. I know many out there are saying buy new, get a mud hull, help the economy, but heck if you are like most, on a budget, DIY and enjoy. I could have bought my hull with an installed floor but I did it myself and saved some money and learned a few things and why not. I'd like to help all the mud motor/boat mfg.'s out there but I don't want to be a slave to them either.

Thanks, I was hoping it would be good enough, I bought the boat new in August, so the wood inside my transom is in good condition. I guess I don't have to do any thing but I was curious .