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Chillin' at the stone bridge.
Flight 401 Memorial Run with Bullfrog Bud
my little girl restin
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Maddog at Bergeron;s Camp in Area # South 2-6-2010
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DairymanNM

Active member
I did it. I bought my first airboat and now I am about to pull my hair out trying to figure out what I can and can't do. I bought a good used boat and saved some more money by buying a direct drive setup (bad idea). The boat is a 15'x7 1/2' with new polymer, powered by a stock 455 Buick turning a 2 blade narrow composite prop. I have used it four times and have had it stuck twice and unloaded it in the middle of I-25 at 5 O'clock in the morning. My problem is two fold. One is why can I not get the boat to come on plane in deep water, regardless of weight, and two why do I feel like the power is missing when things get "sticky"? My first run in the boat I slid it sideways up on to a wet sand bar and there we (Thank God) stayed for the next five hours trying to dig it out. It still did not want to move even when we got some water under most of the hull. Then, this past Sunday I parked the boat in about 2.5 inches of water only to find out later it had settled into the slick-mud bottom and now refused to move. Once again we had to push it out to deeper water so it would motor. I realize and was told that the boat would not run dry, which is fine b/c I don't need it to do that, at least that is what I thought. But for crying out loud, why won't it move when things are less than perfect? I have set the prop pitch and done all I can do to make the boat lighter. Besides increasing the engine HP are there any tricks besides trial and error that could help? Buyers remorse has not set in yet but I can see it coming if things don't get better. The short and skinny of this whole thing is what can I do to help make my boat more usable and reliable. Maybe it's just poor driving and poor decisions but I think the boat should be able to do more. Thank you for any help or correspondence I receive.

The Desert Idiot
 
Sorry to hear you disappointed with your new boat. There are a couple of things that could help, 1st You could get a few more ponies out of it by increasing compression, changing the intake, changing the Carb, running a good set of headers, custom grinded cam, etc. 2nd the hull is to big for a direct drive auto engine. Then if you wanted to take another route you could always find an old 500 catty engine and hop it up, they put out a ton of torque down low.


If there were any way you could get your money back out of the boat I would, then buy a reduction setup if you want to stick with an auto application.

Just to easy the pain a little, that wet sand stops many boats. Auto reduction set ups and aircraft as well under the right circumstances.



Just my 2cents, Kevin
 
Yep, sand and most airboats like to stick together. And sometimes they stick quite well, so don't sweat it, that is just a newbie mistake.

Airboats tend to slide quite a bit sideways in turns and unless someone is used to driving on ice or similar situations, it can take alittle getting used to. Just take some time mastering the turns or corners and you might be able to avoid lots of bad situations.

Soft mud can form a suction and hold even most of the best boats in the right situation.

Learned some hard lessons in Louisiana marshes and there are a few tricks that can be used. Get some 5 to 8 foot schedule 80 PVC pipe 3 to 4 inch diameter. Bungee cord the PVC to the cage (yep I am a red neck) or store it lengthwise inside on the hull bottom. It will help you slide much easier once you get the boat starting to move.

Get a good electric winch and block and tackle set. I have seen boats with a winch mount on the front deck, on the foot stand in front of the first seat, and just reinforced bow eye to attach winches to. Those danford anchors (sand anchors) can be set into the sand and used to winch the boat out against.

Saw airboat go up levees that were mighty steep using winch and PVC methods. The alternative was run about 20 miles around or winch up and run about 1/2 mile. Most of us didn't have strong enough hulls to attach winches to, but those that did had it easy.
 
Just to let you know that direct drive isn't as bad as most people think. We run out here in Nebraska on the Platte River. (Mile wide and an inch deep) Lots of sandbars. I have a 15 x 7 aluminum hull airboat powered by a 350 Chevy direct drive and a 72 / 30 wood paddle prop. I have run to the top of a sandbar and drove off. Put another person in the boat and I'm done. But I have never had a problem as long as there was water around my boat. Most of the time when I stop there isn't enough water to cover my feet. But I have never had to push my boat even with 3 to 4 people in. My father has a 16 x 8 flat bottom fiberglass airboat that is AT LEAST twice as heavy as mine. He runs a 455 Olds direct drive with a Sensenich quiet blade composite ground adjustable prop. I can run his to the top of a sandbar and drive off with ease with me and another person. I usually park his boat on the edge of a sandbar. Also note that the surface area on his boat is huge compared to mine. we put poly on the bottom of his boat and it took 2 sheets to cover the bottom. Mine took 1 5 x 14 sheet. So with the correct engine and prop setup you should not have trouble if you stay in the water. Direct drive boats of this size will NEVER run the hill. But when you are just learning to drive a boat this setup should be just fine. Just my humble opinion.
 
A great driver with an average boat will always out perform a great boat with an average driver. Wait until a year from now when you learn the grass by colors and the mud by its composition. You will notice you run dry a lot better by only adding a little seat time.
 
One is why can I not get the boat to come on plane in deep water, regardless of weight, and two why do I feel like the power is missing when things get "sticky"?
Click to expand...
What rpm's are you turning at full throttle & which brand of prop at what setting is it? I can understand getting stuck in the sand or mud, but I wouldn't think that boat would have any problem getting on a plane. That's a pretty big hull with a lot of bottom to help lift it up out of the water and I think that Buick engine ranks just below the CAD for low rpm torque.
 
Most of the good boat in utah have winchs mounted below the deck. i have a 18x8 with a 8000# winch. It give you alot of peace of mind. All airboat will get stuck, but most will not live up to it. Horse power just get you stuck farther away from help. Just keep at it .
 
I was told throw horse power out the window you want to build a motor that has a lot of torque that will give you better push. a 500 caddy has a lot of torque right out of the car thats why there used. :twisted:
 
I RUN A 14 FOOT COMBEE WITH A 455 BUICK,AND I GO ANY WHERE I POINT.THE MOTOR IS A 69,THE ONLY UP GRADES ARE HEI IGNITION ,EDELBROCK CARB, AND HEADERS. IWAS RUNNING A 72 38 PADDLE TURNING IT 3300 NO PROBLEM.I HAD A QJET CARB ON IT FIRST AND COULD ONLY GET 2400 OUT OF IT,TRIED A HOLLEY,TOOK IT OFF AND TOSED IT AS FAR AS I COULD.I HAVE 4 OTHER BUDDIES THAT RUN BUUICK 455`S,AND ALL AGREE YOU GET MORE OUT OF THEM WITH AN EDELBROCK CARB
 
Joe,

Did you increase the CFM when you switched to the EDELBROCK? Just currious because a 900 RPM increase is huge and well worth the money if just a new Carb is required.




Kevin
 
Well I would put a set of headers onit and definetly run mufflers they help build torque If you have a cam shop around tell them the truth about what your doing and they probably can cut you a cam that will make a huge difference. adjust your prop maybe it sounds like you have too much pitch in it. The carb is important after you get the exhaust right after all what goes in has to come out so get the path out ready before you put more in.

The seat time will really make a big difference sometimes the distance from getting stuck and gettin goin is all of 6 inches depends on where you park it.

I had a dd chevy onetime and yep I put a trailer ball mounted winch on it and put the trailer ball on the bow looked funny but worked. I used a aluminum danforth anchor a big one which doesnt weigh much and 75 feet of good strong anchor line rated for 15,000 pounds and I only used it to turn the damn thing around to get back to the water.

Also might want to put a roll of masons cord on your boat so you can tie it to the gas pedal and floor it while your off the boat just make sure the spring works to stop it.

All boats will get stuck sometimes and a newbie driver will get stuck alot of the time but dont get discouraged time will heal a lot of wounds and being red faced is only temporary.

Last bit of advice is never never ever drive by someone who is stuck or broke down because it can be you next time I dont care hown much power how much money how much experience doo doo happens.

other than that get out there and BURN SOME GAS.
 
I WENT WITH 650 EDELBROCK.ALL MY BUDDIES RUN A 650 AS WELL,AND WE ALL GOT A HUGE RPM INCREASE.THE 73 BUICK WAS A GOOD MOTOR BUT 70 OR BELOW WERE BETTER IN MY OPINION BECAUSE THEY WERNT HIT BY THE EMISSION LAWS.THE 70 OR BELOW 455 CAME WITH 10-1 OR 10.5-1 COMPRESSION AND IN 71 OR UP THE COMPRESSION WAS DROPPED TO 8.5-1 AND AN EGR SYSTEM WAS PUT ON TO MEET FEDERAL LAW.FOR MORE INFO ON BUICK 455`S GOTO http://WWW.BUICKS.NET THESE GUYS KNOW THERE BUICKS
 
That idea with the mason cord on the throttle works well.

The first airboat I saw back in the mid 1970s had a 0-360 with a throttle tie off string. Fiberglass hull and it would run the ground in hops with the throttle tied down and the operator standing on the bow and jumping up and down. With each jump the boat lurched forward a foot or so. It reminded me of a seal lurching across the ground.

Just make sure you can load up fast or the string has a quick release. Having a boat run away without a driver can be bad for your ego. I have rigged that string up a few times.
 
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