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Question for you all

J

Jbob

Member
Thank you for putting up a great website, first of all!!!

Tons of great info here!

I am considering buying my first airboat and it is a homemade one with fiberglass tub and a 350 Chev with the prop attached to the flywheel (as described, its 200 miles away and I havent seen it yet) Is this what is called direct drive or DD?

There is no belt or gear drive. Is there a potential for increased bearing problems with these types of setups? for someone that wont use it everyday and is a novice, but wants to be able to go thru grass and swamps, is it practical?

I appreciate any and all input that may save me or help me decide if this is the rig for me to get me into the backwaters for hunting and fishing. I am moderately mechanical but not big on tearing down engines and replacing crankshaft bearings,.. :)
 
Jbob":1h15tdbt said:
Thank you for putting up a great website, first of all!!!

Tons of great info here!

I am considering buying my first airboat and it is a homemade one with fiberglass tub and a 350 Chev with the prop attached to the flywheel (as described, its 200 miles away and I havent seen it yet) Is this what is called direct drive or DD?

There is no belt or gear drive. Is there a potential for increased bearing problems with these types of setups? for someone that wont use it everyday and is a novice, but wants to be able to go thru grass and swamps, is it practical?

I appreciate any and all input that may save me or help me decide if this is the rig for me to get me into the backwaters for hunting and fishing. I am moderately mechanical but not big on tearing down engines and replacing crankshaft bearings,.. :)
Click to expand...
what size hull do you know how many hours on boat
 
That's a Direct drive..DD..I'm an aircraft guy so i can't help with the mechanical questions related to the 350 unfortunately....good luck.

Adam
 
I would suggest you ask the current owner take you out for a ride on the boat your wanting to buy. That way you get to see first hand how the motor runs and how the boat rides in the water and on dry ground.

5'6" hull seems really narrow to me. Most are 7'- 8' wide.

Good luck.
 
Yes that sounds narrow. Don't know what you looking to do in the future. Most of us get bitten by the bug and have to start building an airboat or build up from the one that we purchase like I did.
I'm not a glass man myself but I wanted aluminum because I run the Gulf lots of rocky shore here. Glass seems to be the choice of river and lake runners.

What kind of prop is on it? Wood or Composite, If wood what are the RPM he is turning with it, should be around 3000RPM. If it's composite you should be able to adjust the pitch on it to get it in the 3000 rpm range. You need to keep the prop under 3100 to 3200 rpm most people will say 3000rpm whether it's wood or composite.

It's a homemade airboat? I know that's the way my grandaddy started out but we have progressed, unless your going to run it in the pond by your house it would be better for you to get a hull and put you some metal works in it and an old Stan junk yard motor( I say that because that's what Stan always runs on his airboat JUNK YARD MOTORS :wink: )

It would have to be a great deal for me to drive 200 miles to get it. ....like FREE

Just remember it's my opinion and there like butt holes .....everyone has one!!

OH by the way
[Welcome to the Club
 
Jbob, I'd like to see you just hang out with us for a couple of months before you buy anything.
Read the posts, do a little research in the "search" tab a the top of the page and get an idea what all the rest of us run, and why.

Then you'll be better equipped to buy a boat that will do what you want it to. You won't be saving any money if you buy a boat you can't use.

Welcome aboard.

olf
 
Welcome aboard.

I second what Olf Art just recommended. Spend your time before your money. Very important, especially to a new to the sport person.

Good luck man

Scotty
 
jbob, Welcome. Where are you from? alot of folks on this site from alot of different places. Maybe someone lives close to you and could get out for a ride. I would try to get a ride on several different boats before I spent any money. Car motor and Aircraft so you can compare before you make a decision.
 
jbob 13'6 by 5'6 that is a skinny boat most boats are about 7 foot wide on average dosen't sound to sturdy have fun looking for a boat and welcome to the sight
 
I feel the hull is way too narrow. I would want something that is much wider something with a 6 foot wide bottom to handle the weight of that 350. most boats with a 6 foot bottom are 7 foot or wider at the top of the hull. We run alot of direct drive 350s around here and I never hear of any bearing problems with them. I personally prefer a gear box but if your not running dry or have alot of excess weight that direct drive V8 will work fine for you on the right hull.
 
A year's research sure changed things for me. I would bet a junkyard 350 with a 2.68 gearbox would out perform a built 383 DD. Anyways it would be a fun comparison. If there was an airboat magazine it sure would make a great article. :lol:
 
Jbob I also agree with what Olf Fart said I would stay on here for a while and do some research and like every one else said 5-6 sounds more like a John boat than an Airboat it sounds very narrow I think 99% of the Airboats you will see are between 7 to 8 ft wide
 
Yea like a Southern Airboat Magazine I guess that needs to be brought up again, sure sounds like a Good Idea
 
I can see your points for reading up on this stuff.

I just got off the phone with the guy, its 7 ft wide by 15 long

it has an Airprops 668 x L 30 #16736 on it

he says its barely up to his chin and he is 5'7, so it must be short

(the reason I am asking you guys so many questions is because its obvious the seller has NO idea what he has, lol)
 
i am no car motor guy but a 68x30 sounds way to small of a prop for a car motor that prop belongs on a 4 cylinder. and ask away jbob thats the only way you'll find what your looken for
 
COLD-EH'":faj08wpq said:
A year's research sure changed things for me. I would bet a junkyard 350 with a 2.68 gearbox would out perform a built 383 DD. Anyways it would be a fun comparison. If there was an airboat magazine it sure would make a great article. :lol:
Click to expand...

I'll take that bet
 
Well! :lol: Not literally. It would be an interesting comparison though, price wise and performance wise. Same boat as close as possible except powertrain!
 
I just switched my 72x30 wide blade to a 68x30 stick and accomplished alot. It depends on what kind of power that the 350 has coming out of it. Take a ride and then make a decision. Its for sale but it may not be yours!!!!
 
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