how much thrust would i need

[tincansailor]

I have a 1548 Alumacraft jonboat that I have been using a Briggs & Stratton 5 hp motor to power it. It has done what I wanted but now the motor seems to not want to run. Very hard to start and if it does will run for 10-15 seconds and die. I pulled the carberator and cleaned it real good and it still does the same. I do not have the financial resources to buy another gasoline motor so I was wondering about putting a trolling motor as a power source. Have read on here and other places, and have seen jonboats with trolling motors as their power. Question I have is how much thrust would I need to power my boat? I fish alone most of the time but sometimes my adult son will go with me. I understand that depending upon how many people and gear is in the boat will determine how much power would be needed thus determining the battery life. Would a 45 or 55 lb. thrust motor be a good choice? If I went this route would 1 battery be enough for a few hours on the water?

 

[FerrisBueller]

I think you would be happier with a 50-55lb especially if you're using that as a primary motor. A single size 27 battery should suffice for a few hours out on the lake for sure. I've been out probably 6 times for a few hours each time and I still havent charged the battery.

 

[Zum]

I think you would be happier with a 50-55lb especially if you're using that as a primary motor. A single size 27 battery should suffice for a few hours out on the lake for sure. I've been out probably 6 times for a few hours each time and I still havent charged the battery.

I suggest charging it....it's always best to keep the battery fully charged as soon as possible.

As for the poster....like ferris said a 50/55lber would be fine with a single deep cycle battery.
I use a 55 on a bigger boat and a average day on the water would be in the 6/7 hours range...that's using one battery fishing(not wide open trolling)

 

[Colbyt]

How did you clean the carb? Did you soak it or just take it apart and spray it? I'm not picking on you but a troller and battery are a couple of hundred even if you go with a c30. You might be able to get back on the water for a lot less than that.

 

[tincansailor]

Thanks for the info. A 55 was what I was thinking and I normally am only on the water 3 - 4 hrs at a time so the single battery would probably do well. Yes, I would charge it after every outing.

I cleaned the carb by just taking it apart and spraying it real good with carb cleaner and reinstalling it. It can't be that difficult to get it to run since it is a Briggs & Stratton 5 hp, it is basically a lawnmower engine although a lawnmower shop here will not touch it. Said since it is an outboard motor they won't work on it. I told them that it is air cooled and the owner's manual suggests seeking out lawnmower shops if I needed work done on it. I did notice while reinstalling the carb that the gas coming out of the fuel line is a brown color so I may have real bad gas.

Will keep trying to get the gas motor running but am going to persue the trolling motor. Thanks again guys.

 

[TNtroller]

If you do go with just the TM you might consider a 2nd battery and wire them in parallel. This would double your time available for fishing. If you would have to motor a decent distance from the launch point, and then its windy, etc., you could run your only battery down where you could not get back to the trailer. If you usually/always fish close to the trailer/ramp, then one battery on 55 would last as needed. If the funds are available, look at the MK TM's with the "maximizer" option, or a variable speed, not the 5 speed models. either or both of these will use the available power you've got better than just a plain jane 5 speed TM

 

[Kismet]

also...

check for gunk in the B&S gas tank. Rust, debris...could cause some of your issues.

 

[tincansailor]

Thanks for the info. guys. I got the motor running today. I checked fuel tank for debri, cleaned out all of the fuel lines, took carberator apart again and cleaned it again, all of the things I could think of and WALLA, it started and ran and sounded like its old self again. Now the wife seems to think that a trolling motor is not needed, and I almost had her sold on the idea, so it is going to take some smooooth talking (begging) to get her thinking back to where it was while the motor was down.

I am going to persue the 45 - 55 lb. thrust motor and a single (for now) battery.

Thanks for the info, it went a long way in resurrecting my dead motor. Thanks guys.

 

[wingsnhammers]

I had one of those B&S outboards that gave me a little trouble. I ended up doing pretty much the same as you. Mine didn't run as well as it should when I got it back together though. It took me a while to figure out that I had lost the felt washer that went on the screw for the float bowl. It kept sucking air and refused to run. I put an Oring on the screw and put a new plug in it and it didn't give me any more trouble. Mine always started on the first pull after that O-ring, but took a while to warm up completely. When I would go duck hunting, I would start the motor first thing when I got to the ramp. I got alot of stares, but I didn't have to sit around and wait for my motor to warm up, either. :mrgreen:

 

[Clint KY]

A good reason to have BOTH a gas & electric motor is Safety. I never go out with just one or the other because I want to be able to make it back to the ramp if one or the other dies. While I seldom go out on the BIG lake (Kentucky or Barkley) I do not want to be out when a storm blows in and not be able to get my gas motor started. It may be slow but my "trolling" motor will get me close to the bank and let me get back to the truck.

 

[thudpucker]

If you can pull the boat up to the 110V at night, put a trickle charger in the boat, and charge the battery's over night.
That way, you can have two battery's and fish all day long

Long ago I lived on a small lake. :LOL2: I miss that place too!
I had an electric motor. I dreamed up a diagram to make the Motor, steerable from the CC or Side Control seat. Turn it all the way around for Reverse.
Controlled by a Joy stick.
Then the Throttle control from the Console.
And up front under the Seat, was a small Gas engine/Alternator to charge the Batteries in case I ran them too far down. =D> Or in case I went to Canada and wanted to take the boat on some three day cruises.