Who invented the first Mud Motor?

[Glenn]

Engineering an Empire – The American Mud Motor - Are we really the first to invent mud motors?

By Glenn Foreman

No doubt, mud motors have come a long way the past one hundred years. Yes, the mud motor concept, an engine with drive and propeller that pushes or pulls a floating vessel through shallow water has a long history, over 100 years.

In order to move forward it is often wise to look back in time. We have taken the time to search and collect a host of information, patent documents, old advertisements, photos and relics that represent the history of mud motors. This collection of information has value to us and is part of our engineering and business plan. So important, the past will help us chart our future.

What prompted our research was our need to review the past in order to move forward. We quickly found out that there are very few firsts in this industry even though it is common place to claim first with every innovation.

It is true that an American company founded in Louisiana was the first to design, build and successfully market mud motors across the nation. That company is Go–Devil and its founder not only delivered to us good transportation into the backwaters of America, but he also started a cult of sportsman who are as passionate about their power driven vise as any other motor-head that loves their mountain sleds, moto-cross, dune buggies and other long list of wheel based toys - ours being the mud wheel propeller. However, Go-Devil was far from being the first to build the mud motor.

Our research has taken us around the world and it is apparent that Asia and Europe were the first to use shallow water outboards. No doubt, the war in Vietnam gave us our first glance of the mud motor in the 1960s, and following in the mid 70’s, Go-Devil filed for a design patent on their machine, basically a version of the Asian longtail, and along the same design as mud motors used in World War I by Germany. Yes, the mud motors got one of its first starts in war. It doesn’t end there.

We have collected a host of documents and photos showing mud motors of the world. Mud motors of all types from Europe, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Japan and America. True when we think of mud motors we think of Go-Devil. However, I don’t want to date myself, but long before Go-Devil, western sportsman on the Great Salt Lake in Utah were running a little Briggs 5 horse motor known as the Rat Tail. That was over 40 years ago. And, no doubt, the swamps of the Deep South had similar mud motors four decades ago also. Recently, a mentor of mine, Bill Salt, Bountiful, Utah passed away while in his early 80s. He built mud motors for over 50 years and to me is the father of the American mud motor. His motors still run the marshes of the Great Salt Lake and the West today.

Mud motors take all shapes and forms and are driven by all sorts of devices from electric motors to small block Chevy motors in Thailand. We have found photos, patents, advertisements, documents and relics of all sorts- some of the original belt drives, chain drives, gear drives and even peddle drives. A good customer and friend recently found an old outboard in his aging father’s attic. He called and asked if we wanted it for our collection. We arranged shipment and received it last month. What a surprise, it is an early version of the Pro Drive, a gear driven outboard with angled lower unit designed to run in shallow water and weeds. And get this; the lower unit turns around 180 degrees with full power reverse. And best yet, it has a unique lock that automatically activates and holds the drive in the water when in full power reverse. Somebody could use this old technology today. At first we thought we discovered the first shallow water outboard. But not so.

We recently contracted a law firm to research and find all mud motor patents. The four month long project netted surprising results. We found Mud Buddy, ProDrive, Gator Tail, Go Devil and many other patents from around the world. We also discovered we were not the first to use bearings in a mud motor, ProDrive was not the first to patent a surface angled gear drive, and Go-Devil was not the first to patent a mud motor, and Gator Tail claims being the original belt drive, however, belt drives have been around for decades. Pro Drive boasts being the first short tail mud motor. Actually, they claim they invented the first gear driven angled shallow water outboard, but they were dead wrong. Fact is, the first gear driven angled shallow water outboard was patented by OMC in America over 70 years ago, and the design was later revived and built again in the 60s, and we have one in our little museum. There go all our claims to being the first bearing, belt, gear, longtail and short tail inventors. Knowing this is enlightening and a little disappointing, however, discovering our roots is just as important.

Even if us modern day mud motor builders didn’t invent the mud motors, we Americans have a knack for making things better. Our mud motors incorporate the latest in technology; our engines are well refined and our drives unmatched in the world. Large companies like Mercury Marine have taken note of our accomplishments and have approached us with new products and opportunities that will make our mud motors even better for years to come. Our engines are bigger and faster, easy to run and easy to maintain. We have models from 6 to 60 plus horse, that meet the needs of backwater explorers, hunters, industry, government and the list goes on.

Mud motors of today are exciting. Two years ago we introduced high performance mud motors. We would like to think we were the first, but we recently found photos and a video of an old mud motor that absolutely hauled. It ran good, but I think our 45 or HD 6000 would take it. One of the most recent firsts for the mud motor industry was the introduction of the Mikuni carburetor by Performance V-twins. Al Hodge is the inventor of the modern high performance mud motor engine and we built the first mud motor with these engines. Others are now entering our industry with other performance components and services. Although more power is new to our industry, it really wasn’t a first. Mikuni carbs have been used on racing air cooled motors for decades. The first single Mikuni mud motor design followed last year also. Its design is revolutionary and is a welcome addition to the Mud Buddy lineup this year. Our perfomance exhaust are unmatched in quality, performance and appearance, but again, our industry is just catching up.

Again, we would like to think our mud motor innovations are a first, but other motor heads with snowmobiles, bikes and buggies also share our passion and have developed similar systems of drive and power. We can’t go where they go, but they can only dream of following us.

[whistlingwings]

Good read.

[YaFlyYadie]

Instructive, with an honest look at the past, but heading straight to the future of our sport.
MUDBUDDY, Very High Quality and Reliable Product.
Great article Glenn.
C. Sanchez Sr.

[bill]

Nice article. You might want to consider that the mud motor incorporating what is essentially a lawn mower engine could benefit from the riding mower racing circuit that also has a strong following and research history.

[Fast Duck Motors]

Very Cool!!!

[duckcraze]

There is a motorcycle/auto museum in Birmingham AL called Barber motorsports museum and racetrack. I went on a tour of the museum last year with some of my motorcycle buddies. While looking at all the cars and bikes, I glanced over at a display behind glass. There was a longtail motor that looked to be water cooled. There wasn't much info on it. I think it was made in the early 60's and it was manufactured by "Zundap".

[WEBFT2]

Glenn,
With your permission, I would like to share this with our listeners on Back Water Outdoors Radio either by reading them snipets of this during our Mud Talk segment and of course it will be much better if you can share this over the air live...
Great stuff and Thank you for sharing.
Johnny

[floridagobbler]

Whats this all about anyhow?

[Glenn]

I was prompted to write the story after seeing some ads and web site clips where manufactures were claiming they were the first to build short tails and various mud motor designs and components.

Those claims make a good advertising but lack historical fact.

I recently traveled to China and had a first hand look at the real history of mud motors, longtails, shorttails, gear, chain and belt drives. That plus other research, international patent searches, and education from our marine outboard motor partners has taught me that we are far from the inventors of these motors.

We are however the innovators of the modern American mud motor, mostly successful because of the availability of the new Vanguard and Kohler large block engines.

This forum is about information and we needed to share information about our roots.

[wayneb]

Great stuff Glenn. I just read your original post; very interesting and informative. I remember see a long tail in an old Jame Bond movie.
As a side note, your INTEGRITY is second to none. Keep up the good work. Look forward to seeing you at the Texhoma Round Up this year.
Wayne