I dont have a gator tail but I can tell you they all do that, all of my hunting buddys have gator tails and they all leak oil at the crank case and they all vibrate alot. I want to get a new rig for next season but not sure what i want yet, my buddys with gator tails have tons of problems, not familiar with prodives but I hear they have issues with the seals on the turning lower unit, My dad has a mud buddy with almost 1000 hours that never gives us problems but I kinda want reverse and im not to sure about their new motor.

Post this on mudmotortalk.com. Most of the guys on there have GT's and will help. Did you purchase the motor new?

Good Luck!

the oil leak is a problem that briggs & stratton is having with those motors and can be repaired under warranty as far as the vibration it should not vibrate so bad that you can not hold on to it with one hand check the tab above your torque tab if it is bent like the torque tab it should not be cut it off i have seen this problem and it causes the prop to cavitate and cause excessive vibration. im not sure where you are locted but if you're in the new orleans area stop by theriots outdoor power and i can look at it for you.

Vibration is caused by prop wear and should be checked,balanced,or replaced!Oil leak is a Brigg's problem not a GatorTail problem!GatorTail's will give you less problems and their customer service is the best on the market!Good Luck with your engine!

I bought a brand new GTR rig last year. My gasket started to leak at 110 hours. Called up bubba at GT and told him the problem. They fixed the gasket with no questions asked.

I cant complain with GT's service. If you have a question, just call them up. Think i might try cuttin off that tab below the prop to help with vibration.

doesnt prodrive and gatortail have the same briggs motor? sure looks the same! if it is, shouldnt both gt and prodrive motors leak oil at the gaskets?? what horsepower motor do you have? i have a briggs vanguard engine in my home generator and it looks just like the prodrive and gt engines!!!

They all use the same engines!

exactly!! its like buying a car! if its made on a monday morning or a friday afternoon, trouble????

Beast is right...Mondays are production line hangovers and Fridays are weekend dreams...best items put together are Wednesdays...cheers

you rite again, wednesday! like we use to call it, hump day!!!! over the hump!!!

If ya'll don't mind, I'd like to treaux mah 2 cents in on dis issue. Ok, think like dis...Briggs motors, Honda's, Tecumseh's(boat anchor) and all ya 'lawnmower engins' were actually not made for outboard use. DEy was always made for lawnmowers, tillers pumps etc. Now a long time ago...and after a few beers, some highly intellegent cajun had an idea to put a lawnmower engine on a solid steel plate attached to a long pipe with a 6 foot stainless steel shaft, no clutch, and a stainless steel prop and called it a go-devil...which is da 'godfather of mudmotors'. Can I get a AMEN??? Anyway, if you notice, and I ain't seen none either, there ain't no rubber motor mounts on any mudmotor like you see on ALL outboard motors. Of course I haven't broken apart any GT's or MB's to dispute dat claim. My point is, if you ain't got dem rubber motor mounts den you gonna have vibration problems because there ain't no 'give' when the motor is in a bind. AND..If both shafts from the motor to the prop shaft are not aligned properly then you got more vibration problems. And don't forget that prop you used to chop an underwater stump too. It just adds to the vibration misery. We all know, these mudmotors take alot of abuse and they ain't bulletproof so there will be issues unless da motor come straight out da box and ya playin wit it in ya pond where there ain't no obstructions. Den if you got problems, dat becomes the manufacturers problem. Dis is jus my 3 cents here. Ya'll have a nice day!

This year has been Hell for dealers selling 35hp Briggs. Repair work started pouring in this hunting season on many new units not so much on the older units. Briggs is blaming wrong oil and lack of maintenance. But we are talking about new engines with low hours. Briggs is not backing down yet. Dealers have to eat the cost but that can't last much longer for the smaller dealers.

Get use to it been having a Gator Tail for about 5 years and it goes in shop at least once a year not counting the repairs I done myself . Right now its in the shop because the clutch went out. I had to replace multiple parts multiple times, 3 trim boxes and one rebuilt one, 3 reverse systems, bent prop shaft, hit somthing in water and cracked lower unit and engine got replaced after 48 hrs. The trailering bracket also broke this past season. I can say that Gator Tail does have great customer service. I'm not as rough with my motor as others claim to be. I guess I got the one built the day before a holiday. They all have problems, especially the ones with all the bells and whistles.Good luck and be safe with your Gator Tail

Yall make me not want to go get one of them surface drives. Ive been having my longtail for about 5 yrs its not the fastest 18-20mph by myself..16-17 with one other person. Its reliable tho as long as the prop doesnt fall off LOL. Ive even ran it after the seals blew out for the remainder of first split just bring grease gun. Thing is tough as nails..just not a speed demon..altough still have itch for surface drive.

At my old lease we had 6 Gator Tail rigs and all were subject to some fairly harsh environments but held up for the most part. They all vibrate some but that is the nature of the beast with that design. Every year a couple would have to go in the shop for a power trim issue, seals, etc.... but we used those boats all year long for fishing as well as hunting. People don't realize it but you probably are putting more hours on your Gator Tail in hunting season than people do in a whole year on their fishing boat. Plus, you're in areas where obstructions are part of the game.

I personally would never own a surface drive for several reasons. 1. They're too slow. 2. They are way overpriced for what you get. The boats are paper thin and comes with a 35 hp motor. 3. They are loud and uncomfortable to drive.

I went out and had a 17', aluminum tunnel hull boat built with a 90 hp yamaha on a jack plate. The hull bottom is 3/16' thick where as a Gator Tail/Pro Drive is usually 1/8' at most. I have NEVER had to have any welding done to it as its solid as a rock. My tunnel hull has a vent which doesn't make it suction like factory built tunnels out there. I can go 40+ MPH and can run thru 6' or so of water when on step. Now, I can't get up and going in straight mud but if theres a few inches of water I can make it get on step (by doing circles and letting waves pick boat out of water). This boat will last forever, has almost 3x the horsepower, faster, quieter and more well rounded. And if I need to get in a super shallow area I bring a pirogue.

Just my .02 cents.