# How do you guys feel about Dixie surface drives



## duckilla (Nov 20, 2014)

Just was curious on your guys thoughts about Dixie surface drives and how they hold up?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

fish-n-fool runs one on his scanoe, and I believe Hoopermat runs one as well. I think Hoopermat had problems with shafts breaking. I have heard the bearings and shafts are common problems with Dixie.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I had one of the early ones before the founder sold the company, it was a good design but they suffered from inconsistent build quality and poor customer service. I'm not sure if they are still in production but honestly I think it's worth going with a more established company like Copperhead or Orion.


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

I've heard really good things about copperhead motors


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

duckilla said:


> Just was curious on your guys thoughts about Dixie surface drives and how they hold up?


Sorry for the late reply!

Yes I own one and two of my buddies have them too. Mine is holding up fine and my buddies are holding up fine also.

But they went out of business. I probably wouldn't own a bigger motor since hoopermatt had his issues, but i know the local dealer and he did not have issues like what matt had and he runs his really hard all year.

fnf


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## duckilla (Nov 20, 2014)

fish-n-fool said:


> Sorry for the late reply!
> 
> Yes I own one and two of my buddies have them too. Mine is holding up fine and my buddies are holding up fine also.
> 
> ...


What size do you have I just picked up a 23hp Dixie and who do you take yours to for services and repairs?


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Well at the moment I do all the service my own self. LOL. I have a buddy that can make just about anything and he made his own 23hp dixie frame. and ordered the lower unit from them. He is my go to guy if I break something he will machine anything that breaks. 

My advise to you is replace the rear seal every season and maybe even redesign it a little to make it better. My buddy has a twin seal with a grease dam between the seals. he milled the stock cap to except both seals and drilled and tapped the grease zerk in the cap. working allot better. Also replace the bearings when they need to be replaced. Grab the prop and see if you can move it up and down if you feel even the smallest amount of play it's time for a change.

Hopefully you have the latest design where the bearings were pressed in. if not you can spin a bearing in the tube and then your going to have all kinds of seal problems.

pm me your contact info and I will get you the number to the dealer in bountiful he will know if you have the new design.

Oh and I only have a 6.5hp frame, fully custom and is the newest design. with the 2 1/2" tube


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

duckilla said:


> What size do you have I just picked up a 23hp Dixie and who do you take yours to for services and repairs?


Good luck
I hope you have a better experience then I did. 
Just to let you know I had a lot of problems with the shafts
The back of the shaft has no support bearing. So when you adjust the belt tension you are putting stress on the shaft. From my experience all of my broken shafts were broken at the first bearing on the lower unit right at the bottom pulley. I had the dixie for three years and broke four shafts. Also in three years I only got about 10 hours on the unit because it was broken so much. My unit was a 18hp motor on the same frame as the 23hp. Pushing a 14x42 boat. 
Thank god I had a spare longtail to get me through the seasons.

Do you know which type of belt set up you have. Is it a double v or serpentine?


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## duckilla (Nov 20, 2014)

Hoopermat said:


> Good luck
> I hope you have a better experience then I did.
> Just to let you know I had a lot of problems with the shafts
> The back of the shaft has no support bearing. So when you adjust the belt tension you are putting stress on the shaft. From my experience all of my broken shafts were broken at the first bearing on the lower unit right at the bottom pulley. I had the dixie for three years and broke four shafts. Also in three years I only got about 10 hours on the unit because it was broken so much. My unit was a 18hp motor on the same frame as the 23hp. Pushing a 14x42 boat.
> ...


Serpentine


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Be very careful of the belt tension. To much and the shaft will break.
The last unit I had was a serpentine and it didn't make it back from the test run. And it was a brand new unit from dixie.


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## duckilla (Nov 20, 2014)

Well after doing some investigating I decided to just take my motor off the Dixie frame and put it on a longtail frame thanks for everyone's comments.


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