Trolling Motor Question

[sam blatt]

Hi everyone. Well today i was out fishing, and i was going to take off to the next spot. Well, i forgot to pull up the trolling and got soaked with water. I pull up to the next spot and drop the trolling motor in the water. I noticed that the foot control for the trolling motor is extremely stiff now. I just about have to put my whole body wait on it just to get it to turn. Has this happened to anyone and if so how can i fix it? I really hope i didnt mess something up badly. I have a Motorguide 46 thrust pound trolling motor. I think its just the basic one they give ya. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Sam.

 

[Terry Rittenhouse]

Sounds like you may have bent the shaft.

 

[sam blatt]

Is there a way to straighten the shaft out or buy just a new shaft? Or would i have too buy a whole new trolling motor?

 

[Charlie Carter]

Did the exact same thing about a year ago to my 67# Motorguide. After a few more trips on the water it loosened back up. Does the shaft appear bent?

 

[sam blatt]

No the shaft doesn't appear bent. Hopefully it'll loosen up.

 

[Terry Rittenhouse]

If the shaft is bent, it can be replaced. It is not too bad of a project for the average do-it-yourselfer. Hopefully it will be as Charlie suggested.

 

[Steve Johansen]

I would suggest that you take it apart and check all components to see what is bent and straighten each piece individually the put it back together. If it's just stiff I'm sure you can get it freed up again by straightening everything.

 

[sam blatt]

I'll take it out a couple of more times b4 i winterize it and see if it loosenes up. If it doesn't loosen, then i'll take it apart and see what is bent. Thanks for the help.

 

[Matthew Wolfgram]

I had done this aswell with my minnkota. Got sidetracked with something and totally forgot about it. Same thing with the foot control only mine one-uped yours, it would only let me turn it about 90 degrees. Took it home, removed upper cap where the upper bearing was, and noticed that the whole shaft had actually pushed up. So the little plastic gears were actually binding. So.....I don't recomend you keep trying to loosen it up, because you may actually damage it more. All I did was loosen the lower shaft clamp and the upper shaft clamp, pulled the shaft back down to the point where the gears weren't binding anymore, and re-tightened everything. Motor has been great ever since. The shaft only had to come down about an 1/8". Hope this helps you a bit.

 

[THOMMO59]

Hands up who's never forgot to put their TM up at least once!!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Yepper....got the shower to prove it!!:lol: One of those things you will only do once. I'm a bit surprised that it bent with just the pressure of taking off in the down position. MG's with the metal shaft although noiser, usually are tough. If I ever hit anything with any force, the mount would give before the shaft would bend. I have known some that bent the shaft, pulled the TM off the boat and just stood on it laid across a couple of 2X4's to get it back to straight. Mine didn't bend when on Lake Champlain fishing in very large swells on the City Ledge, the water actually dropped out from underneath me and my rig and sat me down on the bottom It busted my TM prop and lockdown pin but never hurt the shaft......go figure.

 

[Mini]

I have beny mine (when I used MG) and fixed it using the trailer "V". I laid the shaft across with the high side up and pressed down until it was straight. Fixed it right up!



Now I use MK and dont have trolling motor issues! lol (Damn now I probably jinxed myself!)