Trolling Motor problems

[Gerald]

About 2.5 years ago, I bought a new 5/3 speed 70 Lb Minn Kota Riptide trolling motor.

For the first year, it worked great. Then the 4 & 5 speeds stopped working.

A trip to DHP on Common street and installing a new switch and I was fixed up in a few minutes.

Then a couple months later, the trolling motor just stopped working. This time a wire broke that was suppose to connect to the switch. Also by this time the TM shaft had a 6+ inch long crack. I was told that when the crack got a little worse, they would replace if free.

A month or 2 later.....again the trolling motor stopped working. This time one of the metal connectors on the end of a wire had broken.

Are you seeing a pattern.

IMO..... the problem was that the head of the TM was vibrating too much. After the second wire broke, I started using a bungee cord to help reduce the vibration.

When the metal connector broke, I decided it was time to make some "improvements". The "head" vibrated a lot because it stuck out beyond the metal bracked that bolts to the boat. For my boat, the shaft is longer than need so I cut off 9". I also installed an eye bolt under the head to provide a better anchoring point. The lower half of the TM head mounts to the shaft, but due to the vibration the plastic housing had cracked. The TM was now out of warranty, so I order a new housing.

These improvements greatly reduced the head vibration, and the TM worked great for 3 or 4 months..... until 2 days ago, when I was getting to boat ready to go fishing.

After loading up my fishing gear, I decided to check the TM. Speeds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 all worked. I started to walk away and went back to try the reverse..... nothing. I tried the forward again and nothing worked.

I was getting upset. I checked to see if maybe the circuit breakers has tripped...no. I was getting power to the TM, but the prop would not turn.

The sheer pin was good, so I decided to take off the prop. The motor shaft turned freely by hand. I turned the TM handle again, and saw the motor shaft start turning. I turned it off and back on, but nothing this time.

I took a rubber hammer and hit on the motor and it started turning. Humm....there is a problem in the motor.

I took the motor cover off and all I could see is that it was kind of dirty. I then pulled the motor winding out, and it was fairly dirty down near where the brushes touch the coil. But there was no real damage to cause it to not run.

I then pulled the sleeve off so I could see the brushes. Again, they look ok and not damaged.

But when I looked inside the sleeve, I saw the problem. Inside the sleeve is a magnet [2 pieces] that are attached to sleeve. The corner of one of the magnets had broken off and a triangle piece about 1" x 1" x 1" was loose inside the motor. This loose piece of metal must have been keeping the motor from turning.

I cleaned up all the parts inside the motor and put it back together..... minus the broken piece. It is now working.

With this missing piece the TM probably is not back to 100% power. Does anyone have experience with running with a damaged magnet? I could glue the broke off piece back, but this could come off in the future.

When I examined the broken piece, the "break" appeared to be old like it had broken off a long time ago. I am now wondering if this broken piece could have been rubbing on the motor and causing higher amperage in the switch and causing the switch failures.

Here are a couple of pictures. The 3 rd pic is after I cleaned it up. I hope this can help someone if they are having a TM problem.

[Bumfisherman]

Trolling motors are like women. They are replaceable.

[Lake Chuck Duck]

We had the exact same thing on my dad's minn kota. I took it apart and found a piece of magnet broke off, bigger that the piece broke off of yours. Took it out, put motor back together, and hasnt missed a lick sense. That has been many years ago. I believe his broke by hitting the motor with something if I remember right

[meaux fishing]

Yep I had a magnet broke on my old motor... no problems with mine either

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Bumfisherman

Trolling motors are like women. They are replaceable.

Yea, I hear you...........and they both can be expensive to replace.




Good to hear others had good luck running the TM after a broken magnet.

I had a similar problem with magnets on an outboard engine flywheel breaking off. Magnets are fairly easy to replace..... if you can find a replacement magnet.

[keakar]

I see motors like that all the time and while you might be able to measure a slight loss in overall thrust in the single digits but nothing you can tell so your 70 lbs thrust motor might only be putting out 67 lbs of thrust.

it wont hurt it at all to run it like that and I cant see where its worth the trouble to replace the housing over that broken magnet as long as the rest is not fractured in any way but if you see signs of spider cracks it may happen again.

[Marque]

I went through a motor guide Great White in 6 months on my aluminum hull before I went to Minn Kota. I had problems with the Minn Kota as well but nowhere near as much as the Motor Guide. To me the Minn Kota is designed so much better, and the fiberglass shaft is better suited for the abuse it takes on the front of an aluminum boat. I installed a bounce buster when I put the Minn Kota on and it really helped with the stability. It mounts in the hole on your mount. Here is the link for one. I don't know if you have one but it attaches to the mount and sits between the upper arm of the mount and the deck of your boat. It’s not too expensive, I got mine at Superior in Lafayette. I am sure you can make something that would do the trick as well, it’s about the diameter of a broom handle. May save you some grief in the future.

http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Produc...TABILIZER-KIT/

[PEACEKEEPER]

I had a motor just like yours, with the same problems. Mine was getting so hot it melted the brush plate. After the third time i just told landry to send it back to minnkota. I wrote them a letter stating, "i know i am not kevin vandam but i feel this should be fixed. I was just asking for credit to buy another unit. Landry explained it good. He told me the problem is they are using plastic parts in the 70lb units not the brass parts like alll the others. These are not capable of handling the heat created. So when i spoke with a minkota spokesman he stated the units are not made to run on 3-5 for long periods of time. I asked him then why have those speeds and he could not answer. Nonetheless i sent the unit to them. After a few days i called them. They guy told me my unit was ready and about to be sent back to me. I asked him if he read my letter and he stated he wasn't the person who fixed my unit and he transfered me to the person who did. When i talk with tim he said he just read the letter and i pretty mush had sent him a new unit with all the work landry had done. We talked for awhile and i told him how popular they are here and how i would not like to give them free negative advertisement and i just wanted a credit to buy another unit. He said don't worry we will make it right. A few days later the ups man showed up with a huge box. In it was a new 80lb minn kota with a gas lever system. I was very impressed. The only thing i have done to it since is had landry put me a shorter shaft because it was too long for my aluminum boat.

[Clampy]

Those 70s are trash. 2 of mine friends had em and had all the problems yall speak of.

[PEACEKEEPER]

And that's the only models with the plastics pieces. I told the guys they would have a great product if they would only have used the brass pieces.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Marque

I went through a motor guide Great White in 6 months on my aluminum hull before I went to Minn Kota. I had problems with the Minn Kota as well but nowhere near as much as the Motor Guide. To me the Minn Kota is designed so much better, and the fiberglass shaft is better suited for the abuse it takes on the front of an aluminum boat. I installed a bounce buster when I put the Minn Kota on and it really helped with the stability. It mounts in the hole on your mount. Here is the link for one. I don't know if you have one but it attaches to the mount and sits between the upper arm of the mount and the deck of your boat. It’s not too expensive, I got mine at Superior in Lafayette. I am sure you can make something that would do the trick as well, it’s about the diameter of a broom handle. May save you some grief in the future.

http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Produc...TABILIZER-KIT/

I looked at this link..... but having a hard time visualizing what this would look like. Can you post a picture of yours.

[Marque]

It is the black rod between the mount and the boat. You can see it half way decent in this pic.

[Marque]

Found a couple of better ones. Instead of mounting the velcro support strap under the base of the mount. The guy at Superior suggested I just screw it into the rail on my boat so I could secure the head better. It worked pretty well.

[Gerald]

Thanks for the pic.

I see that this must be mounted to hole that is in the bracket. If I can find a piece thick rubber, I could make something like you have.

I will have to closely observe the head to see if it is still vibrates while running in choppy water.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Thanks for the pic.

I see that this must be mounted to hole that is in the bracket. If I can find a piece thick rubber, I could make something like you have.

I will have to closely observe the head to see if it is still vibrates while running in choppy water.

For the cost of a 3.5"x 1/4" galv. bolt [~$2.] I came up with this.

I cut off a small piece of the tubing shown in the picture and attached it to the 1/4" bolt on the bottom side of the TM bracket.

The parts I ordered last week to rebuild the motor, finally shipped out yesterday.

.