Motorguide shaft issue

[hartofdixie]

Hey Everyone,
I have a 71 lb thrust foot-controlled Motorguide trolling motor I recently acquired in a new-to-me boat purchase that is having problems. The issue is the bottom shaft that connects to the motor spins freely, although I can use the foot controlled pedal to spin the motor also. The problem that the motor does not stay in position because the torque of the motor. The arrow on top is also loose and does not correlate to the direction of the motor, does anyone have any ides on what might be causing this? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[himmelrr]

Re: Motorguide shaft issue

I have the same motor and I bought mine new. It has had a couple of small issues similar to your.

(1) The arrow at the top is a simple gear. Take off the cover - three screws under the top of the motor. If they are already loose, you found your problem. If they are tight the short shaft is broken (JB Weld is your friend). If the gear is stripped, then buy a new "arrow." Either should be an east fix.

(2) The shaft could be a couple of things. Check the joint between the upper and lower shafts. The set screws might be loose. If they are, back out the screws then pull hard on the bottom shaft and tighten the set screws. You might want to lube the bearing at the joint before tightening the set screws. If everything is tight and the motor still moves left/right too easy then it is more expensive fix. It has to do with the tension of the upper bearing. You can take the motor to a repair center and have them fix it but I went with an easier fix...a little widget called a Perfect Troll.

RH