MinnKota Powerdrive V2 issue

I've had the trolling motor for a few years and have had this problem since I got it. The problem is that I have to just about stomp on the deployment lever just to get it to deploy. Just as difficult to stow sometimes too. Tried lubricants with very few short term results.

Question is, does anyone know of a permanent fix?? I'm getting ready to start reworking the motor rests if no better solution is out there.

Thks.

Re: MinnKota Powerdrive V2 issue

The motor rests are not the problem. Here is how you fix the issue. Pictures are of the pre-V2 but the situatiion is much the same. The hard rubber blocks are compressed when motor is stowed thus placing a lot of tension on the pivoting mechanism thus making the motor hard to slide out. Trim off a bit of the rubber block. The last picture shows some grinding has been done on the three surfaces. Don't do tht unless trimming the blocks doesn't help as much as you'd like. Keep banging on the deploy lever and you will succeed in breaking it.

Re: MinnKota Powerdrive V2 issue

Thanks much for the response Silvertip. I am familiar with those blocks & will do some modification. Do you know if changing the "spring rate" of the blocks has been tried by drilling holes through the blocks??

(BTW, "stomping on the deployment lever" was a bit of an exaggeration.)

Re: MinnKota Powerdrive V2 issue

Haven't tried that or spoken with anyone that has but is worth a try. What I do know is that you don't need to trim off very much so if you do drill holes, make them very small to start and then progress from there. I don't know why some of those motors have such an issue and others don't My last non-v2 motor had a horrible issue, but my V2 did not. What the V2 does like however, is rather than a slow depression of the handle, just give it is quick push. Many times the adjustable lock collar at the bottom of the shaft is screwed too far down which means the motor must be pulled up farther than it needs to. The farther up it's pulled. the tigher the motor becomes.

Re: MinnKota Powerdrive V2 issue

I just logged i here to talk about that collar. I did some experiments with mine today and just screwing it down a couple of turns made it very difficult to deploy. Screwing it up ( toward the deployment lever) made it easier.

Re: MinnKota Powerdrive V2 issue

Tried changing spring rate with the drilling idea today. Used a 3/16" drill bit to drill two holes on a centerline in each of the rubber "springs". One hole 1/4" from the top edge, the second 1/2" below the first. Tried the stow & deploy exercise with just one hole but that seemed to have very little effect. With the second hole added there was probably a 75--80% improvement. We'll see how it works out on the next fishing outing and fine tune as needed.

Thanks again Silvertip for pointing me in the right direction.