Trolling motor: shorten the shaft?

cptmarvel

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jun 3, 2016
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Hey all. While on vacation this week I picked up a 55 lb minn-Kota maxxum. Good shape, better price. Huge sucker. Issue is, or maybe, it has a 42" shaft like for a deep V boat. I'm putting it on a 17 ft Lowe Jon. My current motor has a 32" shaft. I don't know yet whether this will be an issue or not. I may be able to loosen the collars and raise the shaft/motor assembly, but that's going to shorten the control harness. Wondering if it's possible to shorten the shaft? Will have to figure in what effect that will have on the fold up, but maybe a few inches off each end?
 

Silvertip

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Sep 22, 2003
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28,758
Not a problem to shorten the shaft. Will not affect the mount.
 

mjf55

Chief Petty Officer
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Jun 17, 2014
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462
Not sure what the shaft looks like inside, if there are splines or special cuts in the shaft, but I would extend the control harness. For ME, that would be easier. Show us some pictures of the shaft.
Never mind. I looked it up. I defer to Silvertip. The shaft is a tube with wires in it.
 
Last edited:

gm280

Supreme Mariner
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Jun 26, 2011
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14,585
You can cut the shaft down. However, make certainly the absolute length you want. Because it is easier to cut off, then to add on. In order to cut such a trolling motor shaft, you have to open up the head unit and disconnect all the wires that go down the shaft to the foot and motor. Then slide the shaft out of the head unit and cut to where you marked it. Then reverse the operation and there you have it. It really is easy to do. But installing a new shaft is a lot harder because you have to get the foot unit sealed with the shaft and that isn't as easy to do. I have rebuilt a few trolling motors myself.
 

cptmarvel

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jun 3, 2016
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113
So it's best to NOT take a couple inches off of each end. Clear. I have to finish my other nightmare first: the wiring harness (or lack of).
 

gm280

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So it's best to NOT take a couple inches off of each end. Clear. I have to finish my other nightmare first: the wiring harness (or lack of).

NO :nono: NO, don't cut some off end end. Reason? The foot end can be threaded. And if you cut off those threads, how are you going to thread it back to the foot again? :noidea:

If you do want to cut some off the shaft length, measure how much you want to cut off before disassembling the head unit. I would do that while it is on the boat to get that measurement correct. Then when you remove the head unit, after disconnecting the wires, you probably are going to have a few screws that go through the head unit into the shaft to hold the head unit on tightly. So you will have to redrill those holes as well and maybe even tap them to the correct thread once you cut off the length. It really depends on how your trolling motor is assembled. But it really isn't a very complicated job. Just time consuming.
 

fishrdan

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Jan 25, 2008
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6,989
Bow mount or transom mount Maxxum?

I would mount the TM and use it for a couple outings before shortening the shaft. It may be completely usable with the longer shaft, and that additional length may come in handy. I have a 42" shaft on my 14' jon boat and don't find the additional length bad, comes in useful if I want to run the TM from a standing position. Raise the TM and tilt the handle to where I can reach it easily.

If and when you sell the TM, a longer shaft TM is easier to sell, more desired, at least in my area...
 

cptmarvel

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jun 3, 2016
Messages
113
It's bow mount. Pretty hefty motor. I'm going to mount it as is and try sliding up and down, see what depth works best. Too long and won't be good in shallows.
 

fishrdan

Admiral
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Jan 25, 2008
Messages
6,989
I have a 60" shaft PowerDrive on my 18'er and it's not an issue going into shallow water, just adjust the depth collar. If I'm going slow, I can grab it under (low) power and raise it, then adjust the depth collar.

If you get in rough water, you'll need the extra length to keep the powerhead submerged. Especially useful if the main engine konks out in bad weather and you need to make it back to safety, cove, dock.
 
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