Minn Kota Maxxum odd shaft wear?

[tboydva]

Can't understand what has happened here... Motor has been making "grinding" noise when rotating back and forth (like sand in the bearings). I gained access so I could see both bearing assemblies and I noticed that the shaft has a wear groove in it (below where the bearings sit)? Perhaps I need to cut the shaft down a few inches, redirll and remove the worn section. Could put in a new set of top and bottom bearings... Still - I can't figure out why it's wearing the way it is? Perhaps if I pull everything out, I can see what's causing it??? Anyone had similar issue(s)???

 

[gm280]

Not being able to see the outer shaft where that wear pattern would have come from, I can't make even an educated guess. However, you can buy such parts new and reinstall new bearings and cone if need be. I've rebuilt a few myself. If anything gets into the bearings sections or they are not snug fitted, wear will happen like that. You can cut off a little of the shaft and adjust it IF the splined area is attached to the inter shaft and not merely machined into it. Either way you decide to go, it is fixable...

 

[tboydva]

As I've been mulling this over, I suspect a bearing must have come out of the race and lodged down between the shafts (and scored the inner one as you see it...). See quite a few posts (and yt videos) for shortening the shaft in these motors. I think that'll be the idea. Get a new set of bearings, trim down the shaft (and find out what's lodged in there and remove it), then re-assemble and spend my time fishing! Thanks for the reply... After you mentioned something getting into the shaft space. Thanks!