trolling motor release help needed

[jmg]

Bought a different boat few months ago.  Working on being able to use it before freeze-up.  It has an older MinnKota bowmount motor on it.  I can't find a model number on it, since that seems to be worn off.  Says autopilot on it and "stronger longer" on the lower unit.  I don't know if the shaft is bent or if I just don't know how to deploy the motor, but it(lower unit) almost seems glued into the cradle.  I have tried spraying the shaft with armor all and even wd40, but not much help.  Don't want to wreck anything so I would appreciate any help.  Thanks.  Have a great HolidayWeekend!

[h8go4s]

Is the stop collar at the top of the shaft or the bottom?

[jmg]

It is at the top. One of the first things I checked, since I've neglected that one too often over the years.

[delcecchi]

I have heard good things about pb blaster.  That said, sometimes those Power Drive motors can be difficult to deploy.   Try lifting up some on the bottom part of the motor to take some of the pressure off the cradle where it sits.  That cradle thing was typically the problem for me as I recall, not the shaft sliding through whatever that thing is called. 

Sorry for the inadequate vocabulary.

Oh, and another suggestion.  Go to nearest store that has powerdrives and look at how that retention cradle thing works. That will show you what you need to do to make it let go of the motor.

[h8go4s]

Does it have the deploy assist lever like the photo below? You need to press down hard and fast to pop it out.

[jmg]

Just checked and no, my motor does not have  that device.

[delcecchi]

As I remember from my old minnkota, there is a cradle that holds the power head..If that doesn't move easily, it can be a bear to get the motor deployed. 

A trick I just recalled is to push down on the top of the motor which should take some of the pressure off the cradle and help it move.  Or, if the boat is on the trailer you could lift up on the powerhead and try to move the cradle off its detents. 

That cradle is most likely to be the issue.   Mine, not sure whether it was a pd1 or pd2, always was a pain to deploy.  That's why I now have a terrova. 

[h8go4s]

Armorall on the cradle helps.

[jmg]

I went back out and doused the cradle and shaft with more armorall, pulled up on the powehead and was finally able to pull the powerhead out of the cradle.  Will put more armorall on before cradling the powerhead again.  What a pita!  Hope it goes easier ot on the water.  Thanks to all who replied.  Enjoy the nice weather Holiday tomorrow!

Edited September 6, 2015 by jmg

[delcecchi]

Good Luck.   What is the armorall you use?  I thought it was something to make the dashboard shiny. 

[jmg]

It is the same stuff.  I have a spray bottle of it.  Comes in handy for keeping trolling motor shafts "slippery", unless, of course, the motor has sat unused for a long time. Ha!  Spray, wipe off excess and it does a pretty good job.  Used to use it on my old carpeted bunk trailers.  Seemed to help with launching and loading.  By the way, I had read somewhere that Armorall should not be used on dashboards, due to  excessive glare from the sun on the shiny surface that could interfere with driver vision.  Who knows?  

[delcecchi]

Never bothered me.  I would use some oil or something on the moving parts of that cradle.  I bet motorcycle chain lube would work well.  It sticks, but can get a little messy.

[delmuts]

I never had problems with glare when using armorall on the dash; BUT !!  Made the mistake of spraying my seats!!

[h8go4s]

So how did you get it off the seats? I never even considered doing that. If I recall correctly, the instructions warn against using it on the steering wheel.

[delmuts]

Jeans help wearing it off.Ya! The steering wheel is not good either!

[SledNeck]

I use aerospace 303 on steering wheel and seats. This stuff is the best. Also is great on my tonneau cover. It looks like brand new after 3 years.