Check your Minn Kota

[Fishn50]

Buying a second hand Electric motor can very cost effective as new Minn Kotas with Ipilot are well over $2.5k.

I went down this route last year and paid $1350 for a second hand 6 year old Ipilot, 55lb, 54" shaft. All looked great and i tested it working on the boat it was from, it did everything it was supposed too. I used it around 6 times and loved it, (they are the best and i would never be without one now).

I decided that it was time to clean and lube the release control area, which was as simple as screwing off the side covers, cleaning up all the old grease and reapplying knew grease and white lithium grease to other areas. It worked super smooth after doing this, it was much easier to deploy and to stow. I recommend doing this.

The prop was the next thing to come off, i thought a quick clean and grease and away we go. Hmm was i wrong, what i found shocked me, meters and meters of braid and mono wrapped around the back of the propeller shaft, the only way to get it off was with long nose pliers and a stanley knife, it was wound on so hard it took 20 mins to remove it all. In my case i was very lucky that the seal was intact and had no wear which i was so happy about. A clean and grease and it was all good to go again. 

I would suggest that if anyone is looking at buying a second hand electric motor no matter what brand to ask if the propeller can be taken off to see whats behind it. Its a 2 minute job and could save you hundreds or more.  If the seal was damaged and leaked it would have meant salt water was getting into the prop motor which would kill it very quickly. They are not cheap to replace either well over the $500 mark!

Anyway here are the photos and i hope this bit of information will help many. 

 

 

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Fishn50

[bluefin]

Thank You, Howard.