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Question for guys who have changed shafts on a Minn Kota Troller.

23K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  mackstevend 
#1 ·
Question guys who have put longer shafts on their trollers.

I have done this twice with two different trollers and have failed both times to get them to seal correctly at the shaft. The first one I did I used blue loctite on the threads just like the instructions said. first time out it got water in the head and smoked the armature. The second one I used 5 min two part epoxy from loctite as well, this one lasted most of a season but the first time out this year the bond broke and allowed the shaft to come loose from the head (again allowing water to get into the motor, have not yet assesed damage) and I have a new shaft on order to repair this one.

What have you guys had sucess with to seal and keep the threads tight on the saft to lower unit interface?
 
#28 ·
There are some plastic materials that do not do well with loctite. If you use it as an adhesive for the trolling shaft, make sure the plastic armature plate is out of the motor until fully cured. The molded plastic armature plates from two Maxxim 55 motors "exploded" from the fumes and I am in the process of having to rebuild two brand new lower units. I have yet to know if using red loctite on the bottom half of the threads and a 3M 5200 urethane marine adhesive on the top half of the threads will work to seal the top of the shaft properly, but that is what I am using.
 
#9 ·
I've used silicon on two so far with no issues. You need to put whatever your using on the motor head threads not the shaft threads. If you put it on the shaft it will get twisted off before its even a thread deep on the motor. Once you bottom out the shaft put a bead around the top.
 
#11 ·
If you put your sealant or glue on the threads in the motor housing it will push it into your housing, and i don't know about you but i sure don't want loctite running onto my electrical motor components. It is just like gluing anything else always apply glue to the male portion of what you are putting together
 
#12 ·
I've never changed a shaft, and if anyone could screw it up it would be me. However, I'd think you'd want to put the adhesive on the female threads and then have that part upside down as the shaft is screwed upward into the motor. Leave it upside down till it's dried and the loctite shouldn't get on any of the motor's guts I'd think.
 
#14 ·
Always dope/seal female threads, not male regardless of what connection you are working on. If you look in the threaded hole in the troller, it's just a collar welded to the outside of the motor housing with a smaller hole inside for the wires to pass through to the brushes. It would take A LOT of excess sealant to get into the motor housing.
Knowing that I would be changing the troller shaft somewhat frequently, I bought the 1-1/8" tap for the threads which helps dramatically with the thread prep. I would recommend this to everyone, a great $100 investment.
 
#17 ·
Well, I opened it up tonight and dumped about a quart of water out of the motor, surprisingly there was not much damage inside. I ended up pulling the armature out and gluing the shaft in place on the housing with JB weld, I put it on the female threads and it did push quite a bit through into the housing. so I would suggest not doing the female side unless you have the motor torn apart. however it did seem to do a better job this way. As far as using the JB I guess I will report back as to how well it worked, although with my experience with JB weld I hope to hell I never have to take this apart again.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Sounds like you've already replaced the shaft using JB Weld :)cf:), but just wanted to add to the the list as another person who has replaced a shaft using 271 red loctite (motor upside down & loctite on female threads). I also put a small bead of silicone around the last few remaining visible male threads before it was fully tightened (near where shaft goes from threaded to smooth). Going strong 1-2 years later.

Also, like WBG444 said, I cleaned the threads very well. I used a small pick and wire brush and went through all the threads with it, but the correct sized tap would work better/quicker. Same concept -- get all the old glue and fiberglass/plastic/whatever off the old threads.

I thought I found official Minnkota instructions on how to do this when I replaced mine but can't find them now.

Hope yours stays dry!
 
#27 ·
Minn Kota uses Red Loc-tite #271 with #7090 primer. It's also what Northland Marine recommends as well, so it's what I've used with no issues so far, and I've done several.

http://www.evin.nl/2005/interne links/minnkota/handleidingen/repair manuals/Lower Unit - Motor Assembly.pdf
I just removed an edge 70 shaft (original) and the sealant was not red loctite. It as very hard and gray, no red. I am waiting on parts from minn kota job seem simple enough the key is obviously getting the new shaft started straight. The lower half of the treads look new the upper half have been cleaned but still don't real good.
 
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