Trolling Motor Issues

[tucker1998]

I have a motor guide foot controlled trolling motor that is 46 pounds thrust, and yesterday I was rewiring it. Everything was fine with the wires, but now the foot controll is not turning the motor...it will only slightly turn the motor and there is a lot of play in the foot pedal...need help.. Thanks

[Wayne P.]

May be a broken steering cable. Have you checked that?

Typical breaking point is where the cable enters the top of the motor. That is usually a result of unnessary bending when stowing.

[Fishing Rhino]

I've had this happen twice.  The cable did not break.  It pulled out of the steering rack.  When manufactured, the cable is swaged/crimped where it goes through a cylinder that is part of the rack.  The first time it was under warranty.

 

But, I made a temporary repair.  I drilled between the teeth on the end of the rack where the cable passes into it.  I then threaded the hole and put in a set screw to hold the cable.  I also took a pair of vice grips and carefully crimped the cylinder where the steering cable passes through it.

 

When the new cable came in, I took the "repaired" cable in to exchange it for the new cable.  Two years later, that cable pulled free from the rack.  I fixed it with the set screw trick and have not had a problem since.

 

In both instances, I got a symptom that indicated the cable was beginning to slip.  I was constantly having to adjust the direction indicator on the top of the engine to line it up with the motor and prop.  I also felt a slight clicking in the foot pedal.  That clicking was caused by the cable sliding, disengaging where it was crimped and then engaging again when steered the other way.  Eventually the slipping gradually got worse until it finally failed.

 

A hole in the rack passes from one side to the other.  It's like a window, and you can see the cable in that hole when it's in place.  I drilled and tapped a second hole between the rack teeth and through that hole.

 

With everything in place, I tightened the first set screw.  I then installed a set screw in the second hole that was in line with the viewing hole in the rack.  I then tightened it enough to put a bend in the cable.

 

It is impossible for it to slip now.

[Crappiebasser]

It could be the cable pulled out of the rack or the pinion gear spinning on its threads. The gear threads on and has a set screw that can come loose and let it spin.