Transom motor for Bow of boat

[mstpierre]

I would like to put a transom mount motor on the front of my boat.  The boat I have has a very small mounting area on the bow so I would be mounting a bracket for a transom mount.  My question is this:

Is there any way to spin the head or the shaft 180 degrees so that when the trolling motor handle is racing to the rear of the boat, the forward gears will actually pull the boat forward and the reverse gear move the boat backwards?  If I were to just mount the transom mount motor to the bracket as is, I would have to reach out in front of the boat to run the motor and that is obviously not going to work.  Any Ideas, pictures, experiences would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for reading this.

[BrianinMD]

You should be able to remove the screw which holds the head at the shaft and spin 180 degrees then put the screw back in.  Its a pretty easy procedure.

[CFFF 1.5]

For mounting to the boat I used 3 90* angle metal shelving brackets and screwed a 2x6 to it. It works really well, and I haven't had any problems with it. It has been very sturdy.

[cart7t]

I seem to recall that either BPS or Cabela's sells a TM mount that does what you want.  

[TommyBass]

BrianinMD is exactly right.  Most transom mount motors will allow you to pull off the top section and spin it around 180 degrees.  Your motor will still face forward so there is no need to switch the controls.  Forward would still be forward and backwards would be backwards.  Best bet would be to contact the manufacturer on your specific model.  

[Daniel My Brother]

I did this a couple of years back to my motorguide TM. I actually called Motorguide and they faxed directions to my office for flipping the head. Sadly, I can't find what I did with those directions. Still, this is a pretty common modification and I'm guessing the manufacturer could offer some insight if you need it. I did.

I also chose to use the TM mount sold at BPS for around $20. At first I hated it because there was so much flex in the mount. After time, and hitting a few stumps, I've learned to like it and no longer notice the flex.

[ImaRapalabeliever]

Hey Daniel I saw this mount at BPS and almost bought it, but I was told the mount has to mount through the handle in the front of the boat. I have my nav lights on the front of the boat right in the center above the handle so I didn't think it would work. I notice that you have yours hanging to the side of the center. How does the mount stay stable on the boat? Is it bolted into the boat somehow?  Also how long is the shaft on your TM?  I have a 14 foot flat bottom Jon, I'm not sure of the shaft length am worried it wont be long enough.

[Daniel My Brother]

Hey Daniel I saw this mount at BPS and almost bought it, but I was told the mount has to mount through the handle in the front of the boat. I have my nav lights on the front of the boat right in the center above the handle so I didn't think it would work. I notice that you have yours hanging to the side of the center. How does the mount stay stable on the boat? Is it bolted into the boat somehow? Also how long is the shaft on your TM? I have a 14 foot flat bottom Jon, I'm not sure of the shaft length am worried it wont be long enough.

I drilled 3 holes in my boat to permanently install the TM Mount. No regrets. I've read several reviews on the mount, and most do not like it because of the flex. I think the flex is one of the benefits, but agree that it may take a little getting used to.  

I've seen other methods, including an L bracket with a small section of 2" x 6" that seems to work just fine as a homemade TM Mount.

The shaft is either 28 or 30 inches, I can't remember. It's just a cheap $99 Wal-Mart motor, but it's plenty long enough for a jon boat. No complaints.

[ImaRapalabeliever]

Thanks buddy

[IDbasser]

I have one for my 14ft boat that I turned the head on.  It was easy to do, and makes it much easier to use.