Ultrex 112 big flaw in control head/shaft design

[foo]

It has happened to me twice now so it is definitely a big design flaw that I thought I would share so hope it will prevent it from happening to you as well. The head of the trolling motor is held together by on single 10-24 x1 7/8th's stainless Phillips head screw thru the shaft. This screw will eventually wear thru the shaft and the control head will pop off. It takes about two years to happen even if you are very careful. I know this because it has happened to me twice. There is a shaft collar you can tighten but that slips as well. I have the 60 inch model----I would imagine shorter shafts will take longer for this to happen.

I called Minnkota (I usually love their customer service)--they said there is absolutely nothing they can do about it---which I found quite surprising actually. The shaft has a lifetime warranty so it will be re-shafted over and over I guess for free. He said buy a Terrova or Ulterra to solve it. That's is a terrible suggestion.


Anyways, thought I would put that out there to help others.

[bobcoy]

Trying to understand, That is the same setup as the other motors they suggested. Unless something is keeping the head of the trolling motor from turning what is making that screw cut into the shaft?

[foo]

It is simply the weight of the motor being deployed over time. The shaft slides down to the depth collar and then the collar pushes up on the control head/screw. A simple metal grommet for the screw to pass thru would easily solve this.

[mrsturggie]

To me it looks like product abuse. That’s a result of not setting the depth collar and securing it solid. Then just letting it slam down when deploying and the bolt takes the load and busts the end of the shaft out after repeated slamming

[mrsturggie]

I’ve had the same ultrex since the first wk they were released. Not once have I had that happen to mine. Just sayin

[foo]

Well you are wrong

[foo]

To me it looks like product abuse. That’s a result of not setting the depth collar and securing it solid. Then just letting it slam down when deploying and the bolt takes the load and busts the end of the shaft out after repeated slamming

You have a 60 inch shaft?

[mrsturggie]

What i have is a depth collar that takes the load, not the bolt that retains the head assembly

[06 SB]

Owned Ultrex motors for many years. Never an issue with me.

[lpugh]

Well you are wrong

The head is not to be used as a stop, use the stop clamp

[Highcentered]

My Ultrex is set at max depth with collar up against the head. Been that way since day one nearly 4.5 years ago and never a problem. I just have the shortest shaft offered though because I want my motor as out of the way as possible. Just a 24v but design should be the same? This is actually the first I've ever heard of this happening.

[Bradrodfish]

Will be the one to buss the balloon.
You said that the depth collar keeps letting your motor slide down the shaft. Well That is fixable. either replace the depth collar or add something to the troll motor shaft above the depth collar and you will solve your problem.
The constant pounding of the the head of the troll motor against the depth collar cause that and that is why you should never run the depth collar against the head.
The screw that holds the head is not the problem it is the depth collar that is the problem. A redesign of the screw assembly will not fix your problem. Fix your depth collar issue.
I have worked on probably 250 Ultrex since they come out and I had to fix one with that problem. He hit the dock.

[AndrewM-Fishing]

Didn't have the stop collar tight and lets it slam down when deploying. Simple as that...

[foo]

As I mentioned in my first post. I have a 60" shaft on the Ultrex. A 45 and 52 is a different design all together as far as pressure from the shaft collar goes. For the people that say I let it slam down, you are simply speculating that's what I am doing. I have attached a pic of my fix and you will notice if you zoom in, how the extremely tightened shaft collar has pushed in to my electric tape fix. This is after two days of fishing in a tournament. The only thing holding the head on is this tape---if it slams against the head just once I am out of the tournament---so you can assume that I was as careful as I could possibly be knowing this. Look at the bottom on my electric tape stop after 2 days of fishing. The collar will not hold no matter how hard it is tightened down. There is a lot of play going up and down on the shaft on a 60" Ultrex that puts a tremendous pressure on the collar which little by little slides up with every deployment.

I didn't buy a 58" Ultrex I bought a 60" Ultrex and I will continue to tighten the collar a 1/2 inch below the head on windy daysUltrex tape.jpg because I want to use the length that I bought (on calm days however I put the collar way down the shaft). The collar will continue to slide into the head no matter how hard you tighten down. The solution is to readjust after every single deployment and that is a ridiculous solution. The waves are often very large and that solution is not realistic in the bow of a deep V boat.

[foo]

Will be the one to buss the balloon.
You said that the depth collar keeps letting your motor slide down the shaft. Well That is fixable. either replace the depth collar or add something to the troll motor shaft above the depth collar and you will solve your problem.
The constant pounding of the the head of the troll motor against the depth collar cause that and that is why you should never run the depth collar against the head.
The screw that holds the head is not the problem it is the depth collar that is the problem. A redesign of the screw assembly will not fix your problem. Fix your depth collar issue.
I have worked on probably 250 Ultrex since they come out and I had to fix one with that problem. He hit the dock.

Thanks for the constructive ideas. That is exactly why I started this thread to hopefully prevent this from happen to guys with the 60 inch Ultrex shaft and come up with a realistic solution to fix it. I like the idea of taking off the collar all together and putting a stop like on the lower part of the shaft. If I did that I would actually gain length with the collar gone. I would guess most of the people commenting don't even have the model I have.

[foo]

Didn't have the stop collar tight and lets it slam down when deploying. Simple as that...

This is incorrect

[foo]

The head is not to be used as a stop, use the stop clamp

Re-read my first post. I think you missed the entire gist of why I started this thread. I do not use the head as a stop--this is what breaks it. The shaft collar does not hold. This is a 60 " shaft in heavy wind and waves--the collar slides little by little every deployment and probably even from the up and down of the waves (although I am not sure on this).

[lpugh]

If you have enough room install 2 new collars, use some very course sandpaper on the clamp area to rough up the surface for a better grip or apply a coating of valve grinding compound, your present clamp is probably warped, and the gap closed completely thus you cannot get it truly tight.

[Bill Reynolds]

My collar would not tighten up enough to prevent the head slipping down so I put a split collar on the shaft.
If I visualize your problem correctly, this should help.

[foo]

My collar would not tighten up enough to prevent the head slipping down so I put a split collar on the shaft.
If I visualize your problem correctly, this should help.

Finally! Thank you...now we are getting somewhere. Great idea.