Ultrex Installation and adjustment

[willywonka]

Great point mich. I was going to buy one next week but most of my fishing is deep water. That angle will kill my drop shoting. I got to get this figured out before I spend that much money

[akaslyguy]

I use an external transducer and I don't think it would be too hard to level up the transducer shield and saver bracket with something under one side.

[akaslyguy]

Double post

[Slant]

I agree with the comments about the issue of leveling a transducer and the comment about installing some sort of wedge under the Fortrex bracket... I have thought of all these possible solutions but it still begs the question of why one must resort to such tactics when no previous Minnkota motor was so designed. I am hopeful someone can find out the reason Minnkota engineers and designers felt this deviation was necessary. In the mean time I feel a bit cheated because none of the promotional efforts for the Ultrex mentioned this design factor- nor is it addressed in the installation or owner manual. Had I known it is unlikely I would have purchased this product.

A bi-product of this design is that the Ultrex head is raised significantly on the boat gunnel when in the stowed position. As I noted in a previous post the Ultrex sets 11 inches higher in stowed position than the Maxxium on my boat.

[akaslyguy]

I agree and I'm interested in the reason too. Major height difference between this one and the motorguide tour I had before, but I knew that before the purchase. I don't have a custom cover though, thank goodness or that would be something else to have to modify.

[AllyFishing]

Any current Fortrex owners out there that can measure the highest part of their motor in the stowed postion so I can compare it to my Ultrex? 80LB 45"

[TXsteve362]

Not the 80 lb but my old Fortex 112 is same height as my Ulterx 112...right at 15"

[MichAngler]

I've tried to look at the all the models Minn Kota offers at this time and I can't find another motor with this negative angle to the deployment – I need and explanation!

John please let us know what they say

Something else I just noticed is the location were the shaft goes into the motor is not the same as a Fortrex / Maxxum

This must have something to do with the electric steering because all the other electric steer motors shafts go into the motor at the same location as the Ultrex

This will mean that the end with the prop is going to hang off the mount more and could affect weather or not you can stow it with the prop inboard also might mean that the prop hangs off the boat more if stowed in the outboard position and may cause issues with your cover

[Brady bass]

It's Not a fortrex. ...it's gunna be different

[AllyFishing]

^^^^^yup I agree...and I admit I am guilty of expecting it to be like my MG tour 82 LB 45". Sooo...I'm going to go forward with a clean slate of opinions and use the motor and grow accustomed to it just like I would if I were to get in to a totally different boat than what I'm used to.

[Slant]

I spoke with a customer representative at Minnkota (Johnson Outdoors) today about this issue. He was initially unaware of the rearward tilt or angle but agreed to view photos of my installation and consult an engineer. After receiving the photos he call me back, promptly, and explained that the engineer said the rearward angle was necessary to ensure the motor stayed secure on the motor mount in a stowed position.. in order words the negative angle puts pressure (a slight bend) on the shaft when it is stowed. I asked why this was necessary with the Ultrex and not the Fortrex when both utilize the same mount. I didn't fully understand the response but it had something to do with now the shaft is held in the housing assembly.

Bottom line, the Ultrex motor shaft is aligned at a negative, or greater than 90 degree, angle to the Ultrex motor mount and that is the way it is... His suggestion was similar to ones previously suggested... shim the front of the motor mount. I wish I had known before my purchase.

[Jonestrollingmotor]

I got the email back from MinnKota regarding this. Basically as said above. Since the Ultrex is using the same shaft/motor assembly as the Terrova and is using a transmission instead of a bowguard (different geometry), this was designed into the transmission/bowguard in order to put downward pressure on the lower unit so it would rest solid on the motor rest.
John

[SeanH]

John,

Important enough topic, that you might consider a Sticky at top of page....

Sean

[bloodman]

So instead of designing the correct mount, you can just shim it. Got it.

[foo]

Sigh.....

OK which one of you guys is going to make a Ultrex shim that I can buy?

[Slant]

I think there will be a market for it once others discover the problem and I certainly hope someone does design one.

[akaslyguy]

Yeah, and my idea of "just shimming" my external transducer will not work after I thought about it. Shimming it would only make it level in one direction. If you turn the motor around, the low front end is now the high back end because of the shaft angle. Any correction has to be to the mount. But since it is made this way on purpose, wouldn't changing it to level negate what the engineers did it for in the first place...... causing a potential problem?

Now I am wishing I would have used one of the universal mounts, like i started to do in the first place, to make any future changes a little easier.

[Slant]

Yes. Every boat will differ but on my Triton 21 X2 I have calculated the mount would have to be raised, or shimmed, approximately four (4) inches in the front to return the motor shaft to near vertical. The upside is that this would lower the motor head on the gunnel by the same amount. It probably still would not allow my fitted cover to work but would make a cover modification less extensive. When all is said and done installing the Ultrex motor will be a very expensive proposition.

[Slant]

I don't think raising the mount in the front would negate the pressure on the shaft when the motor is stowed. The angle of the shaft to the mount would remain the same, only the angle of the shaft to the bow of the boat, and the water line, would change.

[Slant]

I am not an engineer but it appears to me all of this problem could have been easily eliminated if only Minnkota had engineered an adjustment for the shaft alignment and then allowed the customer to determine where or not a retaining strap is needed to secure the motor in the stowed position. That worked for years with the Maxxium and the Fortrex