Hypothetical Ultrex Question

[Sirius Rich]

Hypothetical Question

In the following scenario what would you do?

1. You are 5 miles from the ramp.
2. You had to plow with the big motor and lift your Ultrex up to make it across two sand bars to get to a very remote section of a creek where normal people don’t go.
3. Between you and the ramp there are the two sand bars and a gazillion hardwood stumps just below the surface.
4. After fishing for awhile you decide to put the boat on the trailer.
5. You attempt to bring up your Ultrex and the cable breaks.
6. Your Ultrex is in the deployed position and locked.
7. You have a pair of dikes and pliers only.
8. How do you get to the ramp?

[bass-action]

Pretty sure you can raise the Ultrex up til its out of the water.

[Bummer]

Pull the plug and jump overboard������had to say it for my 500th post after 10 years

[Sirius Rich]

Pretty sure you can raise the Ultrex up til its out of the water.

I failed to mention that there is a 360 and a Down Scan transducer attached. The 360 installation includes a shaft collar to prevent raising the Ultrex high enough so the prop will not damage the 360 transducer.

The question I am trying to find an answer to is how do you access the latch bar to release the Ultrex to place in the stowed position? There is only a pair of needle nose pliers and a set of dikes to work with.

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[fishin couillon]

So are you stuck on the water right now???

With the pliers, can you remove the alan head bolt that removes the front portion off and access the latch bar to open it???

[bass-action]

Well, unless you are stuck on the water at the moment figure out what you would need to cure that problem and carry it with you.

[Real L]

I always carry a allen head tool to tighten the allen head screw that holds the motor. You can remove this screw and just lift the head unit and put it in the boat. I do that when I store my boat for the winter leaving the mount section on the boat and putting the head, shaft and motor in the garage.

[Sirius Rich]

So are you stuck on the water right now???

With the pliers, can you remove the alan head bolt that removes the front portion off and access the latch bar to open it???

This was the first thing tried, needle nose pliers can’t loosen the 5/16” Allen head bolt. My whole point of this thread is to hopefully prevent what happened to my fishing buddy and I; we were fishing out of his boat. We were saved by a local an hour later that was catfish hunting out of a 14’ johnboat and had a pair of small channel lock pliers with him. The Ultrex was removed and put on the deck and we were able to blow over the two sand bars and overheated his Merc. My suggestion is for all Ultrex owners is to carry the 1/4” Allen wrench as suggested above. And a long stout flat head screwdriver to MAYBE push the latch bar to release the mount, but still don’t think that is possible. This scenario was something neither one of thought about until yesterday.

I haven’t read this suggestion in any Minn Kota literature. Not saying it is not there, but looked and cannot find it. My Gen 1 Talon literature mentioned using a 7/16” wrench to raise the spikes in case of an emergency. So I put a box end wrench in my boat. Never used it, but it is there and will keep my new 1/4” Allen wrench company.

[rat0502]

with it deployed, couldn't you just reach in and push the latch bar where the release cable connects? Looks like there would be enough room to get in there with needle nose and give it a push to release it?
edit: I just deployed mine on the trailer, and released it with a pair of needle nose pliers. Reach into the first cutout in the arm behind the head, where the cable would attach, and push the release bar forward. My pliers are longer than standard, but not much.

[wmitch2]

That latch bar is plastic. You may have been able to push it thru and either push it all the way out or enough to break of the tab on one side. They're under $10 so it's not a biggie !

[rat0502]

That latch bar is plastic. You may have been able to push it thru and either push it all the way out or enough to break of the tab on one side. They're under $10 so it's not a biggie !

The part to push forward is metal, not plastic. It is item 452 on the parts diagram for the 80 and 112 ultrex and is called the latch bar. I called it the release bar mistakenly. The part the cable pulls on looks like plastic, and it moves the latch bar. Either way, you want to push the metal bar, that has the ears that keep it locked down, forward and then lift. Nothing to break because you are only doing what the cable pull would do just not as conveniently.

[Sirius Rich]

The part to push forward is metal, not plastic. It is item 452 on the parts diagram for the 80 and 112 ultrex and is called the latch bar. I called it the release bar mistakenly. The part the cable pulls on looks like plastic, and it moves the latch bar. Either way, you want to push the metal bar, that has the ears that keep it locked down, forward and then lift. Nothing to break because you are only doing what the cable pull would do just not as conveniently.

Try pushing the latch bar with the Ultrex down and locked while in the boat and on the water. You will probably be reaching over dual depth finders/GPS units, foot controls for the Ultrex & shallow water anchors and a karaoke control head. My point is every Ultrex owner should carry a 1/4” Allen wrench and hope you have a partner to help you pull the Ultrex from the bow without dropping it in the lake. Some of us are old and not as fit as we should be. Hope this never happens to anyone, but it will. My next trip to the lake I will try and access the latch bar with a long flat head screwdriver. My fishing buddy and me looked for the latch bar but couldn’t see it. I even tried to down load the owners manual with my phone. But guess what, no cell service, lol.

[Wayne P.]

I checked that out today. With the motor deployed, you can see the stainless steel mechanism inside the mount on the aft end of the mount.
Just push that forward with your finger and it will unlatch the front so you can stow the trolling motor by pulling on the head.

Look at it and pull the cable and you will see how it works.

I'll add a picture of it after I download it from my phone.

[Wayne P.]

[Sirius Rich]

Thanks Wayne, I will give this a field trial my next trip out. Minn Kota should put your method in their FAQ’s.

[rat0502]

Try pushing the latch bar with the Ultrex down and locked while in the boat and on the water. You will probably be reaching over dual depth finders/GPS units, foot controls for the Ultrex & shallow water anchors and a karaoke control head. My point is every Ultrex owner should carry a 1/4” Allen wrench and hope you have a partner to help you pull the Ultrex from the bow without dropping it in the lake. Some of us are old and not as fit as we should be. Hope this never happens to anyone, but it will. My next trip to the lake I will try and access the latch bar with a long flat head screwdriver. My fishing buddy and me looked for the latch bar but couldn’t see it. I even tried to down load the owners manual with my phone. But guess what, no cell service, lol.

I understand your point and I will put an Allen wrench in my boat kit since you brought this up, but I honestly think it would be much easier to manipulate the latch mechanism than try to take the head off. Looking at Wayne p post, his method looks even easier than what I did and I will try it next time out. I hope it never happens to me, but if it does we all have a couple options to try. I'm sorry that it took your misfortune for us to see it.

[Sirius Rich]

Agree with you rat0502. Hopefully we all learned something today and after all, that is the purpose of this forum. The experience was a frustrating and mental challenge. We made it to weigh in, barely. There was a trolling motor service man at the weigh in and he basically said there was no other way to unlatch the Ultrex in our case other than removing the Allen bolt.

[5keepers2]

Y'all got me out looking at my Ultrex. Mine is connected with Torx T-40 not a 1/4" allen. Mine is only a few months old maybe they have changed but be sure to look twice and carry the correct tool!

At first I had T-10 that was typo should have been T-40.

[mastergun]

This was the first thing tried, needle nose pliers can’t loosen the 5/16” Allen head bolt. My whole point of this thread is to hopefully prevent
what happened to my fishing buddy and I; we were fishing out of his boat. We were saved by a local an hour later that was catfish hunting out of a 14’ johnboat and had a pair of small channel lock pliers with him. The Ultrex was removed and put on the deck and we were able to blow over the two sand bars and overheated his Merc. My suggestion is for all Ultrex owners is to carry the 1/4” Allen wrench as suggested above. And a long stout flat head screwdriver to MAYBE push the latch bar to release the mount, but still don’t think that is possible. This scenario was something neither one of thought about until yesterday.

I haven’t read this suggestion in any Minn Kota literature. Not saying it is not there, but looked and cannot find it. My Gen 1 Talon literature mentioned using a 7/16” wrench to raise the spikes in case of an emergency. So I put a box end wrench in my boat. Never used it, but it is there and will keep my new 1/4” Allen wrench company.

So it wasn't a hypothetical question?

[LOSTTEXAN]

I carry a tool bag in my truck at all times and when the boat launches the toolbag launches.
The tool bag has end wrenches, sockets and Allen wrenches, all are both SAE and metric and way too much stuff to list, but ranges from duct tape, claw hammer, volt meter, zip ties, various pliers, screwdrivers flashlight, etc , etc. Damn thing weighs at least 20-25 pounds.

You never know what or where or when you will find yourself up $hit creek, but I will go down swinging.