Thread: Frankenstein Motorworks of Virginia

I have two old MinnKotas that I'd like to cobble, ala-Frankenstein, into one. The hacking and attaching seems simple enough, but I could use some help avoiding the part where the whole thing goes up in smoke.

The 65MX (rated at 28 lbs thrust) had it's variable speed control replaced earlier this season ($100+), but it's lost a few too many "motor vs. stump" contests since then. It's steel shaft is bent slightly and there seems to be a good deal of play in the motor's shaft & bearings. Yesterday, it started squealing. This motor is early to mid-90s vintage.

The Turbo 65 (rated at 36 lbs thrust) has a control unit that was fried by the previous owner. The lower unit, however, seems to be low mileage and the motor has MK's "virtually indestructible" composite shaft. I've used it for months as an on/off booster motor on TMO lakes & it purrs like a new motor.

Taking the head off the MX and reinstalling it on the Turbo's shaft will be easy. The shaft diameters are the same. The only other step will be to plug the black & red wires from the motor into the appropriate tabs on the switch.

Given that both of these broken down motors aren't worth the cost of a trip to an authorized MK service center, I'm willing to take the chance that my shade-tree engineering may not work. What's the chance that this combination will damage or destroy the variable speed control unit?

I'd call one of the following and ask 'em. They are usually pretty helpful.

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My only question would be weather the motor in the non-variable is capable of having varying amps put to it. Don't know about that. Not even sure if there's a difference.

I'd like to know the results or what ever the above guys tell you though.

Wannabe...

Originally Posted by Wannabe...

My only question would be weather the motor in the non-variable is capable of having varying amps put to it.

When MK introduced the variable speed control, it also offered a stand-alone unit called a "Maximizer." Product literature indicated that you simply set your fixed-speed motor to the highest setting, hooked its power cables to the Maximizer, and used the Maximizer to dial your motor's speed up or down. The electronics in my MX should be close to the circuitry in the stand-alone Maximizer, so my idea should work.

Originally Posted by Wannabe...

I'd call one of the following and ask 'em. They are usually pretty helpful.

HOME

or

New Page 1

My only question would be weather the motor in the non-variable is capable of having varying amps put to it. Don't know about that. Not even sure if there's a difference.

I'd like to know the results or what ever the above guys tell you though.

Wannabe...

Brushed DC motors don't care. Linear DC or pulsed DC input will work .

Without seeing it, what you want to do should work. Provided it wasn't the motor that fried the previous owner's circuit board. You could apply 12V directly to the motor first to check it out. I don't think there would be enough difference in amperage to be concerned. I've got a copy of MK's repair manual but unfortunately no schematics. If you think it might help let me know and I'll send it to you.

Bill- I've been using the Turbo 65 for months & it runs fine. It's hooked to a simple ON/OFF switch & wired directly to the battery. I only use it when running from spot to spot, but when I hit the switch it pumps out a nice smooth 36 lbs of thrust with none of the vibration or squealing like the older worn out motor.

Sounds like a winner then. No reason it shouldn't work.

My other two motors are dead or dying, so Wells will have to get at least one of them back in service for me before I roll the dice with the only motors that keep me fishing. (Why don't these things fail when it's hot & miserable & the fish aren't biting?)

Yesterday was the Frankenstein motor's 3rd full day on the water & it's doing great! I hooked the Turbo 65's red & black wires to the MX head, terminated the Turbo's blue, yellow and white wires, and bolted the MX head onto the Turbo's stump-proof shaft. Rounding out the hack job--I robbed a good prop off a dead Endura 30 and replaced the cracked & gouged ones from the MX and Turbo.

Time will tell if the mismatch kills the MX control unit, but for now everything works smoothly. It's like having a new motor!