ive been have problems with my trolling motor plug (3-prong plug) over the past couple of years. when im out on the water trolling around, i constantly have to apply pressure to the plug in an upward direction, in order to get power to the motor. I have been thinking about either switching the female part (and subsequently the male part) with one of the twist-in plugs or just hardwiring my trolling motor directly to the battery. I rarely, if ever, remove my motor from my boat. can anyone give me some insight on what they think would be the best solution/easiest solution.
wiring it directly is always the best option. plugs are the weakest link for trolling motors.
Replace both the male and female connectors with the same 3-prong connectors. Once done, make every attempt not to accidentally step on the connections.
As the folks at Hanckel can attest, I have had to change trolling motor plugs (male/female) 4 times in 6 years on my Tidewater. I have yet to find a way to prevent the corrosion that causes a poor contact and shorter battery life per charge when using plugs. On my Ranger, my motor is straight-wired, and I have had no problem for 3 years now. The only reason I keep using plugs on my Tidewater is I sometimes remove the motor when I go offshore to chase spanish, cobia, spades, etc.
thanks for the input. i do believe that i am gonna wire it directly. is this something that is easy to do on my own?
there was a discussion on boat fforum just a few weeks ago. i wired mine direct. use the big wire clamps.
Try a thin film of grease on the plug. Apply a tiny dab to each of the holes in the socket as well. After you connect it the first time after you apply the grease you should wipe off the excess. You need to do this once every year at the very least. It works.
PioneerLouie
Pioneer Venture 175, Johnson 90
Summerville, SC
If you wire it directly, make sure you have fuse protection. Get the fuse(with a reset button) that works on top of your batteries. No fuse protection could mean overheated, melted wires and possible arcing inside your boat. The problem I had with my trolling motor was the motor side plug with the male end was crimped together weakly. So as the crimping weakened, less wires were in contact, which resulted in overheated and melted wires. Before the big meltdown, I also thought it was corrosion or loose male and female plugs, but it was the wires in my hand not making good connections.
You can also buy a can of electricians lubricant. I spray mine the plug (male and female ends) every month or so. Keeps them clean with no problems.
i just hard wired my new minn kota its easy man, just cut the wires going to the plug or splice into them and add a inline fuse and voila! it works
1996 Key West Sportsman
112 Johnson
A twist lock connector will work longer than what came with the boat. To prevent the wires from breaking at the connector try to make some sort of strain relief so that the cable doesn’t bend to tight at the connection. It can be as simple as wrapping electrical tape up the cable a 3-5 inches just enough so that it doesn’t make a tight bend right at the connector. If you decide to use some lube make sure it’s dielectric grease, Permatex makes some @ Autoparts store and probably Walmart. Hard wiring will cure it once and for all I would recommend soldering and then using liquid electrical tape to seal the connection and prevent corrosion then either shrink tubing or electrical tape for abrasion protection. I agree with the fuse comment but you should have that regardless of hard wiring or not. (BTW a fuse with a reset button is really a breaker like in your electrical box at home.) I’ve seen frayed strands actually get glowing red makes me nervous when I think about combining that with gas fumes from the vent in the bilge.
David H.