Trolling Motor Upgrade(ish)

[DawgFish 65]

Hey folks, just wondering about something. I have a wee little 2002 PT165 with the standard MG 43 lb. thrust, and I was thinking about bumping up to a Minn Kota AT 55 lb. I'd rather jump into a 24V system, but don't wanna lug an extra battery around, soooooooooo:



1. Would I notice a difference in performance between MG's 43 and Minn Kota's 55, and



2. Would the mounting holes match up?



I'm kind of "special" when it comes to handymanship. On a Miller Lite scale of 1-6, how many tasty beverages would it take for somebody not very mechanically inclined to complete this project? Many thanks in advance...



Mike

 

[Larry Harp]

You'll be running that 16 footer around like the Queen Mary. That's the exact same upgrade I did to my PT-185. The AT-55 works very good on my boat except on the most windy days when I have to keep it on 4 and 5 to go against the wind. Still, it was a great improvement over the OEM Motorguide. Noticeably quiter. I never run out of power even on a two day trip but I also have a big honkin' Everstart that so big it won't fit in the original E/W position it only goes in N/S (if you know what I mean). I did upgrade the battery cable to 6 ga.

The Minn Kota has been an excellent TM for me. I would have to drag it behind the car to abuse it any worse than I have and it still keeps on running. Four out of six of the original TM holes will match up. You will need to drill two. I tried to get by with just screwing into the original jacknuts and almost ripped the whole TM into the water when I hit a stump coming out of a cove on high speed. Do not use the jacknuts or T-nuts or whatever you call them. Use stainless steel bolts with some big ol' fender washers and double nut it.



Good luck



Harpo