To All,
Those old Minn-Kota's powerheads were made out of a GM/Delco car/truck generator, are (for an electric motor) VERY powerful and they seldom ever need repair.
Fwiw, the company's name was created by combining the 2 states where the trollers were built: ND & MN
(the 1st M-K were made in Fargo, ND in 1932 & then were also built at Mankato, MN until the company was sold to Johnson's Wax Company, Inc. in 1970.).
I had one from the early 1960s that I ran for years & years W/O needing anything but soap/water/WD-40 after running it in saltwater.
IF you ever need a repair, all the parts (except the outer "skin") are available at almost any auto parts store AND the M-K will push a 14 foot tinny along smartly. - On many smaller lakes, a fisherman will not need another motor to fish all day, presuming a suitable good/deep-cycle battery.
ADDENDA: Last night, 07MAY14, I found out that the first Minn-Kota trollers were made with a Ford Model A starter as the powerhead. When the Model A starters were no longer routinely available in the late 1930s, the powerhead changed to a modified Chevrolet generator.
yours, satx
