Minn Kota Terrova Install on Tracker Classic XL using quick disconnect mount MKA-16-03

Installing a Minn Kota Terrova with foot pedal and i-pilot on a Tracker Classic XL using the quick disconnect mount MKA-16-03. Also moving the battery up to the front center compartment to comply with Minn Kota's wiring standard and converting the old stock wiring to the battery charger wiring, connecting the new battery location to a charger thats mounted in the rear.

[@willfara8463]

Good job showing some of the difficulties and your home made tool. You can easily use self tapping screws and skip the crazy bolt and nut routine. On the second install of mine I skipped all the nut bolt nightmare and put in extra self tapping into the wood deck below. It is very secure.

[@justjimtime1672]

You took all the fun out of it. Who doesn’t like trying to put nuts on bolts for an hour.

[@davidhalesmith2491]

Just Jim Time 🤣🤣🤣

[@marmac2768]

@@justjimtime1672 I've just about "lost my religion" trying to do that!! LOL!! Self tapping for me!!

[@uscstaylor]

Good video bro thanks for sharing

[@alexro2265]

Thanks for the video Jim. I too was debating on whether to get the 24v 80 lb but I think I feel better about just getting the 12v 55 lb thrust instead. Got a 2019 tracker classic myself and definitely need the spot lock.

[@justjimtime1672]

Thanks. 55 works great. Good Luck

[@Bsjr-wf9mr]

Great video! Thanks! I also am wanting to upgrade my trolling motor to the terrova but I’ve heard of the headache it is to reach those bolts/nuts. I asked my local bass pro about the process & he said they cut a piece off.

[@justjimtime1672]

Depends which model you have. The Classic xl comes with the access hole already cut in it. The Heritage doesn't and you have to cut it with a sawzall. It turned out to be a little easier than I was expecting. finding the right tools is key though

[@tannerherrick9892]

Was that access hole on the xl the one you used? Not much "access" I don't know how you ever got those nuts on the bolts.

[@anonimous596]

hey i dont know if you still check this since this is two years old but… anyway, thanks for the video i used it to help me with my installation on my 22 170. - do you have any reinforcement wood etc up front? mine is all aluminum and i have “give” or noticeable movement / flex in the deck when i push up or down on the mount seems like it shouldn't move . i thought maybe it was the spacer grommets but you used them as well is yours pretty solid? or is there any give at the bracket? just wondering if i need to make some changes. thinking about pulling it back off and putting a piece of the starboard plastic under the mount to help spread the load - thanks for the video it helped.

[@Set_That_Hook]

Have you had any issues with the front welds cracking ? I know that’s been a big issue for a lot of people with this boat….im asking because I’m getting ready to install one. THANKS

[@justjimtime1672]

I have not. I concerns me as well. I do have a support on the trolling motor shaft during storage when trailering just in case

[@scarcheer7211]

I’m getting ready to get the same trolling motor for my 2000 Bass Tracker. I’m going to attempt the install myself. How do you like it?

[@dsmith2858]

Jim, Do you move it back prior to each loading unloading onto trailer? If not has it ever hit? Great video!

[@justjimtime1672]

I have not had to move it back and it has not hit. But my previous boat it has when launching in shallow water where the boat dropped a bit.

[@dsmith2858]

Good evening Jim, did you add a kickstand or any type of support for the top end when the TM is stowed?Do you disconnect the TM when you are charging the batteries? If not is there any chance of damage during charging? Thanks Darren

[@justjimtime1672]

I want to get a bracket for it, but Im currently using a cardboard container a fishing rod was delivered in. I cut it to the right size and cut a notch out of it that the shaft sits in. It stays in place while storing and trailering. I leave it in the car while out on water. I do not disconnect the trolling motor when charging, I haven't heard of any issues and cant think why there would be any.

[@ARJ11569]

Wow great minds think a like. I plan on doing the exact same thing. Does one battery last all day? I fish about 8-10 hour days when weather is good. Did you notice any difference in performance after moving the battery to the front?

[@justjimtime1672]

Unfortunately, The water is frozen where I'm at, but I asked quite a few people and they pretty much all said the battery lasts longer than they do. Some said it last all day. I don't remember one person saying it doesn't last, but I can't say for sure yet. I'm definitely going with a 31 AGM battery. Worse case I'll add a Second Battery but I really don't want to do that.

[@bidkid2020]

If you don't mind me asking what the terrova 55 cost you and have you tried it out yet also is there enough room up there for two batteries in that compartment and with that extension you put on do you have any problem getting to the batteries thanks again good video

[@justjimtime1672]

Thanks. I believe I paid 1200 or 1250. Im sure I mention it in the unboxing video if you want to check it out.I have used it many times. It works great and is plenty of power. The spot lock has kept me in place in some pretty rough water. I have never run out of battery or even come close. I have used it pretty constantly for an average of probably 5 or 6 hours. I did upgrade the battery to a AGM large battery though. As far as the batteries I think 2 would fit but it might be tight hooking them up. Im not 100% clear on your question about the extension. I think you might be asking if it was hard to run the wire from the bow to the compartment I moved the battery to. it was not hard at all. just drilled a hole in the back wall and use a fish tape to the bow hole. nothing else was in the way.

[@bobp4145]

Great Video Jim. How many inches between terrova skag and prop? My transducer is 7&1/4" that I want to mount on the foot.

[@justjimtime1672]

Looks like 6 3/4. I'm not sure how much research you have done but you can't attach any transducers to the bottom of a modern Terrova with lift assist. It will break the cable, unlike the older Terrovas. The only possible way some people find success with is to use after market brakets and a coiled sheath for the cable to go in. the cable will deploy basically from a pile next to the terrova instead of wrapped around the shaft. I dont like the look or functionality so I just use the traditional built in sonar even though I have down and side capability on my Garmin. Good Luck to you.

[@bobp4145]

@@justjimtime1672 Thank You

[@Deflection]

Very well done. Excellent job. How's it running one year later?

[@justjimtime1672]

Thanks. Running like it did on day one. No issues yet. Haven't been out a lot this year. Only one time. Started right up. Everything worked as it should. Knock on wood

[@keithsiegel5769]

Hi Jim, does the 55lb I pilot keep the boat in place well? I’m thinking about pulling the trigger, but I don’t want to regret not buying the 80lb thrust. Money is not an issue for me, but I don’t want to have it over kill either!

[@justjimtime1672]

I would buy this trolling motor again. It keeps the boat in place perfectly. There are 10 speed settings. I was out fishing today mild wind, maybe 5 MPH, and trolling the shore with chatter baits. I felt 3.5 to 4 was a perfect setting 5 was too fast. Use 10 when ever I want to get from one place to another quicker. I have a 31 class AGM battery and I have never used more than half. I fish for 5-7 hours at a time. Today I was out for 3 hours. fished with the trolling motor the entire time used 1 out of 4 bars. I have never been in a situation where it wouldn't hold me in place and Ive been in some pretty strong current/wind.

[@keithsiegel5769]

Just Jim Time awesome. Thank you sir!

[@bapojean5981]

@Just Jim Time Thanks for the video. How do you like this motor on your Bass boat? I was just at my local dealer and they told me that the Terrova was not good for a Bass boat because of how it stows and deploys, and that it doesn't have a lift cord. How is it working for you

[@justjimtime1672]

That really doesn’t make any sense to me. It deploys and stows much easier than the cord. It is no different than using it on any other type of boat. It’s perfect.

[@bapojean5981]

@@justjimtime1672 Ok. I will take a closer look then. Your opinion matters more to me than a salesman. You use the thing.

[@justjimtime1672]

Bapo Jean you wouldn’t regret. The cord is pretty hard to pull. The terrova has lift assist. Either bend down pull a cord and lift the motor in the water. Or bend down lift the motor in the water with a lift assist. I’m not sure what kind of boat they would think the terrova is for if not a base boat. That’s literally what they are for.

[@bapojean5981]

@@justjimtime1672 They told me that they were for Walley boats, or boats that floor of the boat is a bit lower than the surface that the trolling motor mounts to. I hope that makes sense. Like most Deep V's.

[@Jack-qt2qq]

how do you plan on charging the battery up front? are you going to take it out every time after fishing or add a charger?

[@justjimtime1672]

when I moved it up front and ran new wires from the battery to the trolling motor, I used the original wire that went from the back to the trolling motor and rerouted it to the battery and connected the other end to the charger in the back, basically the old power cable became the charging cable. Works great no need to remove any batteries. pretty sure its in the video

[@xunciviilizedx]

Hi Jim, I have been hearing the welds break with the terrova on this boat. Are you experiencing any issues?

[@justjimtime1672]

I haven’t but I use a stabilizer as much as possible, especially on the trailer and storage.

[@kipwright148]

So I need an adapter for my Lowrance Hook 2 to fit the transducer on the Terrova? Good to know. (I need to upgrade to Hummingbird eventually) Will the Terrova power plug fir the one I have for my min lotta edge? I’m getting a 12 volt Terrova👍

[@justjimtime1672]

the power for the Terrova is just bare wires. It can be spliced to the cord from the Edge or you can buy a new one. I chose to hard wire and bypass the plug so I didn't have a plug sticking up on the deck for no reason. I used a quick disconnect to hardwire so I could take off if needed.

[@tannerherrick9892]

Jim, how low does your tracker ride in the water? The draft. I assume I could get pretty shallow, but I'm wondering how shallow.

[@justjimtime1672]

Im not sure how shallow the draft is. I would think the bigger issue is how much water the motor needs more so than the boat, at least going slow. I would think you could use an oar and get through inches of water. Good question

[@tannerherrick9892]

@@justjimtime1672 I don't have my boat yet, but I'm considering a jackplate to get really thin. Thanks for the reply.

[@justjimtime1672]

@@tannerherrick9892 Makes sense. Good luck to you.

[@bidkid2020]

I am thinking about putting same thing on my classic I have a 21 the 55 foot pounds is that push the boat pretty good and handle the wind when you have it in lock it looks like what I've seen so far it don't seem like it fits on the bow very good any regrets putting it on there

[@justjimtime1672]

No regrets. I think it fits on the bow great once its installed. Its rather hard to install there and very limited about where it fits, but once you find what I think is the only possible position it fits great. I did have to drill some additional holes in the attachment plate since one of the holes you need to mount isn't over the boat due to the extreme angle of the bow. I would pay special attention to getting the head of the trolling motor as close to side rail without it going outside the boat when stowed (would hit docks) and make sure you have the recommended distance between the shaft and the edge of the bow. If you get both of those points perfect it is a great spot, Just harder to install then it could be if the bow was a different shape or bigger.

[@Godsson-jf9uf]

Did you have to cut hole in the deck to fish that ruler with the wrench through? Ive seen videos where guys had to do that

[@justjimtime1672]

the hole needed to be cut on all the classics and Heritages, Possibly some early Classic XL's. Mine came with the hole already there and I believe they all come with the hole now

[@calebanddiana]

How fast can you go with the 55? I only get 2.7mph on a good day with the stock wiring.

[@justjimtime1672]

I haven't really checked for top performance in ideal conditions, Ill add that to my list of things to do this week and get back to you. 2.7 Mph doesn't seem to bad to me though.

[@Vabasseroutdoors1]

What gauge is factory?

[@tracyweems8093]

I got the same trolling motor putting it on 2019 basstracker classic but ism letting my local boat shop Install it for me

[@guymiller9212]

Hello it seams like your the man for this lot of good information. I came across a slightly used Minnkota terrvoa 112lb 36v only thing is is a 60” shaft. What you 🤔 ? I have a 48 “ on my bass tracker 175 txw It’s a good deal not many out there. Thanks for your video

[@justjimtime1672]

Personally I would be less concerned about the 60 inch shaft than needing 3 batteries for the trolling motor and thats a a lot of power which usually isn't a negative unless you have it full power and hit left or right. with such a light boat it could knock you in the water. Sometimes when using spot lock it corrects at full power. if you're not expecting it can surprise you. As far as the shaft goes the biggest issue would probably be when its stowed you want it in the boat and that would limit the angle it could be installed at. Good questions.

[@guymiller9212]

@@justjimtime1672 thanks for replying Jim I end up taking a pass my concern was the Thrust but I definitely am looking for a spot lock

[@phattdaddy2974]

thanks for the info, can I add this to the back of a raft, run it backwards?

[@justjimtime1672]

That I'm not sure of. They do make specific models for the back.

[@phattdaddy2974]

@@justjimtime1672 Thanks, I know but I'm looking for something that I can use hands free, with a foot control.

[@justjimtime1672]

@@phattdaddy2974 makes sense. Sure seems like it would work but thats a lot of money to find out. there is a similar cheaper model called the PowerDrive

[@nitroman0]

What size shaft did you get?

[@justjimtime1672]

45

[@tannerherrick9892]

Do you have to move the battery up front to do this install?

[@justjimtime1672]

You should either move the battery up front or change the wire from the back to the trolling motor to a larger gauge. The boat comes with 8 gauge wire for the stock trolling motor. if you look at the installation manual for the Terrova there is a chart for wire gauge and feet. the feet from the back to the front is like 20 to 25 feet of wire needed. Minn Kota says 4ga would be needed. but they say if the wire run is 5 feet you can use 8ga for the 55lb 12 volt. It harder to run new wire from from to back then to move the battery and use 5 feet of 8ga. A lot of people use the stock wire anyways. some have had it burn up. some claim there is no issue but I believe it effect the performance of terrora even if it doesn't start a fire . They are using standard electrical wire standards for in there chart for amperage, they are not making it up . so if you use the motor on full speed that is when it uses the full amps it can. So short bursts at full speed you probably wouldn't have a problem but running at full speed for a while your asking for trouble using 20+ feet of under sized 8ga wire. On the other hand if you get a 24volt Terrova you can use the stock wire as they use less amps.

[@tannerherrick9892]

@@justjimtime1672 where did you get your model of terrova? I don't want to get the wrong one. I need spotlock though and people say the one that's 12v wouldn't be enough.

[@justjimtime1672]

@@tannerherrick9892 12v is plenty. I have owned both the 12v 55 and the 24v 80, on different boats though and they perform similarly because the tracker classic is so light. the 24v 80 will work and I debated it, but the 12 is cheaper, last all day and goes fast enough to troll. I would buy it again. Its more powerful than Minn Kota even recommends for the weight of the boat. with that being said there are a few models mainly with or without a foot pedal. I recommend a foot pedal if you ever cast the shore line so you can be hands free. they all come with a remote and spot lock. You can get factory reconditioned ones that look brand new but come with a 1 year warranty instead of 2, which is what I did. you need to keep in mind that minn Kota completely changes the model numbers on factory refurbs from new ones. for example I got the 12v 55lb minnkota with foot pedal and universal sonar the model is 1377702. the exact same model new is 1358856. they are the same and if you get this model you will have the most common 12v version with a foot pedal. if it is not one of these models I would investigate to see what the difference is. One thing to note is I believe you can only get universal sonar 2 on the 12v compared to the mega down is available on the 24v for a higher cost. which means you will only get traditional sonar on a fish finder you connect to it not down or side scan. the 24v version also has the capability to have your trolling motor automatically follow contour lines if you have the right 24v version and the correct hummingbird fish finer hooked up to it. the difference is going to be probably over $1500 or more to upgrade from the 12v version to the 24v version with mega down and contour follow so if money is no object you might want to consider. I have an unboxing video on here as well were I show what mine came with. good luck

[@justjimtime1672]

@@tannerherrick9892 I got my trolling motor at Glenns reel and rod in Iowa online but if you use the model numbers I listed its the same everywhere

[@FranklinHicks-qs4gs]

how did you remove the door for the front compartment ?

[@justjimtime1672]

I don’t remember if I did.

[@justjimtime1672]

I assume your talking about while installing battery. Other than that I left it on. Open it when charging

[@pimpshack81]

What quick release plug did you use for the trolling motor power?

[@justjimtime1672]

I think it came with the boat. I think it was between the fuse panel and the plug that was built into the boat for the original trolling motor. Slightly below the plug that was attached to the deck.

[@anonimous596]

@@justjimtime1672 mine had one as well but i put a new socket / plug on there just because there is already a hole there so might as well.

[@DESERT_DISCIPLE]

Hows it holding up?

[@justjimtime1672]

all’s good. nothing bad to mention

[@blipsmann1985]

Why not weld the new bracket to the old with a good enough overlap to get the stability needed. No holes to fill with JB weld no holes to drill. Shouldn’t a 24 volt trolling motor draw half as much power as a 12 volt ? Ahhhh yes.

[@justjimtime1672]

Im not sure what your referring to as old bracket. The old bracket is a part of the old trolling motor which will not fit any other trolling motor, its not really a bracket so much as a piece of the original one. I don't think that would work. And the 24 volt does draw less amps than the 12 volt but not half as less since the 12 volt is a 55lb and the 24 volt is 80lb.

[@scarcheer7211]

I’m getting ready to get the same trolling motor for my 2000 Bass Tracker. I’m going to attempt the install myself. How do you like it?

[@justjimtime1672]

It been great. Nice not needing an anchor. Never even put one in my boat. Spot lock works perfectly. Auto pilot is great too. Set it and forget it. Just fish.