Spring Brakes for Your Trolling Motor

How to build "Spring Brakes" for your Motorguide "Gator Mount" trolling motor:

Tired of resetting the big knobs on the side of your Gator Mount every time you bump the stump? Modify your Gator motor mount with this set of parts for about $6.00 from Home Depot and you'll never have to do it again.

1 3/8" steel rod - $2.02
2 3/8" end caps - 2 @ $.25 .50
3 13/16" x 4" x .120 springs 1 pkg of 2 3.46 SP-9624 @ Home Depot
total $5.98

Cut the 3/8 rod to 6 1/2 ". Remove Large Knobs and bolts from side of mount. Before assembly, I coated the parts with some corrosion block. Stainless parts would be better, but at this price if I have to replace something every couple of years, I'll live with it. Insert 6 1/2 " rod through the same holes that the knobs and bolts came out of, and through one end of both springs. Put on the end caps for the rod. Remove clip from one end of the rod that has the rope guide. Slip the pin partially out and feed it through the other end of one of the springs then the guide, and the other spring. This is a little tricky to stretch the springs over the end and then wedge the rod back in the hole it came out of. I used vise grip pliers to pull the springs and a piece of wood to wedge everything straight again. Looking at the picture should help.