Maintaining Old Town PDL, ePDL, and Motor Consoles

Maintaining the PDL, ePDL+, or Minn Kota motor console on your Old Town kayak is quick and easy, and can help extend the life of your drive. This article will cover three basic rules that everyone should abide by when it comes to drive maintenance.

1. RINSE YOUR DRIVE

Always rinse your drives off with fresh water after use, especially if you've been in saltwater or brackish water. Rinsing your drives helps to prevent corrosion, clears away sand and grit, and helps ensure that your drives operate smoothly the next time you head out. Similar to rinsing fishing rods and reels after saltwater exposure, this additional step only takes a few extra minutes.

2. CHECK YOUR PROPS

It is very important to get behind your propeller and remove any debris wrapped around the drive shaft. This will not only improve the performance of your PDL or motor drive, but also keep your prop pin from deteriorating and corroding sooner than it should. Also, clearing your prop vegetation will keep you from spreading invasive aquatic plants from one vial of water to the next. If you notice a drop in speed or vibration coming from your drive, checking behind the prop for debris should be your first step. 

3. PREPARE A TOOLKIT

This is a great tip from our Pro Staff team that we feel everyone should know about. Using a spare tackle tray or other small waterproof container, build an on-water maintenance toolkit. The tacklebox that comes with every Old Town Sportsman kayak is perfect for this! In this kit you should include: 

• Spare Prop
• Spare prop pins
• Spare washer
• Spare kill switch
• Adjustable wrench
• Phillips screwdriver
• Dielectric grease
• Zip ties

This is just an example of what we recommend taking with you on every trip, however you can add or remove items as you see fit based on your model of kayak and the nature of your kayaking trips. 

Here are some links to replacement parts for various PDL, ePDL+ and motor models:

• Power Prop Kit (AutoPilot, 106 Powered by Minn Kota and Sonata)
• Pedal Prop Kit (All PDL and ePDL+ models)
• Replacement Prop Pins (5-Pack)
• Spare Wingnut Kit - Power (AutoPilot, 106 Powered by Minn Kota and Sonata)
• Spare Wingnut - Pedal (All PDL and ePDL+ models)
• Replacement Lock Knob (All PDL models, 106 Powered by Minn Kota and Sonata)
• Kill Switch Key w/ Lanyard (All ePDL+ models, AutoPilot, 106 Powered by Minn Kota and Sonata)
• Replacement iPilot Remote (AutoPilot)