Help With Lowrance Elite-5X Fishfinder Mounting Bracket

[minuteman62-64]

It comes with "New quick release tilt and swivel bracket ...." I can easily mount and un-mount the fishfinder to and from the bracket, as advertised. However, damned if I can make the bracket tilt or swivel. Seems like there should be some sort of release mechanism, but I can't find it. It looks like it is built to tilt and swivel, but I can't budge it. I'm afraid to put too much force on it for fear it will break.

See attached photos. Anyone know the secret?

 

[Kyle46N]

Re: Help With Lowrance Elite-5X Fishfinder Mounting Bracket

I just bought the same thing a few weeks ago. I did force the bracket to swivel and it broke the plastic. They sent me a new one. This time, I WD-40'd the circular swivel part at the base, and then found a metal pin to fit in that hole in the bracket seen in the pic on the right. Run the metal pin through to the next hole. With those two mods, it swivels with ease, and will tilt fine also.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Help With Lowrance Elite-5X Fishfinder Mounting Bracket

Yep, I hit it with some WD 40, put it in my vise and worked it back and forth. Its got some really tight detents in both directions. Really stiff in both directions, but moved a little more easily after a little work. I guess the good news is that it won't be prone to move around when under way.

While researching this I looked at three magazine reviews. All used the language from Lowrance's brouchere: "It came with a bracket that allowed easy, one hand rotating and tilting" (or something like that). No mention of the stiffness in the mechanism. Makes me wonder if those folks actually used this device, or just shilled for Lowrance.

 

[Kyle46N]

Re: Help With Lowrance Elite-5X Fishfinder Mounting Bracket

After a couple trips it has already loosened up guite a bit. I spend alot of time standing on the front of the boat operating the trolling motor, so I rotate the fishfinder everytime I pick up and move to another area.