Re: installing a minn kota PD V12
There are a million different ways to mount your new bow mount motor, no two are installed the same from those I have seen although they are all similar.
The first thing to decide is location, the motor needs to be accessible enough to be deployed easily, it needs to be stowed without being damaged when docked, the motor plug needs to be close so your cord isn't laying across the deck and the motor prop needs to be submerged at least 9 inches, don't forget you need 2-3 inches of clearance between the motor shaft and boat to allow for flex.
Most people I think would agree a removable/lockable mount makes the mounting easier since all you need to handle during installation is the mount plate and make it fit, then snap on the motor and away you go. Wiring the corded plug is last usually, if your not comfortable with marine wiring I suggest you take it too a dealer to have the wiring properly connected with a proper rated fuse so you don't start a fire.
In general most mount plates have rubber isolators that suspend it above the deck, you can fabricate aluminum tube spacers to handle curved surfaces so the motor plate sits flat. A good trick is to use a stack of washers to test fit everything and then cut tube spacers to fit the height you need. Normally you will require some kind of backer washers to prevent pullout from the bolts where they pass through your deck, "fender washers" is the hardware name for these washers as they are large diameter and thin and bendable. They also make fender washer rubber isolators which will sandwich your deck glass/wood/AL in rubber which reduces conducted noise from the motor and prevents damage to fiberglass etc., I highly recommend using them.
Once you figure out a location you will need to drill holes in your deck to match your bolt hole layout, using the mount as a guide you can align everything so the bolts will be in the proper location. Make sure you check the bottom side of your deck location for proper clearance and to make sure your not going to drill through some wires. You will need to source bolts of the proper length but they also make SS threaded rod if your need something longer than 6" which is the typical hardware store off the shelf length. I suggest nylock nuts to prevent the whole assy from getting loose over time.
If you do a search on Google you will see a million different mounting schemes people have used and a common thread in all of them is the motor is offset to the side not directly off the bow, this is done so the motor shaft doesn't hang across the deck when its not deployed. In my installation I have a mount which places the motor directly off the bow, this keeps the boat perfectly steered in the direction you want to go and reduces the torque/power required in fast moving current...the tradeoff is the motor shaft hangs inside the boat across the deck which is not a problem in my boat since my deck is raised and no one sits there when underway. How you fit it in your boat is up to you, direct "off the bow" mounting is usually more difficult.
Last thing to consider is your battery system, a dual battery setup with isolator/charge controller should be the minimum in my opinion so a dead battery never strands you but its up to you. The closer the battery is to the motor the better but you can run heavy gauge wires anywhere in the boat if you have restrictions.
Good luck.
