Trolling Motor Problem

I have a Motorguide 743 12V foot control trolling motor. I have a problem in that there is slippage between the foot control and the turning of the shaft. I pulled the cover thinking it was a stripped gear or a cable issue. Gears are like new. When I locked the gears with a screw driver and tried to move the pedal everything was tight. When I moved the pedal the gears move with minimal movement in the lower shaft. I could also lock the gears and turn the shaft by hand. Does anyone know what is the problem here? If so how much should I expect it to cost for the repair? The motor is around 8 years old. I live in the Louisville area and would be interested in a recommendation for a good and honest repair shop. Thanks in advance for your help.

Happy New Year to All!
Bumblebee

If you could lock the gears and move the shaft by hand it sounds to me that you've found your problem. Seems to me that if the gears are locked the shaft should not turn. It has to be between the gears and the shaft.

i dont know what it looks like, but maybe there is some type of pin in the shaft that secures the gear got sheared off. my minnkota has a similar pin behind the prop and i've had that shear off before. of course the one on the gear probably goes inside a hole in the bottom of the teeth and may be hard to see especially with grease on it. menards sells pins like that if you can figure out the size.