Alas, the fact that electronics dont respond well to brute force may mean some service challenges, at least in the short term, which is why long-distance cruisers have, as a group, been wary of pods. (A complete maintenance schedule, including annual and longer-term items, is in the owners manual, so pay attention to it.). If one engine vibrates but the other doesnt while in neutral, the problem is likely in the always-turning jack shaft. We back it up with a concierge service. Although hes well versed in the care and maintenance of inboards, Anderson was still anxious to run a pod boat. Zeus service includes changing 0w30 SAE transmission oil, hydraulic steering oil and filters inside the hull as well as 90-weight gear oil outside the hull. Unless you get the boat at a knock-down price, I mean really low, I wouldn't touch one without a full service history or a late model. Thats the biggest attraction and why [pods] gained acceptance among a lot of enthusiasts, who wanted a certain size of vessel and want to move from a 28 to a 34 to 40 but were not comfortable with maneuvering inboard boats. Many boatbuilders have installed Zeus in existing designs as we did with the Sabre 42 Express. With a shaft and strut inboard, you can pretty much pull up to any marina in the world and get it serviced. How much of the additional initial cost will you get back at trade-in time? Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. The first American company to install the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System was actually Tiara. Most pods require service after a short break-in period at 25 hours or so. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. ZF also added a trick that has less validity in the United States than in the European Union; ZF pods can be mated with both electric and diesel motors simultaneously, allowing them to run on electricity to meet the European Unions emissions standards when in port. If I could afford em, Id get em. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Petzold said he thought that was about right, even almost four years later. Richard Thiel, in February 2014. Its like a carnival ride. So the fact that pod systems are loaded with electronics actually makes them less prone to failureand unfortunately an unfathomable mystery to most mechanics. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Check the status of an existing order here. But tick them off and its hard not to conclude that the trend is undeniable: More boaters prefer them every year, and while theyll never completely replace inboards, they are the future of boating. I am considering buying a Meridian 441 flybridge motor yacht, which is 47 LOA and 31,000lbs. But its also highly dependent on the application of the vessel. Big-game fishing is a pursuit rife with tradition and time-proven tactics. Pods have been pretty darn foolproof, he said. Full details on shipping can be found here. You dont have to redesign it to get our joystick maneuvering system. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Our white marlin came in hot on the teasers we fished up close to the boat. But point and shoot was only part of it; IPS also claimed more speed and better fuel efficiency (the precise amount of each is still up for discussion), and thanks to its aft engine placement, more interior space and lower interior sound levels. There support network is much better and to me is a better product. We get a lot of oyster growth inside the drive intakes, Siebert said. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Diamond Steel > Blog > Uncategorized > are zeus pods still being manufactured. No thrusters are required, saving more cash. There is definitely more maintenance with pods, said John Siebert. Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. Pods are robust.. Weve been serving local Ventura County, California since 1980 as a custom boat builder, repower specialist, designer, and supplier of equipment to builders, commercial fishermen, and recreational users. Spencer Yachts was one of the first to embrace pod-drives, including Volvo Pentas IPS and ZF Marines pod-drive system with Caterpillar engines. Having the ability to move sideways, spin and dock raises the comfort level, especially for an inexperienced boater who wants to weekend but doesnt want to train on an 18-foot vessel, Meissner says. When checking transmission oil level, give it a sniff. Great contribution Blue Magnolia..that rings true and honest. To determine which, run the throttle up slowly on one engine and then the other. Zeus propeller shafts use a double-lip seal. (Its not a bad idea to do the sameminus the sealsfor inboards.). Buckley dismisses the fear of forward-facing props. Much more service options down there. ZF 63A with 4BT, flywheel torsion coupler issue??? Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. And joystick piloting? Fuel savings can be weighed against additional maintenance, but economy varies with each boat and depends on how its used. Exhaust fumes are emitted into the prop wash. You must be at least 19 years from Canada and 21 years from USA to buy and/or use this website. Thats not me talkingits Bob Petzold, who has as much experience as almost anybody selling, servicing, and repairing pod drives. Blades, pitch etc Read some of the posting by Tom Bartolomei about what he has been doing with his Sabre to tune the prop sets on his pods. Thanks to all.just the practical advice I was looking for. As you will find by reading the articles on this forum about prop load and engine life, the resulting need to swap out your props with the Pods is expensive when compared to regular shafts and props. Around here most mercury dealers wont take it on. Yet the pod makers are quickly closing that gap, and captains who have run them for several years indicate that the reliability has been very good. I agree with Rob. (Have they also reduced the docking-related divorce rate among powerboating couples? And often, pods do have less torque than shaft-driven boats. (Power & Motoryacht once had a company boat powered by inboards with which the publisher at the time rammed a sunken fuel barge at a healthy clip. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo The company has built exactly one 42-footer without pods since, versus a dozen boats with the pods option and another 50 of the new, pod-only 42-footer. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. I liked the ZF right away. Pods are the ne plus ultra of propulsion, but it costs a little extra to keep them spinning. ZFs pod-drive includes a jackshafted transmission, which can mate to any diesel engine the owner prefers. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. All diesels need TLC, but pod systems need a bit more. Okay, the last bit is trueas if running over a submerged jetty or grounding hard on a shell bank wouldnt damage conventional props. I understand in order to get pods cheap they had to use this cardboard-like substance, so seeing how you can't even try to clean it because of the material makes the company seem like they are fishing for my money every month unlike Healthy Rips and Storz and Bickel with their "pods" (IDK what to call them). The bottom line is, while pods are difficult or in many cases impossible to retrofit, the boat really has to be designed for the pod from the beginning, although some V- and stern-drive boats can handle pods, too. If we can go straight to them and safely lift them into the boat, most tow boat operators are going to charge an hourly fee or a flat fee, and not claim salvage. Plus, when we haul the boat, well catch problems a diver wont see.. (Stranded in Guaymas, Mexico, I watched a guy true up a dinged prop using just a single jack and anvil. Pod drives have been widely available only since 2007, yet they have the market awhirl. In that case, its not the pod; its our joystick-maneuvering system that does this, and we offer a joystick in a traditional shaft boat. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. This is our premium store warranty and only select units are covered under this program. Like was said before I mirror there thoughts. With no compromise on taste or experience, as well as Zeus' guarantee that all liquids are mixed, tested and approved in the UK, the new disposable pod will carry users from A-Z of their vaping journey knowing that the premium flavour will not fade, fault or fail on the road to being smoke free. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. I see the cummins split from Zeus around here was not a good thing myself. Although there are claims of 30 percent efficiency gains in cruise and top-end speed as well as fuel savings, the results vary from boat to boat when compared to straight shaft and prop configurations. Pod access aboard the Riviera 43 is through the cockpit sole. But how do you compare boats? A failed shaft seal lets water into the pod, with unfortunate and expensive results. You get a little cavitation but nothing close to the noise from shaft-drives, he says. Volvo Penta has 16,000 pod-drive boats in the marketplace right now. Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. Inboard props slip in both forward and reverse. Take the props off, grease the shafts, and check the seals, Fessenden said. We had a few bugs in my first IPS boat. Short term fun, handling / high end features, and higher speeds vs. shaft drives at the same total (no too heavy) weight Mostly yes to these parameters, ZEUS would come in 1st. His experience tells him a similar grounding with conventional shafts would have been much worse, perhaps even damaging rudder or strut supports badly enough to flood the boat. Cummins Marine Diesel Repower Specialists Forums Cummins Marine Engines Zeus Pods: Good, Bad, Ugly?? You might not think of Cat as a pod company, but since ZF offered its pods to the market, hes helped several manufacturers build ZF or Zeus pod with Caterpillar engines. And often, they are recoverable and repairable. The drive can be simultaneously connected to electric propulsion too. We are not early adopters. Grant Bentley captains Home Run, a 60-foot Spencer. The first pod-drive was invented in 1955 and went by the generic name azimuth thruster. They were either diesel- or electric-powered, and some were large enough for a man to walk around inside the machinery housing. Outboards are easy. Yes, pods have sheared off upon striking something immovable (as theyre designed to do), leaving the hull intact and the owner with a five-figure repair bill. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. I am after some of Seaboards famous frank and honest advice: should I run away from pod drives.or go for them if they have a solid maintenance track record which I need to commit to maintaining.or go for them without hesitation because they really are the better technology? Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. When I troll, I can turn it on and the exhaust bypasses the pod and comes out just above the water. There are a lot of traditionalists in that market.. While there has not been a flood of acceptance in the sport-fishing market for pod-drives, the cruising market has seen a larger number of owners making the transition away from conventional shaft-and-wheel boats. You can also change some of your preferences. With the pods, there is only a very slight, nearly unnoticeable change in the amount of flavor in the vapor, but it's a very small trade-off for the level of convenience that they deliver. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Are the Zeus drives still being produced today? The biggest difference between IPS's and Zeus pods is the position of the propeller. Painting pods will cost a bit more too. (Changing engine oil at least yearly is a good idea, too, even if you dont hit the hour limit.). Our drives are made to stand up to a light freshwater rinse, Fessenden said, but dont blast them with the hose. Fessenden suggests a light coating of Mercurys corrosion spray. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. However, the patent on forward-facing props a feature that Volvo Penta claims gives its drives better traction by letting the broad blades and narrow hubs of their counter-rotating props turn in clean water well below the surface was not utilized. Those meridians are not as over propped as other boats in the Brunswick family, based on my reading of boattest.com performance tests, but you will need to change out the prop set eventually and that means 4 different props for the ZEUS. Such tales are grist for boaters imaginations, as is the mere idea of components made of expensive, finely machined alloys dangling below the boat, protected by neither keel nor shaft. Once offshore, I spun the boat in a complete 360-degree rotation on its own axis in less than 14 seconds. Their hull speed is usually 8 to 10 knots, and the power and efficiency of pods dont kick in there much, even though they benefit from the added maneuverability, less vibration and less smoke. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. And if they dont want them, I cant talk them into it.. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Most yards will repaint a pod for $300. But pod-drive engines use counter-rotating props. Inboard fans argue that the pod-drives lack torque. His company, Siebert Yacht Management commissions and maintains most new Sabre boats delivered to Palm Beach County, Florida, giving him considerable experience with Volvo IPS drives on Sabres 38- and 54-foot models and with Cummins Zeus drives on Sabres 42- and 48-footers, as well as those same hulls with conventional shafts. The Zeus system propellers are on the back of the pods, as opposed to the Volvo IPS, which are on the front. The first boatbuilders installing pod-drives in the early to mid-2000s werent putting them on sport-fish boats. Using a ZF transmission, it could mate any marine engine (Yanmar and Caterpillar have been popular partners) to its pods. 2875 Jupiter Park Drive Suite 1700, Jupiter, FL 33458, All the Benefits of a Garmin Yacht System, 5 Romantic Destinations for the perfect Valentines Day, A Buyers Guide to the Intellian v240MT Satellite Antenna, Extended Warranty for Your Marine Leisure Products, Follow These Best Practices for Safe Boating, Essential Navigation Equipment and Tech for Your New Yacht, Keep Your Yacht Secure with a State-of-the-Art Security System, 3 Pieces of Tech Every Yacht Owner Should Invest In. You can check these in your browser security settings. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. And if you have to ask about price, you really dont need one. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per pod. Months later, Mercruiser and Cummins joined forces to deliver Zeus pod-drives to boaters. The IPS-drives fit well in our boats, and our owners love their maneuverability, Pared says, and he has customers who can back up his word. A Valid Government issued Identification is required to receive product. I am liking the Searay 44 Sedan Bridge of the ~2009 vintage as those have QSC500s with conventional drives. They also dont have cutlass bearings or shaft seals to monitor and replace, nor separate rudders and steering systems to maintain, saving money on those items over the long haul. But not many boat owners ponied up the cash to switch to pods. Best of the old and the new.maybe. And there are computer-controlled, straight-shaft systems that can juggle shifts, throttles, and a thruster or thrusters with a joystick, too, using traditional split-shift techniques. When one of Sieberts clients hit a sandbar, it happened so smoothly that he didnt even realize hed lost drives until he revved the engines and the boat didnt respond, Siebert said. Plus factors and quiet fuel efficient. In sum, with todays technology, the best combination might be a shaft boat, bow and stern thrusters, and the Cummins power plant with electronic joy stick controls. Pods also increase fuel economy and decrease vibration. ZF also built far larger pods that could handle far more horsepower. KISS Keep It Simple Sailor. Hang around a boatyard, and youll hear at least one horror story about some unfortunate soul who was stranded, or worse, because his pods failed. Being new to power boating, I selected this configuration for ease of docking and it has been fabulous. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per . More interior room? Sensors and things like that. Some could be rotated 180 degrees and run adequately facing either fore or aft. Here are both performance charts. The transom stays clean and nobody is complaining of fumes.. Volvos Active Corrosion System, which is standard on IPS 800 or larger drives, is similar. At that time, the company boat was a 38-foot express cruiser with a pair of Volvo D6 370 hp diesels matched to IPS 500 series drives. The tank has a 24mm diameter (0.94 inches) and measures 50.5mm tall (2 inches tall). The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. They have the only tech here that will work on them. The bill to undo the resulting carnage came to $46,000, a figure that couldnt have been much worse if pods had been involved.). I have personally ruled out any boat with PODS, IPS or ZEUS, for those 2 main reasons. Click on the different category headings to find out more. With quad outboards, Id get about 0.7 miles per gallon. A Bonnier LLC Company. The downside is that a boat with less horsepower is more easily burdened by loading the boat. Hes also got a lot of applications engineering in his background. One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. One benefit of pod drives is joystick maneuverability. Some pods require draining. Petzold said the most common problem he sees with pods is owners not maintaining the corrosion protection. IPS followed with its own, and ZF ponied one up too. For the first few years pods appeared mostly on company demo boats tested by magazine writers, and received lots of press coverage, most of it extolling their handling advantages. I'll also add that I REALLY like pods for the fuel efficiency (25-40% better) and maneuverability in a twin engine application. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Volvo Penta introduced the first pod-drive system in 2004. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. Most new boats developed in the 35- to 45-foot class were pods. Its fun. Id guess none. This takes the stress out of dealing with any warranty concerns, if your unit is covered by our Hassle-Free Warranty and has an issue, do not hesitate to contact our customer sales team. Not cool to open two threads on similar subjects, yup, definitely my bad, rookie mistake, thought I was posting in the forum the first time around. What if you do hit something? he says. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Each IPS has anodes as well, one up inside the exhaust tunnel (the other is on the transom); both Zeus anodes are on the trim tabs where theyre easy to reach. lost surfboards santa cruz. It wasnt so long ago that a pair of 250-horsepower outboards was as much power as any non-raceboater could hang on the stern. Naval architects have also gotten better at maximizing the efficiencies of pods at all speeds. Those anodes shouldnt dissolve like zincs do, but both systems should be checked annually. But I usually run at 32 miles per hour and get 1.5 mpg, he says. Boats do sink from that very thing. And maneuverabilitywell, any good sportfishing captain can put his ride wherever he wantswithout a joystick. Theyre the cleanest-burning motors Ive experienced. Instead, Zeus pods came with traditional aft-facing props and the traditional exhaust-through-hub design. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Pod drives, including the Volvo Penta IPS, Cummins Zeus, ZF Marine POD 4000, and CAT Three60 POD 650 have taken the recreational boat market by storm during the recent past. Savings on a long haul might disappear when slowing to navigate a tricky channel or speeding up to avoid a storm. My experience is that they will work with their Cummins/Mercury dealers to lend a hand in unusual situations. Petzold uses Propspeed, or some other antifouling paint formulated for underwater metals. That means a haulout to remove the break-in lube and replace it with the normal lubricant. Siebert puts annual maintenance for pods roughly $2,000 above what straight shafts cost, not including extra haul-out fees for boats that exceed 250 engine-hours per year. Capt. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Todd pauses thoughtfully before answering: We didnt run into that problem., While nobody can predict the ultimate size of the pod market, as more and more people experience them, the polarity between love and hate is apt to change. is ryan bingham related to ken curtis. I had the opportunity to run several different boats at Volvos test center in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the companys international press launch, and there is no doubt I was intrigued by the system. Cummins uses aluminum-gallium anodes to best protect bronze drives. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Obviously, you have run over fish to get a bite, but we proved that pod-drives were no fearsome thing. In effect, a sport-fisher fresh out of the factory may make 45 knots on pods, but by the time it is provisioned and ready to fish, its going to lose some speed. Boat will operate 75% of the time in displacement/9kt mode, if that is relevant. To me the unit as a whole is way to complex than it needs to be. If water is suspected inside any pod, get a mechanic aboard right away or risk internal damage. are zeus pods still being manufacturedbest air quality cities in arizona 27 avril 2022. are zeus pods still being manufacturedaluminum upright bass for sale 16 avril 2022; are zeus pods still being manufacturedwooden postcard postage 24 mars 2022; The company didnt invent them, but it made pod a household word among boaters. In many ways, fishermen a nongendered term that embraces both sexes trust what weve learned over decades of personal experience and the experience of our mentors. So how big is the pod market? While builders debated the benefits of the different pod designs, many new boaters were simply seduced by the joystick maneuvering system. Okay, the motors cost about $80,000 and $90,000, respectively.
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