Robin Buckley captains a SeeVee 39 with IPS 600s, named Kimbuktu. When you put a pod system in, you try to do more with less.. 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. For a ballpark number, Im deferring to a well-researched article written by our late friend, Capt. All my personal experience to date is with 6BTA 370s in a conventional shaft drive arrangement. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo And joystick piloting? At the 2005 Miami Boat Show Volvo Penta introduced its Inboard Performance System (IPS) and changed forever not only the way we run our boats but the way we think about running them. Whats going on here? The tank has a 24mm diameter (0.94 inches) and measures 50.5mm tall (2 inches tall). Trawlers dont benefit much from pods. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. Much more service options down there. The New York State Canal is just one of the many great scenic boat trips North America has to offer, and the numerous locks create a lot of tight-quarters maneuvering. However, most sport-fishers rarely operate at wide-open throttle. Click on the different category headings to find out more. How to Manage Boat Finances During a Recession, Gamefisherman 43 Express on the Drawing Board, Marlin Expeditions Offers Light-Tackle Paradise in Guatemala. But, the lids. And while its hard to nail down the amount of that fuel-efficiency edge, everyone agrees it does exist and can compensate you for at least some of the additional maintenance costs. Our white marlin came in hot on the teasers we fished up close to the boat. They dont cavitate and they dont ventilate. The Arc GTS is no . Over the years, Ive found online forums to be some of the most ready places for first-hand accounts of engine-related problems. Then Zeus offered Sky Hook, a station-keeping device that combined data from a GPS and an electronic compass to keep the vessel perfectly still within a yard or two. Disappointing, but then again whens the last time you worked on your car? Zincs every year, costing a few bucks, a new Cutless bearing every once in a while, and a couple of brushfuls of paint for the struts and rudders. 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. Its like a carnival ride. He fished many tournaments with the boat, including the Mid-Atlantic at Cape May, the Pirates Cove tournament in North Carolina and several sailfish tournaments in south Florida. Around here most mercury dealers wont take it on. You put it in sport fish, and it locks the pods in opposite directions. Sophisticated diagnostics go with every engine now. The Zeus system propellers are on the back of the pods, as opposed to the Volvo IPS, which are on the front. Diamond Steel > Blog > Uncategorized > are zeus pods still being manufactured. Some pods require draining. 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. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. Zirk fittings require grease in U-joints and at both ends of jack shafts that connect engines to drives. 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. But conventional wisdom no longer applies. One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. Best of the old and the new.maybe. I'm concerned that I won't be able to get my hands on a replacement drive if one were to sheer off 5-7 years from now. In fact, shafts and struts have been driven through the hull by groundings and collisions with floating debris. If one engine vibrates in gear and the other doesnt, its probably caused by fouled or damaged props. So the fact that pod systems are loaded with electronics actually makes them less prone to failureand unfortunately an unfathomable mystery to most mechanics. Change the fluids annually, or every 250 hours of operation. 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. I stay on top of the maintenance, oil and everything and never had a breakdown., Some people complain about the top-end speed of pods. A frequently overlooked benefit of IPS is this new stateroom, made possible by the compact power installation. Pods are designed to shear off without compromising hull integrity. Sensors and things like that. Its important to maintain good antifouling. Pods have water intakes, exhausts and other places that are inviting to marine critters, and keeping them out is important. On Zeus drives, check the steering oil reservoir dipstick, and check the clear reservoir for lower-unit gear oil for any signs of water seeping into the drive. Weight kills the speed on pod-drives, compared to shaft-drives, Smith says. Once hes inspected everything and put it all back together, Petzold paints the pod. 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. Pods are the ne plus ultra of propulsion, but it costs a little extra to keep them spinning. If you get to know these pods and keep regular checks on fluid levels, they will treat you well. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Arrogant factory leadership, poor parts fill, and high parts prices scared me off. how to say hello we are blackpink in korean; hawaii energy issues. Eager to fish with them, I was along with Ed Szilagyi, then Volvos boatbuilder installation liaison and company captain, on that same Tiara demo. We only go around once anyway, so pay the money, grab the joystick, and have some angst-free enjoyment. Maybe.) He too is in love with the sport-fish mode and its maneuverability. Yet catastrophic groundings are rare for all boats, although again, the financial consequences for the pod owner are usually steeper. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Vessel Systems Considerations for Marine Repower, ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar, LLC. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. 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. In short, I love my Cummins 6.7 units and I am getting happier each day with the Zeus pods as I learn them and how to care for them. Thats a hard question to answer, due to the past 15 months, Meissner says, referring to the economic recession. Pods have been pretty darn foolproof, he said. Indeed, were approaching if you have to ask territory here, and although a magazine writer like myself has about as much chance of buying a pod-driven anything as he does scoring a date with Sofia Vergara, I still think the benefits of pods far outweigh the extra initial and maintenance costs. Volvos Active Corrosion System, which is standard on IPS 800 or larger drives, is similar. Pods operate independently of one another to provide vectored thrust in any direction, which makes the vessel incredibly maneuverable. Volvo Penta introduced the first pod-drive system in 2004. Inboards are virtually maintenance-free, while pods require lots of servicing. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. More interior room? If that aint enough, Seven Marine builds a 557- or 627-horsepower small-block V-8 configured as an outboard motor. This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine. If I could afford em, Id get em. And often, they are recoverable and repairable. We raised several white marlin, and caught a couple for our junior anglers that were fishing with us for the day. Inboards require sacrificial-anode replacement, prop adjustment, cutless bearing repair, shaft alignment, and a method of controlling marine growth. It is so nearly parallel to the boats keel that it enables pod-drives to lighten the vessel with smaller engines that still provide ample thrust to plane and power the now lighter boat. Fifty dollars per prop should do it. I worked on a boat with Zeus pods for about three years. Of course neither of these statements is true. Four different fluids just to service them. Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. I am on the East Coast. Volvo doesnt offer the option of in-water service. When pods shear off, their recovery might cost a huge percentage of their value. And the Zeus pods also came with a joystick. Controlled at low speeds by a joystick rather than wheel, shifts, and throttles, pods take most of the angst, the apprehension, and, sometimes, the sheer terror out of close-quarters maneuvering. Comparing the Sabre 42 Hardtop Express, one with pods and one with shafts: At wide-open throttle, the pods horizontal thrust and contrarotating propellers increase economy (0.8 nmg for pods, 0.63 nmg shafts). To start with, Zeus and IPS boats have to be hauled after their first 25 engine-hours. Cummins QSC 8.3 Zeus pods long term support, https://www.yachtforums.com/converszeus-pods-long-term-support.17232/#navigation, https://www.sabreyachts.com/motor-yachts/fly-bridge-sedan-48/fly-bridge-48-performance-data, (You must log in or sign up to reply here.). Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. I did some work on them but really didnt have the time to become efficient. Volvo uses SAE 75w140 oil for both the transmission and lower unit. With a shaft and strut inboard, you can pretty much pull up to any marina in the world and get it serviced. Savings on a long haul might disappear when slowing to navigate a tricky channel or speeding up to avoid a storm. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per . Our mentality could be considered the opposite of todays kids in relation to new technology. I want to comment on how well Mercury backs their products. The new props dont ventilate, and their position alignment with the keel gave them a decided advantage by leveling the keel on the hole shot. 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. With quad outboards, Id get about 0.7 miles per gallon. A Bonnier LLC Company. Prior to heading out with the boat, there was a lot of talk on the dock about whether the new drives would raise fish or scare them away. 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. Cleaning also maximizes efficiency of the pods contrarotating propellers. The transom stays clean and nobody is complaining of fumes.. Controlled at low speeds by a joystick rather than wheel, shifts, and throttles, pods take most of the angst, the apprehension, and, sometimes, the sheer terror out of close-quarters maneuvering. They get people excited about buying a new boat.. For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. International service is also a concern for pods. I often hear stories about Mercury paying for expensive replacement parts when their Zeus units need work out of warranty. The performance numbers on the IPS are slightly better. Are the Zeus drives still being produced today? One hardly noticed the greatest benefit to the end user: The engine systems were so compact, many boats could gain an aft cabin or at least a sleeping berth where diesel engines once thrummed away. 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. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. By using a vaporizer, you understand that inhalation is inadvisable as it may be harmful, and use of a vaporizer is done at your own risk. It seems that the Zeus pods have evolved over the years and later systems are more reliable than earlier ones. Being new to power boating, I selected this configuration for ease of docking and it has been fabulous. You can check these in your browser security settings. Pods are comprised of some very costly components, but theoretically, their modular design should yield some countervailing savings in labor costs. When I troll, I can turn it on and the exhaust bypasses the pod and comes out just above the water. I liked the idea of being able to handle the boat from the helm seat instead of standing up all the time. Finally theres antifoulant for the drive. Look for signs of corrosion. Zeus has two zincs attached to each trim tab. The bill to undo the resulting carnage came to $46,000, a figure that couldnt have been much worse if pods had been involved.). Viking offers four versions of its 42, all with pods, and according to company director of communications Peter Frederiksen, they sell well. . (Do the same with outboards and stern drives.) maritime ships for sale near vienna; octagon mirror feng shui; does zwift work with proform Goes without saying: Its got ZF Smart Command 5000 drive-by-wire. Make sure theyre specifically trained, or at least have several years of experience, Siebert said. In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. We created Lids for you to reuse your Aluminum ArcPods. The inboard has simplicity and ubiquity. By turning one engine pod at a sharper angle than the other in a turn, they could narrow its radius. Although pod housings are built of corrosion-resistant bronze rather than the aluminum alloy used for stern drives, its still critical to maintain the anodes. If you arent happy with the local dealer, you can call the concierge and get a tech in Tennessee. I had one of the first triple-outboard SeeVees made, but I was sick of buying the gas, and Ariel was gonna try the IPS. Ignore it and you can forget about that edge in fuel efficiency over inboards. 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. Fortunately the 42 Express cockpit is well laid out for Zeus . Cummins says you dont have to haul, but it takes a lot more time to suck that heavy oil out than to just drain it from the bottom, Siebert said. One drive had a. pathfinder kingmaker river's justice . The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. 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. Im a pessimist, however, and because of this Id budget $3,000, quite an upcharge from just replacing zincs. is ryan bingham related to ken curtis. are zeus pods still being manufactured. A very hard grounding is also likely to cost less with pods, since theyre meant to shear off and then go right back onto the boat with just a thorough service and new bolts. Great Product. In the past decade, high-tech pod drives have changed the face of powerboating, and for the better. The aft placement of pods has added to usable space on board. Petzold uses Propspeed, or some other antifouling paint formulated for underwater metals. Nevertheless, pods are making inroads. 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). Volvo Pentas IPS drive features patented forward-facing props, which lets them bite into clean water. Obviously, you have run over fish to get a bite, but we proved that pod-drives were no fearsome thing. The other companies give you a metal lid aluminum or steel, so you would only replace it to your liking when the taste gets yucky. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. At first no one trusted them; now you can hardly sell a car without one.. The biggest thing marketed to promote the system was its efficiency compared to a regular shaft and prop system, as well as joystick maneuverability. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. Within a year or two, Paul Spencer built a 43-foot express with IPS drives that we fished in a tournament. When checking transmission oil level, give it a sniff. The result is a perfectly consistent amount of dry herb in each of your ArcPods each and every time, meaning you get the same great results with every session. I am looking for a larger boat in the same size range as you. Charleston. Units that under our Hassle-Free Warranty program are covered directly by TVAPE and do not require you to deal directly with the manufacturer.