On Cummins drives, standard-equipment MerCathode system anodes emit a tiny electrical charge opposite the damaging electrical currents that normally flow through metal parts in seawater, actively protecting pods from galvanic corrosion. Instead of having to jog throttles and shift levers to effect a maneuver, simply push, pull or twist the joystick and the boat follows the -directions, pivoting in place or crabbing sideways say, into a slip thats just long enough to fit your vessel. To determine which, run the throttle up slowly on one engine and then the other. I had seen massive tugboats using a similar pod-drive system for their tight-quarters work, pushing huge container ships into the wharf. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. Spencer Yachts was one of the first to embrace pod-drives, including Volvo Pentas IPS and ZF Marines pod-drive system with Caterpillar engines. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. 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). 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? In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. Is there some X Factor or Factors that negates the pods proven advantages? Richard estimated an average annual cost of about $2,500 for scheduled maintenance on twin pod drives. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. Grant Bentley captains Home Run, a 60-foot Spencer. Internal bonding issue and corrosion and a bunch of internal parts had to be changed. Check them just like you check zincs on a shaft, Petzold said: Swim down and have a look. Although hes well versed in the care and maintenance of inboards, Anderson was still anxious to run a pod boat. Lets have a look. Inboard fans argue that the pod-drives lack torque. It might save the cost of a divorce on cruelty-while-docking grounds, too, a way bigger budget-breaker than pod drives. And hitting something hard at speed would strip the pods off the bottom as neat as you please. 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. But not many boat owners ponied up the cash to switch to pods. SeaVee no longer builds inboard boats, but that was a neat one. You must be at least 19 years from Canada and 21 years from USA to buy and/or use this website. Its hard to tell if sport fishermen will take to it. Dont cheap out on anodes, Petzold advised. Volvo Penta has 16,000 pod-drive boats in the marketplace right now. 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. If you lose oil or get water in the lower unit, an alarm will sound before the problem becomes catastrophic, Fessenden said of Cummins drives. Trawlers dont benefit much from pods. Part of that comes as a side effect to the benefits of the props angle of attack. Plan on replacing the anodes at least annually, using the correct alloy: Most pods use aluminum anodes, not zinc. As Mercury continues to grow its diesel business, Zeus support will grow. Its like a orange and all they work on is apples. Mark their location any way you can, with a waypoint or a buoy, said Steve Little, president ofTowBoatU.S. Shafts, Props and a good ole thruster or 2 can have you handling your boat like a POD boat. The pod version of the 42 Sabre, for instance, adds a queen bed and more stowage to the guest stateroom, as well as the option for a washer and dryer. Whats going on here? The drive can be simultaneously connected to electric propulsion too. As one broker told me, Its like automatic transmissions. Volvo has one zinc hidden, but accessible, on the drive itself. They said it was so easy a child could do it, and sure enough, it wasnt long before a lad barely out of kindergarten deftly maneuvered a 40-footer into a slip all by himself. It gets all the bubbles out of the wake, he says. Id guess none. Petzold said he thought that was about right, even almost four years later. Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. Pods, on the other hand, need annual TLC, and this means skilled work. Look for signs of corrosion. Zeus has two zincs attached to each trim tab. Disappointing, but then again whens the last time you worked on your car? And what of resale? More interior room? (Have they also reduced the docking-related divorce rate among powerboating couples? 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. 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. Ask to see the service records for the boats first year. There are a lot of traditionalists in that market.. The pod-drives gave us the ability to manage the narrow locks and small marinas along that route without a bow thruster. The biggest fear boaters have is not about running out in the open water. That could make billing a fish tough if you have to strain to reach the water. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. A frequently overlooked benefit of IPS is this new stateroom, made possible by the compact power installation. 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. The Zeus ArcPods are the convenient method of preparing, loading, and transporting your dry herb for use with your Zeus Arc GTS or Arc S vaporizer. (I know you're supposed to replace each use for both the other companies, but it is possible to get more than one sesh out of each pod). They get people excited about buying a new boat.. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. The other issue was when the owner sold the boat they did a oil sample and found water and both lower units had to be resealed and a main shaft had to be changed. We only go around once anyway, so pay the money, grab the joystick, and have some angst-free enjoyment. At Volvo Pentas IPS rollout in Mallorca de Palma, identical inboard and pod-drive boats were pitted against each other. What if you do hit something? he says. 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. Volvo uses SAE 75w140 oil for both the transmission and lower unit. I love these things, they are super convenient to load, insert, and clean. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Naval architects have also gotten better at maximizing the efficiencies of pods at all speeds. 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. These versatile drive systems are not as popular as once thought. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine. 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. Pods have been pretty darn foolproof, he said. That means a haulout to remove the break-in lube and replace it with the normal lubricant. 11.5, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for 45A, 63/68A, 63/68IV, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for 80A, 85A, 85IV, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#4 for 45A, 63/68A, 63/68IV (Volvo D4/D6), ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for ZF 220A, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 ZF 220A & IRM280 (Old Style), ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 CAT Engine for ZF 220A, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for ZF 280A/IV, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for ZF 285A/IV & ZF 286A/IV, Transmission Adapter Plate to Bellhousing Bolt Hardware Kit, SMX Transmission Spacer for Borg Warner Velvet Drive, ZF Marine Mechanical ATF Series Shift & Troll Valve, ZF Marine Electronic ATF Series Shift & Troll Valve, ZF Marine Electric EB15 Shift Valve with Trolling Valve, ZF Marine Mechanical Trolling Valve (ZF 280+), ZF 220/A Marine Mechanical Trolling Valve Kit, ZF ATF 63 A/IV 85 A/IV Electronic Progressive Shift Solenoid, ZF ATF 63 68 A/IV 80 85 A/IV Electronic Shift Solenoid, ZF EB15 Electronic Shift Solenoid (TROLL), ZF EB30/31 Electronic Shift Solenoid Coil, ZF ATF 63 A/IV 85 A/IV Electronic Troll Valve Coil, ZF Electronic Shift Solenoid Wire Plug/Cap, SMX Marine Transmission Drop in Screen Filter 45/63/68/80/85 A/IV Series ATF, Fleetguard LF701 Lube Filter for ZF Gears, Genuine ZF Marine Oil Filter Transmission (3213308019), ZF Marine 25A, 45A, 63A/IV, 80A/IV Input Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 63IV Inner (Small) Output Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 63IV Outer (Large) Output Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 80IV/85IV Inner (Small) Output Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 80IV/85IV Outer (Large) Output Shaft Seal, ZF 63A/IV 68A/IV 80A 85A SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF 85IV SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF 220A SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF 280A ZF 280-1 ZF 220PL SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF Marine 220 / 220A Replacement Oil Pump, ZF Marine 286A / 286IV Replacement Oil Pump, Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (ZF 63/68 A/IV, Velvet Drive), Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (ZF 220 A/V/IV), Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (ZF 800 80 85 A/IV, ZF 220PL, 280A/IV, 286A/IV, 301, MG506 5061 507), Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (MG 509), Cummins Marine Engine Warranty Information, Marine 316L SS 4 inch Pipe (4.5 OD) 90 Degree Elbow, Cummins Marine Diesel Repower Specialists, Cummins 6bt wont get up to WOT after fuel line blockage. Martin Meissner of ZF Marine says engine makers still dont have a handle on the potential volume. Phone: 1-844-858-8273 Email: [emailprotected].com. 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. Hes also got a lot of applications engineering in his background. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. I have a 2013 Sabre 42 with the Cummins/Zeus pod units. Its also important to monitor for seawater dripping onto drives. Pod drives have been widely available only since 2007, yet they have the market awhirl. 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. Inboard props slip in both forward and reverse. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Sophisticated diagnostics go with every engine now. In fact, shafts and struts have been driven through the hull by groundings and collisions with floating debris. Thats pretty good., Buckley also likes the IPS investment and isnt concerned about the sticker shock. They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. Best of the old and the new.maybe. If I could afford em, Id get em. nonprofit grants for financial education; wire harness in solidworks; brooklyn, crime news today; alkaline breakfast smoothie; utsa football national ranking; Outboards are easy. And if they dont want them, I cant talk them into it.. Pods operate independently of one another to provide vectored thrust in any direction, which makes the vessel incredibly maneuverable. cable tension calculator; neptune east coast reservation. Controlling wind, waves and current. 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. Just add a bracket and bolt them on, install the digital controls and joystick and youre set. Superior to bow thrusters, which can drain your battery and leave you stranded - Zeus Joystick Piloting for Pods is integrated with the pod drives, without relying on battery power. 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. 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. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo Pods are robust.. Pods are the ne plus ultra of propulsion, but it costs a little extra to keep them spinning. Fashioned out of high quality aluminum, the Zeus ArcPods are designed to hold up to 0.3 grams of dry herb and work perfectly with the Zeus Xtruder which directly connects to, fills up, and automatically ejects the pod once the optimal amount of dry herb has been loaded. How many buyers do you think reconsider upgrading to pods because of the extra maintenance cost? 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. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. But in that case, its the ability to point and shoot that gives them comfort level. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). Theres no free lunch, so there must be a hidden cost that no ones factored in.. But this was a first for the recreational segment of the marine industry, and there was a lot of buzz and excitement. Hes also found them to be extremely reliable. The maneuverability of the boat is what sells it, especially in close quarters, he says. If the outer seal is damaged by debris, fishing line or rope, only the inner seal separates the pods innards from seawater. I was always an outboard guy, he says. In the past decade, high-tech pod drives have changed the face of powerboating, and for the better. Sensors and things like that. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Zeus Pods need to be placed within a specific distance from the transom for a lot of performance reasons and because they include the automatic trim tabs as part of their standard offering. Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. Here at TVAPE we offer free shipping on every order above $100.00 inside Canada and USA. The transom stays clean and nobody is complaining of fumes.. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. Fifty dollars per prop should do it. Four different fluids just to service them. Inboards are virtually maintenance-free, while pods require lots of servicing. 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. Cummins expert Rob Mirman gives an overview of the Cummins Zeus pod drive system at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. 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. The first American company to install the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System was actually Tiara. 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. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. Better fuel efficiency? Whats another three grand, compared to the cost of a boat big enough and upscale enough for pod drives? I am considering buying a Meridian 441 flybridge motor yacht, which is 47 LOA and 31,000lbs. Most studies show that maximum rpm only accounts for about 10 percent of the total running cycle of most boats and engines. By turning pods in opposite directions and running one in forward and one in reverse, the vessel can be pivoted more quickly and easily than in either outboards or inboards. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Stephen Smith is the southwest sales representative for Caterpillar. After the tests in Sweden, I then did a leg of the trip on that first Tiara Volvo demo boat, heading west in the New York State Canal from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. The transmission and steering units are quite robust and I dont expect any serviceability issues from them. "Cummins says you don't 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. Once offshore, I spun the boat in a complete 360-degree rotation on its own axis in less than 14 seconds. Pull into any port in the world, and theres probably a guy there who can fix it. Ten years ago, many old-timers predicted that complex pod systems, with their computer-managed guidance, fly-by-wire controls, and inaccessible drive units tucked under the hull, would need constant repair and maintenance. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. The lower units (gear housing) will need to be resealed and I expect to have to do this every 5 years or so. Im a pessimist, however, and because of this Id budget $3,000, quite an upcharge from just replacing zincs. All told, figure $500 per engine annually, plus haul-out fees. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. After that, it wasnt up for discussion any longer: The marlin didnt mind the pods at all. Add to Cart. Take the props off, grease the shafts, and check the seals, Fessenden said. 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. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Reply To: Cummins QSB Low Battery ECM Voltage, Marine Age the REAL age of a Marine Diesel Engine, Propellers Move Boats, Engines Just Turn Them, Everything you Need to Know About Marine Exhaust Systems, Continuous Duty A Different Perspective, This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated. 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. Please note that to purchase a vaporizer from this website you must abide by local laws and be a minimum of 19 years of age. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. Most pods require service after a short break-in period at 25 hours or so. One issue that early pod adopters discovered, usually to their financial surprise, was the necessity of checking the shaft seals regularly, and replacing them on a scheduled basisevery five years is about right for most folks. Along with Volvo, who now makes the IPS drives from 260 to 1,000 hp, Cummins and MerCruiser partnered to join the fray with their Zeus pod-drive system, complete with SmartCraft monitoring and system management that integrates the vessels electronics, propulsion and onboard systems. Within a year or two, Paul Spencer built a 43-foot express with IPS drives that we fished in a tournament. Each pod has 2 props and they are different. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. I did some work on them but really didnt have the time to become efficient.