are zeus pods still being manufactured are zeus pods still being manufactured

Exhaust fumes are emitted into the prop wash. Some pods require draining. More interior room? Sensors and things like that. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! A failed shaft seal lets water into the pod, with unfortunate and expensive results. Its like a carnival ride. One benefit of pod drives is joystick maneuverability. Controlling wind, waves and current. I did some work on them but really didnt have the time to become efficient. Corrosion can cause expensive damage, and quickly, too. I want to comment on how well Mercury backs their products. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. Your are officially the first one to publish 4o% percent efficiency benefits for pods. Whether you have pods or conventional props, if your anodes have short life spans, have a pro check for stray current, problems with the marinas shore power, etc. Although hes well versed in the care and maintenance of inboards, Anderson was still anxious to run a pod boat. One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. And if they dont want them, I cant talk them into it.. 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. Volvo uses only one oil, while Cummins uses three different ones in Zeus drives. While the maintenance schedule varies somewhat among pod builders, its essentially the same. 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. 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. 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). Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. Viking offers four versions of its 42, all with pods, and according to company director of communications Peter Frederiksen, they sell well. I agree with Rob. Outboards give you the pod advantage, but without the esoteric technology. This is our premium store warranty and only select units are covered under this program. The pods combine transmission, steering, and propulsion that would otherwise entail separate trans, shaft/prop, thrusters, and rudders. 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. Ignore it and you can forget about that edge in fuel efficiency over inboards. 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. 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. If they dont increase the odds of hooking up, who cares? Hes president of Petzolds Marine Center (petzolds.com) in Portland, Connecticut, a dealer for both Sabre and Regal, two boatbuilders that moved into pods early in the game. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Cummins Marine Diesel Repower Specialists Forums Cummins Marine Engines Zeus Pods: Good, Bad, Ugly?? Volvo Penta officially introduced IPS (Inboard Performance System) pod drives at the 2005 Miami Boat Show; Cummins and ZF Marine followed, one and four years later, with their own versions. Petzold pulls the props annually to grease the shafts, and to remove any fishing line or other foreign matter on the shaft or wedged into the seal. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The vaporizers displayed on this website are not intended for or made to prevent, treat or diagnose any illness. The drive can be simultaneously connected to electric propulsion too. Most pod boats burn roughly the same per mile through a wide range of cruising speeds; conventional shaft boats typically have a narrow sweet spot. They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. Richard estimated an average annual cost of about $2,500 for scheduled maintenance on twin pod drives. But how do you compare boats? Shafts, Props and a good ole thruster or 2 can have you handling your boat like a POD boat. The lids are essential and for one-time use only. Im all about new technology. We backed around and spun both ways with speed I have only seen once or twice before. 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. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Goes without saying: Its got ZF Smart Command 5000 drive-by-wire. is ryan bingham related to ken curtis. Yes they are neat and intriguing as to handling, fuel economy and socialability but all at the price of a steep servicing regiment, a potential for high costs and high stress trying to get the proper qualified servicing or repairs and more computer technology to troubleshoot and stay on top of as to firmware updates, gremlins, etc. ZF Marine entered the pod fray when its exclusivity agreement with Zeus expired. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo Of course neither of these statements is true. The 42 Convertible is up to Hull number 10 but we are up to 36 hulls for the Open version, he says. Sophisticated diagnostics go with every engine now. SeaVee no longer builds inboard boats, but that was a neat one. The first American company to install the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System was actually Tiara. Finger pointing is worse in any situation when it is out of warranty, then you are left on a deserted island. Zeus propeller shafts use a double-lip seal. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. If your zincs are gone, your warranty might be gone too, Siebert said, so all his clients boats with pods are cleaned and checked monthly by a diver. To start with, Zeus and IPS boats have to be hauled after their first 25 engine-hours. Units that under our Hassle-Free Warranty program are covered directly by TVAPE and do not require you to deal directly with the manufacturer. The noise and smell from a diesel goes away with pods, said Bentley Collins, Sabres vice president of marketing and sales, and with joystick control, you dont have to worry about crashing into the dock.. Cabos sport-fisher benefits from Cummins Mercruiser Diesels Zeus drive. 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. With the joystick, my 12-year-old docks the boat.. Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. Whats going on here? But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Both throttle and steering. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. (Volvo Penta soon followed suit.). Pull into any port in the world, and theres probably a guy there who can fix it. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. Bottom Line. What does a shaft-type propulsion system really need? 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.). Pods are the ne plus ultra of propulsion, but it costs a little extra to keep them spinning. However, I think the best application I have run to date was a 39-foot SeaVee with pod-drives. (Stranded in Guaymas, Mexico, I watched a guy true up a dinged prop using just a single jack and anvil. But now thats all gone away. 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. Pods also expand morning fluid checks to include the lazarette. Whats another three grand, compared to the cost of a boat big enough and upscale enough for pod drives? Boats do sink from that very thing. While it is possible to reuse lids to reduce your consumption cost, they will impact the flavor negatively, same way as a disposable cup will impact the flavour of your coffee negatively if reused. I am on the East Coast. 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. The pods synthetic oil is dark, making it hard to see the telltale oil discoloration of a slipping transmission, but it will likely have a burnt smell. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. The boat never missed a beat, much to Pareds elation. We had a few bugs in my first IPS boat. 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. Change the fluids annually, or every 250 hours of operation. 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. Use Volvo or Cummins zincs too, which arent zinc at all. Theyre the cleanest-burning motors Ive experienced. Sabre Yachts, for example, first offered pods in 2008 as an option over straight shafts in the 42-foot express cruiser. Over the years, Ive found online forums to be some of the most ready places for first-hand accounts of engine-related problems. If water is suspected inside any pod, get a mechanic aboard right away or risk internal damage. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Our white marlin came in hot on the teasers we fished up close to the boat. If I could afford em, Id get em. I simulated backing through a slalom course in reverse, moving faster than any angler could ever gain line. All with a simple push or twist of the joystick. In fact, shafts and struts have been driven through the hull by groundings and collisions with floating debris. And if you have to ask about price, you really dont need one. Inboard props slip in both forward and reverse. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Most pods require service after a short break-in period at 25 hours or so. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. But, the lids. They tasked ZF Marine to bring them a transmission that would mate with their Zeus pod, electronic controls and joystick steering. 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. All diesels need TLC, but pod systems need a bit more. Parts for them now have to go through mercury. That means a haulout to remove the break-in lube and replace it with the normal lubricant. And often, they are recoverable and repairable. Zeus Arsenal has always made only reliable, well-performing devices that go beyond just being the perfect daily driver. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. Plan on replacing the anodes at least annually, using the correct alloy: Most pods use aluminum anodes, not zinc. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Care should be taken prior to using a vaporizer, as vaporizing will not necessarily eliminate any and all toxins found in vaporized blends. But how much more, and how complex is pod maintenance? Pod performance has inspired outboard and stern-drive builders to develop similar control systems that can be retrofitted to existing boats, something not practical with pods. Petzold said the most common problem he sees with pods is owners not maintaining the corrosion protection. One drive had a. ZFs pod-drive includes a jackshafted transmission, which can mate to any diesel engine the owner prefers. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. 1980 - 2023 Seaboard Marine - All Rights Reserved, Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total), Complete Seawater Circuit Maintenance Kits, Cummins Graphite Turbo Charger to Exhaust Gasket & Bolt Kit, Aftercooler & Heat Exchanger Maintenance Kits, Early 6BTA 5.9 Diamond Hoses (1.5 Raw Water Hoses), 6CTA 8.3 430/450/480CE Diamond Engine Hoses, USCG Approved Engine & Gear Hydraulic Hoses, USCG Approved High Pressure Hydraulic Oil Lines, EnviroVent Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) Kits, Marine Silicone Exhaust 6 x 8 Reducing Hump Hose, Custom Marine Exhaust Design & Fabrication, Marine 316L SS 4 inch Pipe (4.5" OD) 90 Degree Elbow, Marine 316L Stainless Steel 4 inch Exhaust Pipe (4.5 OD), SMX Custom Stainless Steel Exhaust Mixer Kit, 90 Degree Exhaust Elbow Wrap (Long Radius), SMX Mechanical Engine Digital Display Kit, SMX J1939 SeaView Double Digital Display Kit, Glendinning Throttle & Shift Control Systems, ZF220A & ZF220V Shift Valve Lever Repair Kit, SMX Custom Exhaust Flange Kit for Cummins Engines, Borg Warner Velvet Drive to Cummins 5.9 HD Adapter Kit, Commercial Marine Hydraulic Pumps & Equipment, PetroWrap Anti-Corrosion Tape (2 in. All rights reserved. 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. Looking at other online sources, people seem to be in Love or Hate camps.what are the facts please? Make sure to do this, and if buying a used boat, make certain the first owner did it, too. All in all saves a lot of cleaning hassle and maintenance costs- cleaning is primarily focused on the mouthpiece and associated parts with a quick wipe of the chamber. (See How Fuel-Efficient Are Pods, Exactly?) The biggest savings might come when the pods aft-located engines add interior accommodations. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. 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. Volvos Active Corrosion System, which is standard on IPS 800 or larger drives, is similar. I see the cummins split from Zeus around here was not a good thing myself. 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. 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. All told, figure $500 per engine annually, plus haul-out fees. With a shaft and strut inboard, you can pretty much pull up to any marina in the world and get it serviced. 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. Today electronics are inextricably entwined with every aspect of our lives, and whether its commercial jet engines, cars, home appliances, or chartplotters, we expect and receive virtually bulletproof reliability. Estimating the yearly cost isnt easy either, since yard rates vary and some pods need more upkeep than others. I am considering buying a Meridian 441 flybridge motor yacht, which is 47 LOA and 31,000lbs. On the Cummins side, only two Cummins dealers on the Chesapeake have been to Pod school. Click on the different category headings to find out more. ZF 63A with 4BT, flywheel torsion coupler issue??? You cant take the grate off to clean or paint in there. His solution is to spray Interlux Trilux 33 or Pettit Alumaspray Plus from aerosol cans inside the seawater intakes. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. You get similar handling advantages to pods, but with less maintenanceand its easy to find a mechanic certified on Yamaha, Evinrude, Mercury, and other brands. If one engine vibrates in gear and the other doesnt, its probably caused by fouled or damaged props. There are many factors that go into all of this, not the least of which are service and technical expertise to repair the systems, parts availability and costs for purchase and maintenance. 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. Pivoting a boat is simply accomplished by twisting a joystick. I had SeaVee owner Ariel Pared with me when we pulled away from the dock sideways, crabbing away briskly from our side-to moor. If so, does anyone know whether they will continue to produce replacement drives/parts? For a ballpark number, Im deferring to a well-researched article written by our late friend, Capt. Each pod turns independently of the other, giving remarkable maneuverability. 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.