Volvo includes neither a water alarm nor a clear reservoir, so check the single transmission and gear oil dipstick for signs of water. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. These versatile drive systems are not as popular as once thought. (And when the struts rip out, they can take parts of the hull with them, something that probably wont happen with pods.) If the outer seal is damaged by debris, fishing line or rope, only the inner seal separates the pods innards from seawater. Boats do sink from that very thing. Each pod turns independently of the other, giving remarkable maneuverability. When checking transmission oil level, give it a sniff. (Its not a bad idea to do the sameminus the sealsfor inboards.). Weight kills the speed on pod-drives, compared to shaft-drives, Smith says. Zeus Pods: Good, Bad, Ugly?? - Seaboard Marine 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. Change the fluids annually, or every 250 hours of operation. Sabre seems to be moving more and more towards the IPS units over Cummins especially since Cummins and Mercury parted paths several years ago (both still support Zeus drives). x 33 ft.), SMX Bronze Freshwater Flush Cap for Groco ARG Series Strainers, Bronze Tee Adapter and Freshwater Flush System, Military Style Top Post Battery Terminals, Heavy Duty Marine Grade 316L Stainless Steel Washers, Cummins Marine Diamond Performance Series Engine Sticker, ZF Marine Transmission Sales & Current Inventory, ZF 45-85 A/IV Shift & Troll Cable Bracket, ZF Marine Transmission Oil Drain Line Kit, Suredrive Coupling for Borg Warner & ZF 220A, Suredrive Coupling for ZF 301 & 302 VLD/IV with Vulkan L, Marine Flex Plate (Velvet Drive, SAE 11.5), Vulkan Vulkardan-E (2K3411S004) SAE No. They dont cavitate and they dont ventilate. Diamond Steel > Blog > Uncategorized > are zeus pods still being manufactured. What customers are choosing is maneuverability. 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. Volvo Penta introduced the first pod-drive system in 2004. Can anyone speak to when there were evolutionary changes in the Zeus pods? 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. But who cares, really? Using a ZF transmission, it could mate any marine engine (Yanmar and Caterpillar have been popular partners) to its pods. All my personal experience to date is with 6BTA 370s in a conventional shaft drive arrangement. We back it up with a concierge service. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Most yards will repaint a pod for $300. Pod access aboard the Riviera 43 is through the cockpit sole. Capt. Volvo doesnt offer the option of in-water service. From a long term maintenance perspective you are better off with a conventional drive line. This is our premium store warranty and only select units are covered under this program. We have, on occasion, sent oil out with no visible sign of water, but it showed up on the test. Oil analysis is inexpensiveusually under $200and worth doing at every change; finding a bad seal early will save thousands of dollars in repairs. 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. You can check these in your browser security settings. Zeus Pods | Sabre Yachts JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Pods, on the other hand, need annual TLC, and this means skilled work. Down sides were in the San Francisco Bay Area there is only one person that can work on them. ZF 63A with 4BT, flywheel torsion coupler issue??? Still, many boaters werent convinced. 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. 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. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. How to Manage Boat Finances During a Recession, Gamefisherman 43 Express on the Drawing Board, Marlin Expeditions Offers Light-Tackle Paradise in Guatemala. Pull into any port in the world, and theres probably a guy there who can fix it. A failed shaft seal lets water into the pod, with unfortunate and expensive results. Cummins uses aluminum-gallium anodes to best protect bronze drives. Zeus ArcPods (Triple Pack)| TVape USA The Zeus ArcPods are the convenient method of preparing, loading, and transporting your dry herb for use with your, 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. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. 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. 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. 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. While builders debated the benefits of the different pod designs, many new boaters were simply seduced by the joystick maneuvering system. One drive had a. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. Sophisticated diagnostics go with every engine now. For people who have been boating for 30 years, the quiet, smooth operation and the clean exhaust are really going to surprise them., But Collins thinks the pods advantages are even less quantifiable. Theyre the cleanest-burning motors Ive experienced. I am looking for one that has been treated well and run as close to the ideal as possible. 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. With IPS Ill run out to the Corner and fish the tide for wahoo, then head over to Gingerbread and get some yelloweye before heading home. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Exhaust fumes are emitted into the prop wash. 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 also feel they will continue to loose market share to Volvo. 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. When pods vibrate, propellers or jack shaft bearings are the likely causes. 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. are zeus pods still being manufactured. With the joystick, my 12-year-old docks the boat.. Your are officially the first one to publish 4o% percent efficiency benefits for pods. Yes, you need to be concerned about steering and propulsion fluids (lower unit) but you are not dealing with shaft irregularities, cutlass bearing maintenance, and thruster maintenance. 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. If we have to go searching or put divers in the water, thats another story. To prevent later claims of piracy, come to an agreement beforehand, Little said. At Volvo Pentas IPS rollout in Mallorca de Palma, identical inboard and pod-drive boats were pitted against each other. ArcPods were made to be reliable and convenient, allowing you to pre-pack up to 0.3 grams of dry herb in each capsule using the Xtruder. That said, I have heard good things. pathfinder kingmaker river's justice . Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. In the past decade, high-tech pod drives have changed the face of powerboating, and for the better. No thrusters are required, saving more cash. But how do you compare boats? For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. Re IPS: Volvo is well regarded for their innovations with IPS. Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. Zeus ArcPod Lids - Extend your use | Zeus Sabre Yachts, for example, first offered pods in 2008 as an option over straight shafts in the 42-foot express cruiser. Like was said before I mirror there thoughts. 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. Regardless of prop orientation, the first drives were a far cry from the watchlike beauties brought forth by Volvo Penta and, later, Zeus and ZF Marine. If you dont like the look of outboards, hide em, like Pursuit does in its SC 365i Sport Coupe, with twin outboards concealed by a transom hatch. Inboard props slip in both forward and reverse. Other than checking anodes, Petzold said the most important thing to do is change the fluids per the maintenance schedule, and use the recommended gear oil, or oils. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. Around here most mercury dealers wont take it on. 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. Ask to see the service records for the boats first year. cable tension calculator; neptune east coast reservation. First, hull efficiency was enhanced, because the props were always aligned with the direction of motion in the boat. ZFs pod-drive includes a jackshafted transmission, which can mate to any diesel engine the owner prefers. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! They have the only tech here that will work on them. Ariel Pared is the president of SeeVee, which has built about 20 Volvo Penta IPS-drive boats. Finger pointing is worse in any situation when it is out of warranty, then you are left on a deserted island. Siebert prefers Boeshield T-9. Use of Cookies: ZF Friedrichshafen AG uses cookies to continuously improve the website and optimize its design. Inboards props are angled downward, diminishing the power directed toward forward motion. Thats not chump change, but neither is it likely to produce heart palpitations in the owner of a million-dollar vessel. Sure the stories are one-sided, but as an aggregate source of information, theyve led me to conclude that pods are no more prone to failure than inboards but that when a pod breaks, the repair bills going to be higher. 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. The Truth About Shafts and Pods - Power & Motoryacht Its hard to tell if sport fishermen will take to it. That could make billing a fish tough if you have to strain to reach the water. 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. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Interestingly, the most notable early prop-forward applications were in ice-breaking ships launched in 1990 an interesting defense to the argument that forward-facing props were too vulnerable to debris. The pod-drive boats were clearly more maneuverable and accelerated more quickly than strut, shaft and -prop-drive inboards. Richard estimated an average annual cost of about $2,500 for scheduled maintenance on twin pod drives. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Mercury Zeus Pod VS Volvo Penta IPS VS Cummins Zeus System 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. Pods operate independently of one another to provide vectored thrust in any direction, which makes the vessel incredibly maneuverable. 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. 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. 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. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. Sacrificial anode maintenance is both cheap and easily performed by the average inboard boat owner. 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. 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. When a 42-foot pod boat can replace a 46-footer, savings add up fast. Also, you dont know how often the shaft seals will need replacement. Im a pessimist, however, and because of this Id budget $3,000, quite an upcharge from just replacing zincs. The boat never missed a beat, much to Pareds elation. And the Zeus pods also came with a joystick. Cleaning also maximizes efficiency of the pods contrarotating propellers. ZF Marine entered the pod fray when its exclusivity agreement with Zeus expired. Its better to do it at haulout, when the oil can be drained by gravity, rather than sucking it out with a pump. 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. Charleston. 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). are zeus pods still being manufactured - ede.pe Maybe.) 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. Some really nice high tech features that most will never use. Pods also expand morning fluid checks to include the lazarette. Some pods require draining. 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. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. I have a 2013 Sabre 42 with the Cummins/Zeus pod units. 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. Initially, I too was surprised at the lack of trained techs in my area but once I realized you can use Mercury techs that have been to Mercury Diesel school, more options opened up. I love these things, they are super convenient to load, insert, and clean. Inboard fans argue that the pod-drives lack torque. We recommend consulting with a licensed physician before using a vaporizer. Some could be rotated 180 degrees and run adequately facing either fore or aft. are zeus pods still being manufactured - ouseagencia.com Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. And with good reasonthese propulsion systems offer several major-league advantages over traditional inboard power, so once a few savvy boaters got their hands on 'em . That means a haulout to remove the break-in lube and replace it with the normal lubricant. 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. are zeus pods still being manufactured - gbantoa.com Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. If you get to know these pods and keep regular checks on fluid levels, they will treat you well. They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. 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.