JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Seaboard Marine delivers Guaranteed Better Than Factory Performance, Parts, Design, and Engineering for Cummins and other Marine Diesel applications. Sensors and things like that. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Using a ZF transmission, it could mate any marine engine (Yanmar and Caterpillar have been popular partners) to its pods. Plus, when we haul the boat, well catch problems a diver wont see.. This is our premium store warranty and only select units are covered under this program. Pivoting a boat is simply accomplished by twisting a joystick. 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. Thats not me talkingits Bob Petzold, who has as much experience as almost anybody selling, servicing, and repairing pod drives. 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. 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. Sounds like another good option to me. 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. Stephen Smith is the southwest sales representative for Caterpillar. I can do that on 200 gallons. Over the years, Ive found online forums to be some of the most ready places for first-hand accounts of engine-related problems. But in that case, its the ability to point and shoot that gives them comfort level. There are a lot of traditionalists in that market.. 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. But pod-drive engines use counter-rotating props. Check the condition of the seals by inspecting the drained oil for water; the best way is to have the oil analyzed, said Petzold. How to Manage Boat Finances During a Recession, Gamefisherman 43 Express on the Drawing Board, Marlin Expeditions Offers Light-Tackle Paradise in Guatemala. Make sure to do this, and if buying a used boat, make certain the first owner did it, too. Volvo Pentas IPS drive features patented forward-facing props, which lets them bite into clean water. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. It seems that the Zeus pods have evolved over the years and later systems are more reliable than earlier ones. 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. I am liking the Searay 44 Sedan Bridge of the ~2009 vintage as those have QSC500s with conventional drives. What customers are choosing is maneuverability. If the outer seal is damaged by debris, fishing line or rope, only the inner seal separates the pods innards from seawater. Are there particular production years that performed better than others. No thrusters are required, saving more cash. Our best guess is it will take a significant chunk of the market. One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. ZF also built far larger pods that could handle far more horsepower. Viking offers four versions of its 42, all with pods, and according to company director of communications Peter Frederiksen, they sell well. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. Pod access aboard the Riviera 43 is through the cockpit sole. lost surfboards santa cruz. Zeus offers dramatically improved high-speed handling and delivers up to: 30% improved fuel economy 15% faster cruise speed All my personal experience to date is with 6BTA 370s in a conventional shaft drive arrangement. Your are officially the first one to publish 4o% percent efficiency benefits for pods. But who cares, really? They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. Outboards are, in my opinion, the most interesting. 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. He ran the boat down to sell it down there. I rarely say this but if your dead set on a pod option I would put Volvos in. 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. But how much more, and how complex is pod maintenance? Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. We created Lids for you to reuse your Aluminum ArcPods. The pods require yearly maint that is beyond what regular trans, shaft and prop systems require. A little cheaper because it was in SoCal. Instead, Zeus pods came with traditional aft-facing props and the traditional exhaust-through-hub design. You put it in sport fish, and it locks the pods in opposite directions. All diesels need TLC, but pod systems need a bit more. Full details on our program can be found here. And what of resale? 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. 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. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Savings on a long haul might disappear when slowing to navigate a tricky channel or speeding up to avoid a storm. cable tension calculator; neptune east coast reservation. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Boats do sink from that very thing. (Volvo Penta soon followed suit.). We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). Pods are comprised of some very costly components, but theoretically, their modular design should yield some countervailing savings in labor costs. 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? All rights reserved. Down sides were in the San Francisco Bay Area there is only one person that can work on them. Nonetheless, pods are not going away and I hope more marine techs will learn them. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. There is definitely more maintenance with pods, said John Siebert. 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. Can anyone speak to when there were evolutionary changes in the Zeus pods? ZF 63A with 4BT, flywheel torsion coupler issue??? We have a strong global network, says Robert Mirman of Cummins, who leads the charge for Zeus. By turning one engine pod at a sharper angle than the other in a turn, they could narrow its radius. The most remarkable performance advantage was one that sent every propulsion and boatbuilding engineer to the drawing board to imitate: the joystick control system. 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. 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. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! With it, fingertip operation of any vessel became possible. 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. by | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo | Jul 3, 2022 | small rosary tattoo Ask to see the service records for the boats first year. (Changing engine oil at least yearly is a good idea, too, even if you dont hit the hour limit.). If one engine vibrates in gear and the other doesnt, its probably caused by fouled or damaged props. . 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. Discussion in 'Engines' started by JamCruiser, Jun 20, 2020. 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. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. I liked the idea of being able to handle the boat from the helm seat instead of standing up all the time. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Within a year or two, Paul Spencer built a 43-foot express with IPS drives that we fished in a tournament. 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. We are not early adopters. 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. Draining removes almost all of the dirty oil, while a pump often leaves too much behind. Todd Anderson recently ran a 50 Viking powered by ZF 4000 pods. Both throttle and steering. 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. When you put a pod system in, you try to do more with less.. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. If you arent happy with the local dealer, you can call the concierge and get a tech in Tennessee. Id guess none. Arrogant factory leadership, poor parts fill, and high parts prices scared me off. 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. But this was a first for the recreational segment of the marine industry, and there was a lot of buzz and excitement. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Its better to do it at haulout, when the oil can be drained by gravity, rather than sucking it out with a pump. 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. 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. Volvo includes neither a water alarm nor a clear reservoir, so check the single transmission and gear oil dipstick for signs of water. The 42 Convertible is up to Hull number 10 but we are up to 36 hulls for the Open version, he says. If I could afford em, Id get em. Its fun. Imagine a 44-footer with three cabins, two heads, and inboards priced $20,000 less than an identical 44-footer with pods that, thanks to its aft-engine placement, has one more cabin or head. All told, figure $500 per engine annually, plus haul-out fees. 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. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. The sport-fishing world has seen builders such as Spencer and Winter Custom Yachts introduce several pod boats. Internal bonding issue and corrosion and a bunch of internal parts had to be changed. Fortunately the 42 Express cockpit is well laid out for Zeus . At Volvo Pentas IPS rollout in Mallorca de Palma, identical inboard and pod-drive boats were pitted against each other. I can do a 180 in about a second and a half. (Volvo Penta soon followed suit.) Lets have a look. Dont compare them to stern drives. There arent many external mechanicals, no rubber bellows or other components to fail, he added. Painting pods will cost a bit more too. Inboards require sacrificial-anode replacement, prop adjustment, cutless bearing repair, shaft alignment, and a method of controlling marine growth. He too is in love with the sport-fish mode and its maneuverability. Gear, people, supplies, fuel and water lug a boat down, and the more it settles in the water, the more impact it has on your speed. 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. Also, you dont know how often the shaft seals will need replacement. However, the 48 Fly is offered with the engine you mention or with the IPS 700. Best of the old and the new.maybe. Those anodes shouldnt dissolve like zincs do, but both systems should be checked annually. Cummins expert Rob Mirman gives an overview of the Cummins Zeus pod drive system at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. 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. Ill bet everyone whos read this far is asking, How much does all this cost? Maintaining pods is a lot more involved than maintaining conventional running gear, and therefore more expensive. KISS Keep It Simple Sailor. 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. Pod drives have been widely available only since 2007, yet they have the market awhirl. Richard estimated an average annual cost of about $2,500 for scheduled maintenance on twin pod drives. 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. 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. Some captains claim that the pods are too tall, requiring a higher deck to cover them. Like most everything, making the decision to go conventional or pod is a personal choice. Still, many boaters werent convinced. Drive Pirates These are often second- or third-told tales with a questionable provenance and few verifiable facts. There are many reasons why everyones not on the pod bandwagon. In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. Inboard props slip in both forward and reverse. Smooth, incremental low-speed control. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. pathfinder kingmaker river's justice . vs. 0.8 nmg pods @ 16.2 kts.). While builders debated the benefits of the different pod designs, many new boaters were simply seduced by the joystick maneuvering system. I often hear stories about Mercury paying for expensive replacement parts when their Zeus units need work out of warranty. All told, figure $500 per engine annually, plus haul-out fees. On the Cummins side, only two Cummins dealers on the Chesapeake have been to Pod school. "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. Goes without saying: Its got ZF Smart Command 5000 drive-by-wire. Are they worth it? As Mercury continues to grow its diesel business, Zeus support will grow. Because they operate independently, pod-drives can be controlled via joystick for superb maneuverability. 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. Sophisticated diagnostics go with every engine now. 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. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Here are both performance charts. And the Zeus pods also came with a joystick. 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Parts for them now have to go through mercury. 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. Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. Although hes well versed in the care and maintenance of inboards, Anderson was still anxious to run a pod boat. Ariel Pared is the president of SeeVee, which has built about 20 Volvo Penta IPS-drive boats. 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. But downward-pointing conventional shafts lift sterns, negating, or even reversing, that fuel-economy advantage at slower speeds (0.92 nmg shafts @ 15.9 kts. (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). Warranty concerns may shorten the list of service providers. Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. Volvo doesnt offer the option of in-water service. Pull into any port in the world, and theres probably a guy there who can fix it. We backed around and spun both ways with speed I have only seen once or twice before. To determine which, run the throttle up slowly on one engine and then the other. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. One drive had a. Thats opened up more opportunities and options for OEMS.. Maybe.) Pods are something new, he said. Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. Petzold said he thought that was about right, even almost four years later. Whats going on here? 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 vessel's electronics, propulsion and onboard systems. 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. Unless I lived/boated in the same area where existed the Mecca of Zeus Service Centers (wherever that may be) I would steer clear (no pun intended) . The inboard has simplicity and ubiquity. Here at TVAPE we offer free shipping on every order above $100.00 inside Canada and USA. Long term cost of ownership based on 5- 10+ years of use, cruising long distances at economical wine & cheese hull speeds, ease of service (or just getting service or support) any time/any place. And, if you preferred to stand, Viking built the helm so you could control the pods with traditional dual levers.. 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. That boat was an agile-handling rig for sure. Robin Buckley captains a SeeVee 39 with IPS 600s, named Kimbuktu. 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. 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. Check the status of an existing order here. Fuel savings can be weighed against additional maintenance, but economy varies with each boat and depends on how its used. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. Zeus Arsenal has always made only reliable, well-performing devices that go beyond just being the perfect daily driver. Thats a hard question to answer, due to the past 15 months, Meissner says, referring to the economic recession. Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. Great contribution Blue Magnolia..that rings true and honest. 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. Volvo doesn't offer the option of in-water service. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. Four different fluids just to service them. Especially if you plan on going on extended trips Pretty much wherever you ventured you would have always found someone to get you out of trouble with your 6BTA 370s and conventional drive line but if things go wrong your odds of getting the help you need and having anything left in your wallet (or hairs left in your head) could be less than favorable. The boat never missed a beat, much to Pareds elation. Read the owners manual.) Right now, I cant talk anybody who wants pod-drives out of them, says Caterpillars Stephen Smith. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. 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 also increase fuel economy and decrease vibration. 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). If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Sea Ray sells the 460 Sundancer with twin 550-horsepower Cummins diesels, with either V-drive or Zeus drives; the Zeus option adds $113,333 to the $1,004,768 price, according to Sea Ray.