If you seem to be going through zincs quickly, call an electrician, Fessenden warned. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Volvo includes neither a water alarm nor a clear reservoir, so check the single transmission and gear oil dipstick for signs of water. 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. My experience is that they will work with their Cummins/Mercury dealers to lend a hand in unusual situations. 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. From a long term maintenance perspective you are better off with a conventional drive line. Thats a hard question to answer, due to the past 15 months, Meissner says, referring to the economic recession. Are they worth it? Youre going to ruin more with a straight shaft than with IPS.. vs. 0.8 nmg pods @ 16.2 kts.). ZF also built far larger pods that could handle far more horsepower. Savings on a long haul might disappear when slowing to navigate a tricky channel or speeding up to avoid a storm. (Changing engine oil at least yearly is a good idea, too, even if you dont hit the hour limit.). One described his skepticism like this: Its just too good to be true. (Its not a bad idea to do the sameminus the sealsfor inboards.). 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. All my personal experience to date is with 6BTA 370s in a conventional shaft drive arrangement. Like most everything, making the decision to go conventional or pod is a personal choice. Allow $450 per IPS pod, $350 per Zeus. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Change the fluids annually, or every 250 hours of operation. Like was said before I mirror there thoughts. Pods are designed to shear off without compromising hull integrity. Zeus allows for simple control o. What if you do hit something? he says. 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. Another benefit comes from counter-rotating props on the pods. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. 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. When I troll, I can turn it on and the exhaust bypasses the pod and comes out just above 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. The biggest difference between IPS's and Zeus pods is the position of the propeller. Plan on replacing the anodes at least annually, using the correct alloy: Most pods use aluminum anodes, not zinc. 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. Like long-distance cruisers, sportfishermen have been slow to accept pods, in this case not because of perceived deficiencies but rather a reluctance to try anything that might reduce chances of success. Is there some X Factor or Factors that negates the pods proven advantages? But this was a first for the recreational segment of the marine industry, and there was a lot of buzz and excitement. 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. How to Manage Boat Finances During a Recession, Gamefisherman 43 Express on the Drawing Board, Marlin Expeditions Offers Light-Tackle Paradise in Guatemala. 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. Here at TVAPE we offer free shipping on every order above $100.00 inside Canada and USA. As you will find by reading the articles on this forum about prop load and engine life, the resulting need to swap out your props with the Pods is expensive when compared to regular shafts and props. Best of the old and the new.maybe. Most yards will repaint a pod for $300. The sport-fishing world has seen builders such as Spencer and Winter Custom Yachts introduce several pod boats. We had a few bugs in my first IPS boat. 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. In standard shaft and prop boats, props lose their bite in close-quarters maneuvering, Smith says. I did some work on them but really didnt have the time to become efficient. Diamond Steel > Blog > Uncategorized > are zeus pods still being manufactured. Partly because of their angle of attack and partly because of their slightly forward position under the hull, pods gave more speed, better acceleration and more miles per gallon on the same horsepower. Id guess none. Drive Pirates But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Zeus Arsenal has always made only reliable, well-performing devices that go beyond just being the perfect daily driver. There are many reasons why everyones not on the pod bandwagon. Hes also found them to be extremely reliable. 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. For a ballpark number, Im deferring to a well-researched article written by our late friend, Capt. Down sides were in the San Francisco Bay Area there is only one person that can work on them. The tank has a 24mm diameter (0.94 inches) and measures 50.5mm tall (2 inches tall). Buckley dismisses the fear of forward-facing props. Not a lot of guys know pods yet. I had seen massive tugboats using a similar pod-drive system for their tight-quarters work, pushing huge container ships into the wharf. At first no one trusted them; now you can hardly sell a car without one.. The biggest fear boaters have is not about running out in the open water. You can also change some of your preferences. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. So the fact that pod systems are loaded with electronics actually makes them less prone to failureand unfortunately an unfathomable mystery to most mechanics. 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. You need go no farther than your marina to hear a list of suspects. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. Its like a orange and all they work on is apples. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. The props themselves are patented. 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. Still, many boaters werent convinced. The bottom line is, while pods are difficult or in many cases impossible to retrofit, the boat really has to be designed for the pod from the beginning, although some V- and stern-drive boats can handle pods, too. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. A failed shaft seal lets water into the pod, with unfortunate and expensive results. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per . 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. 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. Petzold said the most common problem he sees with pods is owners not maintaining the corrosion protection. Can anyone speak to when there were evolutionary changes in the Zeus pods? Comfort Onboard comfort is improved too. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Once you go to 3 or 4 engines or pods, I'd rather have shafts as the fuel efficiency with triples is only 10% better and not worth the maintenance cost and in a 4 engine/pod installation they tend to burn the same amount of fuel AND much more maintenance of 4. It turns out that if I went with the new Cummins 550s and straight shafts, the IPS is a little cheaper., Sport-fish mode. Full details on shipping can be found here. Learn more about the 3rd Generation of Vaporizers is here: https://bit.ly/3xm5ASYThe patented Zeus ArcPod is a sin. You might not think of Cat as a pod company, but since ZF offered its pods to the market, hes helped several manufacturers build ZF or Zeus pod with Caterpillar engines. But who cares, really? The transmission and steering units are quite robust and I dont expect any serviceability issues from them. But, the lids. Inboard props slip in both forward and reverse. Pods have taken certain segments of the cruising-boat market by storm, and now big-game charter captains who were once fixed-shaft aficionados are embracing this new technology. . But I usually run at 32 miles per hour and get 1.5 mpg, he says. 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. 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. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Pod drives have been widely available only since 2007, yet they have the market awhirl. If so, does anyone know whether they will continue to produce replacement drives/parts? Pods also expand morning fluid checks to include the lazarette. The lower units (gear housing) will need to be resealed and I expect to have to do this every 5 years or so. The pod-drive boats were clearly more maneuverable and accelerated more quickly than strut, shaft and -prop-drive inboards. With SmartCraft innovation throughout, Zeus provides a seamless approach to propulsion technology, marine electronics, and on-board information management that makes boating safer and more enjoyable than ever. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. (A complete maintenance schedule, including annual and longer-term items, is in the owners manual, so pay attention to it.). Vessel Systems Considerations for Marine Repower, ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar, LLC. I want to comment on how well Mercury backs their products. Sacrificial anode maintenance is both cheap and easily performed by the average inboard boat owner. Here are both performance charts. Spencer Yachts was one of the first to embrace pod-drives, including Volvo Pentas IPS and ZF Marines pod-drive system with Caterpillar engines. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! Once hes inspected everything and put it all back together, Petzold paints the pod. Four different fluids just to service them. You dont have to redesign it to get our joystick maneuvering system. 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. Bottom Line. 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. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, Zeus ArcPods are finally here! The downside is pod drives are way more complex than conventional propulsion systems; consequently, pod-powered boats cost more to buy and maintain. Wouldnt accommodations be the more relevant yardstick? ZFs pod-drive includes a jackshafted transmission, which can mate to any diesel engine the owner prefers. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. However, I think the best application I have run to date was a 39-foot SeaVee with pod-drives. 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. Finally theres antifoulant for the drive. The 42 Convertible is up to Hull number 10 but we are up to 36 hulls for the Open version, he says. This is our premium store warranty and only select units are covered under this program. Oh, and if youre a do-it-yourselfer, youll discover that a lot of pod maintenance requires specialized tools and training. I see the cummins split from Zeus around here was not a good thing myself. That could make billing a fish tough if you have to strain to reach the water. To start with, Zeus and IPS boats have to be hauled after their first 25 engine-hours. Most new boats developed in the 35- to 45-foot class were pods. 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. The vaporizers displayed on this website are not intended for or made to prevent, treat or diagnose any illness. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. 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. The downside is that a boat with less horsepower is more easily burdened by loading the boat. Its the joystick maneuvering system that sells it. That boat was an agile-handling rig for sure. (Volvo Penta soon followed suit.) 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. Having the ability to move sideways, spin and dock raises the comfort level, especially for an inexperienced boater who wants to weekend but doesnt want to train on an 18-foot vessel, Meissner says. If the outer seal is damaged by debris, fishing line or rope, only the inner seal separates the pods innards from seawater. To me the unit as a whole is way to complex than it needs to be. Zeus and ZF have only a few thousand pods in use. Siebert removes all loose paint from the drive, sanding down to shiny metal with 100-grit sandpaper, and then applies primer and two thin coats of Trilux 33 or Pettit Vivid copper thiocyanate anti-fouling paint. 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. 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. Plus, when we haul the boat, well catch problems a diver wont see.. The boat had a set of outriggers, and fishing out of Beaufort, North Carolina, we caught the first billfish ever with an IPS drive system. The first American company to install the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System was actually Tiara. pathfinder kingmaker river's justice . 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. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. There is definitely more maintenance with pods, said John Siebert. Using a ZF transmission, it could mate any marine engine (Yanmar and Caterpillar have been popular partners) to its pods. Arrogant factory leadership, poor parts fill, and high parts prices scared me off.