are zeus pods still being manufactured

All told, figure $500 per engine annually, plus haul-out fees. The biggest thing marketed to promote the system was its efficiency compared to a regular shaft and prop system, as well as joystick maneuverability. Hes also got a lot of applications engineering in his background. We get a lot of oyster growth inside the drive intakes, Siebert said. Big-game fishing is a pursuit rife with tradition and time-proven tactics. Internal bonding issue and corrosion and a bunch of internal parts had to be changed. 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. Copyright 2023 Marlin Magazine. Change the fluids annually, or every 250 hours of operation. Savings on a long haul might disappear when slowing to navigate a tricky channel or speeding up to avoid a storm. Thanks to all.just the practical advice I was looking for. On the other hand, touching bottom only hard enough to bend the propellers will likely cost more on pods, because they have two props to repair on each drive. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. I liked the ZF right away. 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.). 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. Then forward-thinking builders (Tiara, Cruisers, Regal, and Sabre among them) redesigned their boats for pod power and the technology became mainstream. Thats pretty good., Buckley also likes the IPS investment and isnt concerned about the sticker shock. 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. 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) . Both throttle and steering. I liked the idea of being able to handle the boat from the helm seat instead of standing up all the time. 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. By continuing to browse this website, you agree to the use of cookies. Sociability is another huge advantage to pods. Docking is super easy with joy stick controls. These come with various engine configurations but commonly, with QSB 425s which can be either shaft-drive or Zeus pods. While builders debated the benefits of the different pod designs, many new boaters were simply seduced by the joystick maneuvering system. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. If they dont increase the odds of hooking up, who cares? Sorry, but as an ex-Cummins and Merc dealer, I've lost all faith in the Zeus system. Inboards require sacrificial-anode replacement, prop adjustment, cutless bearing repair, shaft alignment, and a method of controlling marine growth. I was always an outboard guy, he says. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. Volvo Penta introduced the first pod-drive system in 2004. Once offshore, I spun the boat in a complete 360-degree rotation on its own axis in less than 14 seconds. The pods combine transmission, steering, and propulsion that would otherwise entail separate trans, shaft/prop, thrusters, and rudders. Being new to power boating, I selected this configuration for ease of docking and it has been fabulous. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. Great contribution Blue Magnolia..that rings true and honest. We are not early adopters. I agree with Rob. ZFs pod-drive includes a jackshafted transmission, which can mate to any diesel engine the owner prefers. Then with the joystick, it directs the transmissions to pivot or swivel. (Do the same with outboards and stern drives.) 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. 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. A failed shaft seal lets water into the pod, with unfortunate and expensive results. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Outboards give you the pod advantage, but without the esoteric technology. That gives customers a stronger comfort level than an offshore service hotline.. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Goes without saying: Its got ZF Smart Command 5000 drive-by-wire. We back it up with a concierge service. A couple of tanks of fuel? Before, maneuvering required forethought, logic, coordination, and strategizing; after, it became mere intuition: Look where you want to go and point the joystick that way. 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. Part of that comes as a side effect to the benefits of the props angle of attack. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. Its important to maintain good antifouling. Pods have water intakes, exhausts and other places that are inviting to marine critters, and keeping them out is important. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. You must be at least 19 years from Canada and 21 years from USA to buy and/or use this website. Using a ZF transmission, it could mate any marine engine (Yanmar and Caterpillar have been popular partners) to its pods. But now that both Volvo Inboard Propulsion System and Cummins MerCruiser Zeus drives have been spinning beneath boats for more than five years, its time to assess the cost of ownership of pods versus conventional shafts. 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. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. Most pods require service after a short break-in period at 25 hours or so. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Pods are something new, he said. are zeus pods still being manufactured. We only go around once anyway, so pay the money, grab the joystick, and have some angst-free enjoyment. When a 42-foot pod boat can replace a 46-footer, savings add up fast. Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. As Mercury continues to grow its diesel business, Zeus support will grow. He too is in love with the sport-fish mode and its maneuverability. And joystick piloting? Outboards are, in my opinion, the most interesting. nonprofit grants for financial education; wire harness in solidworks; brooklyn, crime news today; alkaline breakfast smoothie; utsa football national ranking; Use of Cookies: ZF Friedrichshafen AG uses cookies to continuously improve the website and optimize its design. To start with, Zeus and IPS boats have to be hauled after their first 25 engine-hours. For nearly a decade, pod propulsion looked like it would render inboards obsolete. With it, fingertip operation of any vessel became possible. 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. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. There is definitely more maintenance with pods, said John Siebert. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. 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. Pod access aboard the Riviera 43 is through the cockpit sole. Cabos sport-fisher benefits from Cummins Mercruiser Diesels Zeus drive. The 390 with Volvo 600 IPS drives was absolutely one of the most fun and outrageous-performing boats I have ever driven. The first American company to install the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System was actually Tiara. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Richard Thiel, in February 2014. Pods run quieter, cleaner, and more efficiently than traditional props. 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. Id guess none. Zeus ArcPods Lid pack filled with 50 paper lids for the Zeus ArcPods (sold separately). Only thing is, outboards burn gas, and more of it than diesels of similar power. Volvo doesnt offer the option of in-water service. 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. A racing motor with a warranty? IMO, Zeus, or any POD drive, would not even be a close 2nd. Pods, on the other hand, need annual TLC, and this means skilled work. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. Some captains claim that the pods are too tall, requiring a higher deck to cover them. This is our premium store warranty and only select units are covered under this program. are zeus pods still being manufactured. 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. Cummins uses aluminum-gallium anodes to best protect bronze drives. 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. 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. At first no one trusted them; now you can hardly sell a car without one.. Zeus and ZF have only a few thousand pods in use. And often, pods do have less torque than shaft-driven boats. Mark their location any way you can, with a waypoint or a buoy, said Steve Little, president ofTowBoatU.S. They have shafts, they have props, and they can get more if they need them. 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. 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. The pods require yearly maint that is beyond what regular trans, shaft and prop systems require. But this was a first for the recreational segment of the marine industry, and there was a lot of buzz and excitement. First, hull efficiency was enhanced, because the props were always aligned with the direction of motion in the boat. In addition, I enjoy the added efficiencies Tony mentions above. Lets have a look. All with a simple push or twist of the joystick. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. 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. Then realized it was a conversation which I figured was private so I reposted here. Down sides were in the San Francisco Bay Area there is only one person that can work on them. While Buckley gets an impressive 50 mph with his pods, quad outboards would likely get another 5 to 10 mph. The sport-fishing world has seen builders such as Spencer and Winter Custom Yachts introduce several pod boats. 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. IPS followed with its own, and ZF ponied one up too. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. Your are officially the first one to publish 4o% percent efficiency benefits for pods. However, I think the best application I have run to date was a 39-foot SeaVee with pod-drives. In effect, a sport-fisher fresh out of the factory may make 45 knots on pods, but by the time it is provisioned and ready to fish, its going to lose some speed. It turns out that if I went with the new Cummins 550s and straight shafts, the IPS is a little cheaper., Sport-fish mode. are zeus pods still being manufactured how did lesley sharp lose weight julho 1, 2022. jack the ripper documentary bbc . Volvo has one zinc hidden, but accessible, on the drive itself. 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. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. Volvo uses SAE 75w140 oil for both the transmission and lower unit. Martin Meissner of ZF Marine says engine makers still dont have a handle on the potential volume. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Whats another three grand, compared to the cost of a boat big enough and upscale enough for pod drives? I opted to avoid Volvo as my experience with them as a car dealer was poor. After that, it wasnt up for discussion any longer: The marlin didnt mind the pods at all. Some really nice high tech features that most will never use. Full details on shipping can be found here. 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Pivoting a boat is simply accomplished by twisting a joystick. Also demanding periodic attention are hydraulic steering, transmission, and lower-unit oils. 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). More interior room? 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.