ZF Marine entered the pod fray when its exclusivity agreement with Zeus expired. And hitting something hard at speed would strip the pods off the bottom as neat as you please. FREE shipping on orders of $100.00 and above. . Thats the environment marine propulsion engineers entered when they envisioned a new pod-drive system, a form of propulsion for boats that could change the way anglers pursue big game. They get people excited about buying a new boat.. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. The pod-drive boats were clearly more maneuverable and accelerated more quickly than strut, shaft and -prop-drive inboards. Nevertheless, pods are making inroads. Care should be taken prior to using a vaporizer, as vaporizing will not necessarily eliminate any and all toxins found in vaporized blends. Each pod has 2 props and they are different. Okay, the motors cost about $80,000 and $90,000, respectively. I worked on a boat with Zeus pods for about three years. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. A couple of tanks of fuel? Shafts, Props and a good ole thruster or 2 can have you handling your boat like a POD boat. While builders debated the benefits of the different pod designs, many new boaters were simply seduced by the joystick maneuvering system. If you get to know these pods and keep regular checks on fluid levels, they will treat you well. 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. Part of that comes as a side effect to the benefits of the props angle of attack. The first American company to install the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System was actually Tiara. Naval architects have also gotten better at maximizing the efficiencies of pods at all speeds. Siebert puts annual maintenance for pods roughly $2,000 above what straight shafts cost, not including extra haul-out fees for boats that exceed 250 engine-hours per year. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! Cleaning also maximizes efficiency of the pods contrarotating propellers. Oh, and if youre a do-it-yourselfer, youll discover that a lot of pod maintenance requires specialized tools and training. 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. They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. 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. Charleston. Drive Pirates The lower units (gear housing) will need to be resealed and I expect to have to do this every 5 years or so. IMO, Zeus, or any POD drive, would not even be a close 2nd. The pods require yearly maint that is beyond what regular trans, shaft and prop systems require. Pods also expand morning fluid checks to include the lazarette. (See How Fuel-Efficient Are Pods, Exactly?) The biggest savings might come when the pods aft-located engines add interior accommodations. These versatile drive systems are not as popular as once thought. With no compromise on taste or experience, as well as Zeus' guarantee that all liquids are mixed, tested and approved in the UK, the new disposable pod will carry users from A-Z of their vaping journey knowing that the premium flavour will not fade, fault or fail on the road to being smoke free. He ran the boat down to sell it down there. 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. How much of the additional initial cost will you get back at trade-in time? But its also highly dependent on the application of the vessel. The props themselves are patented. The biggest thing marketed to promote the system was its efficiency compared to a regular shaft and prop system, as well as joystick maneuverability. I'll also add that I REALLY like pods for the fuel efficiency (25-40% better) and maneuverability in a twin engine application. Draining removes almost all of the dirty oil, while a pump often leaves too much behind. 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. Petzold said he thought that was about right, even almost four years later. Not a lot of guys know pods yet. (Power & Motoryacht once had a company boat powered by inboards with which the publisher at the time rammed a sunken fuel barge at a healthy clip. 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. For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. 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. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. I am liking the Searay 44 Sedan Bridge of the ~2009 vintage as those have QSC500s with conventional drives. Click on the different category headings to find out more. 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. If that aint enough, Seven Marine builds a 557- or 627-horsepower small-block V-8 configured as an outboard motor. Ask to see the service records for the boats first year. Todd Anderson recently ran a 50 Viking powered by ZF 4000 pods. 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. Marlin Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. . Outboards are, in my opinion, the most interesting. Sociability is another huge advantage to pods. No more packing on the go, just pop in and enjoy. Pods are comprised of some very costly components, but theoretically, their modular design should yield some countervailing savings in labor costs. Bottom Line. 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. Caterpillar also offers a pod configuration with its CAT Three60 Pod 650, which is essentially a pod-drive married to a C8.7 engine. I have a 2013 Sabre 42 with the Cummins/Zeus pod units. Plus, when we haul the boat, well catch problems a diver wont see.. For a ballpark number, Im deferring to a well-researched article written by our late friend, Capt. Fuel savings can be weighed against additional maintenance, but economy varies with each boat and depends on how its used. 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. Then with the joystick, it directs the transmissions to pivot or swivel. On the Cummins side, only two Cummins dealers on the Chesapeake have been to Pod school. Robin Buckley captains a SeeVee 39 with IPS 600s, named Kimbuktu. Parts for them now have to go through mercury. Full details on shipping can be found here. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. Inboards are virtually maintenance-free, while pods require lots of servicing. Sacrificial anode maintenance is both cheap and easily performed by the average inboard boat owner. The transmission and steering units are quite robust and I dont expect any serviceability issues from them. Use of Cookies: ZF Friedrichshafen AG uses cookies to continuously improve the website and optimize its design. 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. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Pod drives have been widely available only since 2007, yet they have the market awhirl. We recommend consulting with a licensed physician before using a vaporizer. 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. Siebert prefers Boeshield T-9. What if you do hit something? he says. That gives customers a stronger comfort level than an offshore service hotline.. 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. Anderson acknowledges that pods have advantages in some areas and disadvantages in others. With quad outboards, Id get about 0.7 miles per gallon. Okay, the last bit is trueas if running over a submerged jetty or grounding hard on a shell bank wouldnt damage conventional props. Spencer Yachts builds an 87-footer with ZF pods, and Smith was integral to the development process. Inboard fans argue that the pod-drives lack torque. When you put a pod system in, you try to do more with less.. We are not early adopters. All rights reserved. From a long term maintenance perspective you are better off with a conventional drive line. 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. Yet the pod makers are quickly closing that gap, and captains who have run them for several years indicate that the reliability has been very good. Its hard to tell if sport fishermen will take to it. 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. 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). Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. I understand in order to get pods cheap they had to use this cardboard-like substance, so seeing how you can't even try to clean it because of the material makes the company seem like they are fishing for my money every month unlike Healthy Rips and Storz and Bickel with their "pods" (IDK what to call them). But I usually run at 32 miles per hour and get 1.5 mpg, he says. By turning one engine pod at a sharper angle than the other in a turn, they could narrow its radius. The maneuverability of the boat is what sells it, especially in close quarters, he says. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. It might save the cost of a divorce on cruelty-while-docking grounds, too, a way bigger budget-breaker than pod drives. I was always an outboard guy, he says. All my personal experience to date is with 6BTA 370s in a conventional shaft drive arrangement. Yet catastrophic groundings are rare for all boats, although again, the financial consequences for the pod owner are usually steeper. Within a year or two, Paul Spencer built a 43-foot express with IPS drives that we fished in a tournament. Plus factors and quiet fuel efficient. The owner of the boat spent almost 40k on the drives themselves and they were just under 8 years old. There support network is much better and to me is a better product. They said it was so easy a child could do it, and sure enough, it wasnt long before a lad barely out of kindergarten deftly maneuvered a 40-footer into a slip all by himself. He too is in love with the sport-fish mode and its maneuverability. Cummins expert Rob Mirman gives an overview of the Cummins Zeus pod drive system at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show. Stephen Smith is the southwest sales representative for Caterpillar. The downside is that a boat with less horsepower is more easily burdened by loading the boat. Then forward-thinking builders (Tiara, Cruisers, Regal, and Sabre among them) redesigned their boats for pod power and the technology became mainstream. Im all about new technology. To start with, Zeus and IPS boats have to be hauled after their first 25 engine-hours. Thats opened up more opportunities and options for OEMS.. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. 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. Wouldnt accommodations be the more relevant yardstick? And, if you preferred to stand, Viking built the helm so you could control the pods with traditional dual levers.. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Spencer Yachts was one of the first to embrace pod-drives, including Volvo Pentas IPS and ZF Marines pod-drive system with Caterpillar engines. That said, I have heard good things. Inboards require sacrificial-anode replacement, prop adjustment, cutless bearing repair, shaft alignment, and a method of controlling marine growth. Its docking. Our white marlin came in hot on the teasers we fished up close to the boat. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. You can also reach us at +1 (833) ZF WRENCH. Months later, Mercruiser and Cummins joined forces to deliver Zeus pod-drives to boaters. Still, many boaters werent convinced. 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. Viking offers four versions of its 42, all with pods, and according to company director of communications Peter Frederiksen, they sell well. 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. are zeus pods still being manufactured. The Zeus system propellers are on the back of the pods, as opposed to the Volvo IPS, which are on the front. To determine which, run the throttle up slowly on one engine and then the other. Richard Thiel, in February 2014. The lids are essential and for one-time use only. Some really nice high tech features that most will never use. Like was said before I mirror there thoughts. 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. 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. And maneuverabilitywell, any good sportfishing captain can put his ride wherever he wantswithout a joystick. 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. If one engine vibrates in gear and the other doesnt, its probably caused by fouled or damaged props. Each IPS has anodes as well, one up inside the exhaust tunnel (the other is on the transom); both Zeus anodes are on the trim tabs where theyre easy to reach. 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. Pods are something new, he said. If they dont increase the odds of hooking up, who cares? When Volvo Penta took the industry by surprise with the IPS, it had patented the forward-facing counter-rotating propellers, patented new propellers for the design and also sent the exhaust out the back of the pod, not through the hub of the props. 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. I liked the ZF right away. are zeus pods still being manufactured. I can do a 180 in about a second and a half. Add to Cart. (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). In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. (A complete maintenance schedule, including annual and longer-term items, is in the owners manual, so pay attention to it.). 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. 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. 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. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. Also, you dont know how often the shaft seals will need replacement. It turns out that if I went with the new Cummins 550s and straight shafts, the IPS is a little cheaper., Sport-fish mode. Once offshore, I spun the boat in a complete 360-degree rotation on its own axis in less than 14 seconds. (Changing engine oil at least yearly is a good idea, too, even if you dont hit the hour limit.). But in that case, its the ability to point and shoot that gives them comfort level. But pods makers thought just a few years ago that one limiting factor of the pod market is speed. And what of resale? Those meridians are not as over propped as other boats in the Brunswick family, based on my reading of boattest.com performance tests, but you will need to change out the prop set eventually and that means 4 different props for the ZEUS. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. We do a lot of high-speed trolling for wahoo at around 16 knots, and all the exhaust is under the water, so you dont smell diesel fumes.. You get a little cavitation but nothing close to the noise from shaft-drives, he says. Sensors and things like that. If one engine vibrates but the other doesnt while in neutral, the problem is likely in the always-turning jack shaft. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 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. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. Its a whole new world of boathandling out there, one all of us can enjoy. Joystick control? Petzold said the most common problem he sees with pods is owners not maintaining the corrosion protection. Instead, Zeus pods came with traditional aft-facing props and the traditional exhaust-through-hub design. More interior room? Thanks to all.just the practical advice I was looking for. 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. Ignore it and you can forget about that edge in fuel efficiency over inboards. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). Great contribution Blue Magnolia..that rings true and honest. And once the numbers are crunched, are pods worth it? If water is suspected inside any pod, get a mechanic aboard right away or risk internal damage. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. There are many reasons why everyones not on the pod bandwagon. 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. 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. Each pod turns independently of the other, giving remarkable maneuverability. Like most everything, making the decision to go conventional or pod is a personal choice. Over the years, Ive found online forums to be some of the most ready places for first-hand accounts of engine-related problems. 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 vessels electronics, propulsion and onboard systems.

Rent Homes Longview, Tx, Pros And Cons Of Domestication Of Animals, How To Record Section 179 Depreciation In Quickbooks, Articles A