Recurrent/Known SeaRay Zeus Issues - Looking for Others Experiences

icsdoug

icsdoug

New Member
Dec 28, 2017
28
Boca Raton, FL
Boat Info
2012 SeaRay 470
Engines
QSM Zeus Pods
In repairing/replacing various components of my Zeus system (2012 470DA) over the past 7 years, I have learned there are several known problems relating to the system. Particularly, the Trim Tab Actuation System, Steering Seals and Prop Shaft Seals. I have invested well over $35k repairing/replacing these systems or their various components. I recently had to replace the steering seals in both drives (one failed, one was preventative) $300 seals, $7000 in labor, travel and yard costs. If you are approaching 500 hours on your drives, you WILL have to replace these seals, and I recommend you do it preventatively. When they fail, they pressurize the transmission and blow the fluid out of the reservoir cap (that blows off) covering the engine room and bilge with steering fluid. The only procedure is to shut down the affected engine and proceed single engine with minimum steerage.
I am discovering from various sources, these (and others) are well known problems and Mercruiser/Cummins/SeaRay continue to market and sell these systems, without fully disclosing the known issues or a comprehensive program of maintenance. ( The Volvo IPS drives have similar issues)
I understand boating is a problematic enterprise, however, continuing to market a poorly designed and poorly supported product is not only disingenuous, but dangerously negligent in that loss of steering in POD equipped vessels can be dangerous.
I am not inviting opinions, I am only asking for others who have had failures (of any sort) not due to damage or improper maintenance practices to respond with their experiences If they choose to. You may PM me if you wish. I am collecting this data to support making a claim for recompense. Your help is greatly appreciated and i will post the results for others to pursue if they wish.
 
there is an extensive thread on here about it - the title is dissapointed, or somthing like that....BTW, sea ray no longer markets boats over 40', therefore they no longer market pods
 
Thanks, Not in their new boats, correct. My concern is with continuing support for the PODS and to educate others, so they are informed. I will never have another one with PODS of any kind.
 
I was speaking with the yard manager this morning of the marina that I keep the boat at in the winter. They are not a dealer, there was a marine max dealer on their property but it closed down this spring.
They have 700 slips in summer and winter store over 300 larger boats so he sees lots of boats in and out of the service department yard. The discussion came up because there is a Sabre with Zeus pods blocked next to me with the pods off. I asked him his thoughts on the Zeus pods and he said not one of their Zeus pod customers has made it through 2 seasons without at least 1 pod having to be removed for some type of major service. He is not impressed but he did say the yard makes good money working on them so he can’t complain about them too much.
 
Wasn't there a fix posted by someone that was fairly easy that addressed the issue?
 
Nightmare and I agree about never owing a pod boat. Unfortunately it's becoming harder to find boats being built with straight shafts anymore.
 
Shaft seals (which means new shafts) and trim manifold seals (twice) for me. I bought the boat (Sabre 42) at 270 hours and it currently has 445 hours. Gear oil showed water intrusion when I bought it (got consideration from seller). Didn't use the ceramic coating option when fixing the shaft seals as I only learned about it afterwards, but I would go with the ceramic coating next time. As a Sabre owner, the steering seal issue is not as well known. Heat is causing these seals to fail. It could be the exhaust or exhaust bypass causing this or, if you overheat an engine, it will fry these seals very quickly. Could the SeaRay exhaust design by an issue? Mercury has a bulletin out regarding the 'routing' of the exhaust bypass with recommendations to make sure the bypass plumbing slopes downward to the lift muffler. This bulletin also discusses replacing the seals by removing just the transmission, not the entire pod unit as in the past.
 

Attachments

  • 20190712094209.pdf
    111.4 KB · Views: 738
How have Volvo's pod's compared to Zeus pods regarding reliability and service requirements?

I have a friend who purchased a Volvo pod boat a year or two ago. He estimated he has spent 60+ days out of the water this past year due to pod issues. They are full time cruisers - so that was time they were either sitting in a hotel or traveling since they had no boat to be on.

This may be isolated - I have no way to judge.
 
I follow this site because I have learned a ton from SeaRay owners with Zeus pods. However, I haven't seen much on the Volvo IPS units. Their seals are suspect as well. Many in the Sabre community feel the IPS units are better but they too have issues. Volvo parts are expensive (what isn't on a boat), there can be serious parts delays, Volvo as a manufacturer is fairly inflexible regarding consumer issues (out of warranty) where Mercury will listen and often help. The main difference is Volvo uses an electric steering system as opposed to Mercury's hydraulic system. I don't know if it is more reliable BUT it is far simpler and doesn't require the oversight Mercury's does. The Mercury hydraulic steering system runs at 3000 psi which puts a lot of stress on seals and hoses. Another feature of the IPS system is that it uses a single lube type for steering, trans, and gear and allows lube changing from one location. Mercury has two lube types and three locations for changes. One thing I do know about Volvo is that they have stayed in the pod game, continued to develop and improve their product, and worked with builders to provide strong pods for various horsepower configurations.
 
The guy who runs the boatyard where I winter is a great mechanic with decades of experience. when I was boat shopping he cautioned me to avoid anything with pods.
In a discussion with the head mechanic at the place I eventually bought my new to me at the time boat, that mechanic echoed that sentiment.
 
I struggle with how all of this will get sorted out. Even a class action lawsuit doesn't solve it. At the end of that is a company that is out of the business of making pod drives and then what becomes of the boats built with them? It's not like you can convert them to V drives or straight shafts.

What started out as an innovation has turned into a nightmare for the owners that have them. I have heard the same woes about the Volvo IPS drives but their issues seem less catastrophic. The strange part is that Mercruiser has had a long standing relationship with Volvo which makes me wonder how much of a hand they actually had in creating the assemblies.

I only wish the pod owners the best possible outcome.
 
We closed out our first season without any issues from the IPS pods. Other than issues unrelated to the pods the previous owner only had one issue with the pods. That issue had to do with the mounting rings. That was confirmed by the local Volvo dealer who handled the warranty related mechanical work.

I did learn from the Volvo tech who works for our Sabre dealer that annual pod filter and oil changes must be done, and that his impression is that those who use the Volvo branded gear oil seem fare better. That said my neighbor who has a same year (as ours) Sabre 42 with Zeus pods has not had any problems either. He has owned since new and uses the same dealer for service as we do.

I do know from Sabre that our boat is Sabre’s hull number one for IPS. So ours is the oldest with the Volvo system.

H
 
Charlesoceanone said:
I’m sure that there is a thread on here about a seal fix released from mercury. I have searched but can’t find it. If I remember right it is inexpensive and a reliable fix.
Click to expand...
Here is the Service Bulletin, it was not simple and total after all costs about $8k.
 

Attachments

  • Zeus Steering Seal SB.pdf
    2 MB · Views: 836
That Service Bulletin alone is ridiculous and begs the question why you would want to have Zeus drives if that maintenance was required. When their tech includes a 4"x4" "procured locally" and a floor jack to apply pressure......that is a new frontier of marine repair.
 
PlayDate said:
That Service Bulletin alone is ridiculous and begs the question why you would want to have Zeus drives if that maintenance was required. When their tech includes a 4"x4" "procured locally" and a floor jack to apply pressure......that is a new frontier of marine repair.
Click to expand...

I chuckled myself!
 
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