Getting the zinc out of the bow thruster >:-(

[rondds]

Is there a way to get these things off easily. Mine gets fused in there each year. I've tried a slight smear of never-seeze but it's still stuck. One year I cut it into pieces with a dremel to dislodge it - took half the day b/c there's no room to work in that little tunnel. Anyone else with this type of experience??

 

[JVM225]

The zinc for my Vetus looks a lot like that one.
Try cleaning everything up and putting it in with nothing on it.
I put mine in clean every year and never have a problem removing the two allen head screws or the zinc itself.
The roll pin can be a major PIA.
Last year I sanded the pin a bit before putting it back in the shaft and it came out a bit easier this year. Did the same when I put it back in this year

 

[RBB]

The zinc for my Vetus looks a lot like that one.
Try cleaning everything up and putting it in with nothing on it.
I put mine in clean every year and never have a problem removing the two allen head screws or the zinc itself.
The roll pin can be a major PIA.
Last year I sanded the pin a bit before putting it back in the shaft and it came out a bit easier this year. Did the same when I put it back in this year

Are you guys in salt or fresh water?

 

[my3sons]

Is there a way to get these things off easily. Mine gets fused in there each year. I've tried a slight smear of never-seeze but it's still stuck. One year I cut it into pieces with a dremel to dislodge it - took half the day b/c there's no room to work in that little tunnel. Anyone else with this type of experience??
View attachment 82380

I don’t change mine very often because I’m in fresh water, but after 2 winters in salt water, it came right off. I don’t put anything on it, install it dry like JVM.

 

[KevinC]

Had a similar issue in my vetus 55 last year. Eventually had to leave it and launch. There was still plenty there so I did not worry. Maybe easier this year if is wore down some. I think some small growth may have locked it in. The problem is the is just no easy access in the tunnel.

-Kevin

 

[rondds]

I'm in brackish to salt water. But the boat sits in her slip in brackish. Very little degradation of the anode. I take everything apart each spring to clean the tunnel and prop and TRY to get the anode out, just so this crap doesn't happen. This is my 7th spring with this boat and I'd say it's come off easily maybe 3x (and 1x with a dremel). The rest I just left it and re-assembled. Weird.

 

[Fred]

The first time I changed that zinc I had the same issue. I cleaned up the surfaces as much as possible and never had that happen again. I only put a small dab of blue loctite on the screw heads.
Stay safe Ron.

 

[JVM225]

Are you guys in salt or fresh water?

Salt

 

[JVM225]

I'm in brackish to salt water. But the boat sits in her slip in brackish. Very little degradation of the anode. I take everything apart each spring to clean the tunnel and prop and TRY to get the anode out, just so this crap doesn't happen. This is my 7th spring with this boat and I'd say it's come off easily maybe 3x (and 1x with a dremel). The rest I just left it and re-assembled. Weird.

You really shouldn’t use anti-seize compound on anything on your boat. Especially in saltwater.
There are microscopic bits of metal in it that can add to galvanic corrosion.
That might be why your zinc is getting frozen in there a bit.
If you clean it up really well, you shouldn’t need anything.
But if you really feel you want to put something on there then use a waterproof grease.