Need help diagnosing prop drive shaft defect/issue on Zeus pod (450DA)

sandydlc

sandydlc

Active Member
Feb 24, 2016
605
Seattle, WA
Boat Info
Swift Trawler 50
Engines
Volve IPS D6
We took our 2010 450DA in for annual maintenance and when the Zeus technician examined the props, he found that the starboard prop shaft seal was leaking (see pic):


We agreed to order the necessary parts last week and the Zeus technician went back today to install them. When he disassembled the shaft assembly, he found the following:


The Zeus technician is going to consult with Mercury on Tuesday when he's back in the office to see what the cause of this is and whether it can be repaired. When I asked how much a possible replacement might be I was given the following information:

"The shaft is no longer available, they make a retro fit kit where all the lower gears have to be removed and replaced to be compatible with the new and available shaft."

Understandably we're very concerned particularly since this is just the latest in a long string of issues that we've had with our Zeus pods since we purchased our boat in February of this year. Including the latest gear lube leak from the prop shaft, we've had two transmission fluid leaks from the starboard pod and one transmission leak from the port pod in the past 9 months. For a 2010 vessel that only had 335 hours on the engines at the time of purchase, this is not the experience we were expecting.

I've contacted Mercury and Sea Ray multiple times only to be told that the vessel is no longer under warranty and since we're the 3rd owners of the vessel, there isn't anything they can do for us. If the lower gears have to be removed and replaced I don't even want to think about the cost of that.

After reviewing the picture I don't know what could be causing the issue but I would appreciate any feedback or advice that you guys could provide. I'm absolutely sick to my stomach and very worried about how long our boat will be out of commission as well as the extent of the cost of the repairs.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?

Thank you,

Sandy
 
If that damage is only on the picture side of the shaft, then I am confident that's a manufacturing defect from a poor casting. In other words a soft spot in the stainless that has worn off by stress fatigue. The small mirco flakes then wear at the seal, hence the leak.

They don't make the shafts because they now it's a problem. Show your records of service, mercruiser has a reputation to help even out of warranty.

Mark
 
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When I last spoke to Mercury they said they can make exceptions and help with replacement of parts when boats are within 6 months of the end of the warranty period but that we're too far out of warranty at this point. They also said that since we don't truly know the history of the boat, maintenance history being 3rd owners, they're unlikely to be able to assist. I would think that at some point they must care about the reliability and reputation of their product. The issues we've had with our pods are not cosmetic. Each hydraulic leak has rendered our boat inoperable so it's really a matter of safety at this point. We're just lucky that the failures have all happened close to home. Had we been up in the San Juans or Desolation Sound, it could have been very dangerous for us and prohibitively expensive to repair far from home and possibly not in the US.

I'm going to forward the picture to the shop in Tacoma and see what they say. Your assessment seems correct though. Do you think that shaft is salvageable?

thanks,
Sandy
 
sandydlc said:
Do you think that shaft is salvageable?
Click to expand...

That is very odd what looks to be corrosion.. I would try to determine the cause before repairing/replacing....You might be able to get away with spray welding it to repair that area. A good machine shop could make a replacement shaft by reverse engineering that shaft. (I am not sure what the other end looks like)
I would be a bit concerned as to why they obsoleted that shaft ... I would dig into that reason a bit further so you know what the right investment would be.
 
Blueone said:
That is very odd what looks to be corrosion.. I would try to determine the cause before repairing/replacing....You might be able to get away with spray welding it to repair that area. A good machine shop could make a replacement shaft by reverse engineering that shaft. (I am not sure what the other end looks like)
I would be a bit concerned as to why they obsoleted that shaft ... I would dig into that reason a bit further so you know what the right investment would be.
Click to expand...

I like the idea of spray welding or any kind of repair. Replacement of the shaft and gears is our last resort.

One of my friends took a look at it and said that it's possible that we could use a different type of seal and mount it behind the area of corrosion and that could solve the problem. Not sure how/if that works on Zeus drives?

Thoughts?
 
One other question - is there a source/resource for used Sea Ray parts? What if there was a drive somewhere that was decommissioned that has a spare prop shaft? Is that a possibility?
 
if the shaft is SS, can it be welded and machined? What about a Speedi-Sleeve
 
If I was looking a $25000.00 to repair these things I would opt for straight shaft inboards
If brass or bronze alloy you might be able to braze it up and machine smooth
 
It won't change things regarding your issue and its resolution since the dissolution of CMD occurred almost 5 years ago.

Cummins and Mercruiser formed a joint venture in 2002 to develop, manufacture and sell basically high speed diesels for the marine market. Then in 2012, the 2 companies abandoned the joint venture and transitioned to a "strategic supply arrangement to more effectively and efficiently serve customers in the ....marine market."*

Mercury Marine and Cummins will transition from their Cummins MerCruiser Diesel Marine joint venture to a strategic supply arrangement between the two companies to more effectively and efficiently serve customers in the global diesel marine market, the companies announced.


As you have discovered, Mercruiser has a habit of releasing product for sale to the public before they are ready, expecting retail customers to finish the prototype testing without out knowledge. A prime example is your prop shaft that was so drastically changed that it required a whole new gear set. If they tried to get me to pay the retail price for replacing the shaft and gears I would be absolutely livid.










*
http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2011/12/mercury-marine-cummins-announce-supply-agreement/
 
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