Zeus Trim Tab Service bulletin

Boatweiser

New Member
Feb 18, 2013
88
PT Judith, RI
Boat Info
'09 43 Sundancer
'14 Formula 310 BR
F 350 diesel
Past
262 Cobalt BR
340 Sundancer
40 Sundancer
Engines
480 Zeus
I just bought an '09 43 DA that has an open service bulletin to update the anode trim tabs to the new 2 peice configuration. Apparently these tabs come loose and cause a vibration. According to the technician and the bulletin there is a dedicated drill that must be purchased in order to complete the work. The drill costs about as much as the repair does for both parts and labor! Since there are only two pod drives on our lake there isnt a great demand for the tool. Does anyone know where a tool might be rented in the New England area? Or has anyone else had to purchase the same tool that might be willing to recoup some of their investment by selling off a used one?

Service Bulletin​
Bulletin No. 2009-73R1CMD 2009-13R1​
Circulate to: Sales Manager Accounting Service Manager Technician Parts Manager​
THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.​
This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or otherwise,without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.​
2009-73R1 MARCH 2010 © 2010 Mercury Marine Page 1 / 2​
Service Replacement for One‑Piece Anodes on Zeus Trim Tabs​
Models Affected​
Models Covered Serial NumberAll Zeus pod drives 0M957858 to 0M963370​
Situation​
The sacrificial anode located on the trim tab of the Zeus drive was changed from a large one‑piece anode to a more service‑friendlytwo‑piece anode.​
25261 41251​
One-piece anode Two-piece anode​
Correction​
The new two‑piece anode replaces the one‑piece anode. The installation of the two‑piece anode requires a drilling fixture to locatethe new anodes properly on the trim tab.​
NOTE: The drill fixture is a special tool. The purchase of the tool is the responsibility of the servicing dealer.​
Parts Required​
The drill fixture tool includes a special drill bit needed to drill the trim tab.Qty. Description Part Number1 Drill fixture tool and special 23/64 inch drill bit (tool is reusable—only one required) 91‑879150A72The special drill bit can be ordered separately if additional are required.Qty. Description Part Number1 Drill bit, 23/64 inch 91‑879150155​
NOTE: The trim tab is naval bronze—a hard metal. Use a slow‑turning drill and lubricate the drill bit with industrial cutting fluidduring the drilling process.​
If the anodes are eroded or damaged, refer to​
Warranty, you may need to order additional parts:Service Replacement for One-Piece Anodes on Zeus Trim Tabs
THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.​
This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or otherwise,without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.​
Page 2 / 2 © 2010 Mercury Marine MARCH 2010 2009-73R1Qty. Description Part Number1 Anode kit (one kit required per drive) 879150A65​
Warranty​
Replacement of anodes, a normal maintenance procedure, is the responsibility of the boat owner and is not covered by warranty.However, for the one time event of replacement of an original one piece trim tab anode with a two piece anode set, CMD will pay2.5 hrs. labor per pod to perform the conversion. The boat owner will be responsible for 0.5 hour labor per pod (normal time toreplace an anode) and the cost of the anode kit.Submit a warranty claim through your normal warranty‑processing channel, listing:• MerCruiser serial number• Labor code and flat rateLabor Code Flat RateSB25 2.5​
Old Part or Parts:​
1.​
USA and Canada: Scrap
2. Outside the USA and Canada: Follow instructions issued by your Marine Power International office or by your distributor.
 
Mercruiser handled this repair for dealers/owners at no cost in 2009-2010.

Look at the last paragraph of the service bulletin: "Warranty". Mercruiser is expects thew dealer to replace the old 1-piece anode with the new 2-piece one under warranty, with the owner only responsible for .5 hour labor per pod. The way I read this, it is up to the dealer and Mercruiser to handle the installation. Who has what drill or tooling is up to either Mercruiser or its dealers, not you guys. Take the boat to the dealer, tell them to do the Service bulletin, pay them the cost of a 1.0 hours labor on the spot, then tell them to call you when the boat is ready.
 
Don - this should not be an issue on your boat as the upgraded tabs are on your boat...or should be.

Frank - my boat is out of warranty. If you are correct about the timing of the bulletin issuance do you think they still have to honor the warranty? I am going to have to ask the previous owner what discussions he had with the dealer and merc cruiser? Interestingly he just had a 5k merc service performed and didnt get this done?
 
Use of the word 'warranty' in the service bulletin just tells the dealer how to process the work order to get paid........in other words it is a service bulletin that Mercruiser expects to pay for. This isn't a defect, but is a change Mercruiser has made and is just telling the servicing dealer to handle the service bulletin as a warranty claim for their reimbursement. It seems to me that if you have the single anode design, the only issue is when the dealer is going to upgrade your boat since it is a change the Mercruiser says is needed and that they will pay for.
 
thanks I won't worry about it in that case...check your pm for some resources on the FL trip idea...df
 

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