Anyone with Zeus Pods?

Trey Drier said:
I agree! Those Zeus pods are like a time bomb. When it goes off, and it will, it will cost thousands to fix. I replaced one entire pod. It rusted out from the inside! $20k to replace. Then the power steering seals blew on the other motor - $4,500. I couldn't wait to sell it, which I did just a few weeks ago. They don't make them anymore for a reason and Cummins has distanced themselves for Mercury. Never again!
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How would it rust from the inside if it was full of gear oil?
 
Look, I wouldn't buy a boat with Zeus or IPS drives. However, I've got a good friend that owns a 2014 Sundancer 450. He's got about 1000 hours on it. He's the second owner. The only problem he's had with the drives is the hydraulic steering manifold on one drive corroded through. $500 fix and he was good to go. He tests the gear oil regularly and changes every year. Mercury tech support has been great. Maybe he's one of the lucky ones...
 
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Spark600 said:
I am not sure but I read somewere that Zeus pods are brass or bronze.
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I have not checked myself, but I believe they are a bronze alloy. Definitely not brass.

But I'm still wondering - even if they were made of pig iron - how would they rust "from inside out" if they were full of gear oil?
 
km1125 said:
I have not checked myself, but I believe they are a bronze alloy. Definitely not brass.

But I'm still wondering - even if they were made of pig iron - how would they rust "from inside out" if they were full of gear oil?
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Not the cases but with internal hard parts it happens all of the time with automatic transmissions, differentials and transfer cases in the auto/small-med. truck world. When a transmission cooler (inside the radiator) fails and causes cross contamination, partially flooded vehicles, off road vehicles or when people back their hot trucks/transmissions, diffs. & t/cases down the ramp too far.
When a transmission, diff. or t/case is full there is still plenty of room for water or coolant contamination that can enter through a failed cooler or one of the vents.
Not sure if that is the same with the Pods from either manufacture.
 
techmitch said:
Not the cases but with internal hard parts it happens all of the time with automatic transmissions, differentials and transfer cases in the auto/small-med. truck world. When a transmission cooler (inside the radiator) fails and causes cross contamination, partially flooded vehicles, off road vehicles or when people back their hot trucks/transmissions, diffs. & t/cases down the ramp too far.
When a transmission, diff. or t/case is full there is still plenty of room for water or coolant contamination that can enter through a failed cooler or one of the vents.
Not sure if that is the same with the Pods from either manufacture.
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Yea, not any different than the lower unit on any outboard or outdrive. You let water in and let it sit and the innards could definitely start corroding. That's why you regularly change the gear oil just like you should on pods. Never saw a case corrode from that though.
 
km1125 said:
Yea, not any different than the lower unit on any outboard or outdrive. You let water in and let it sit and the innards could definitely start corroding. That's why you regularly change the gear oil just like you should on pods. Never saw a case corrode from that though.
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We also have to remember that maybe, that is only what @Trey Drier was told happened.
 
Trey Drier said:
I agree! Those Zeus pods are like a time bomb. When it goes off, and it will, it will cost thousands to fix. I replaced one entire pod. It rusted out from the inside! $20k to replace. Then the power steering seals blew on the other motor - $4,500. I couldn't wait to sell it, which I did just a few weeks ago. They don't make them anymore for a reason and Cummins has distanced themselves for Mercury. Never again!
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If.you want please call me or send me and email
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Or vcasalta@gmail.com
 
I don't have Zeus pods but a buddy of mine owns a 2010 450 Sundancer (i mistakenly said 2014 above) that does. Anyway, with about a thousand hours on the engines he's had remarkably few problems with the pods. Tests the drive oil annually for water and does out of water service every couple of years. He also uses the boat regularly.

He wrapped a mooring line in the stbd prop 8 months or so ago and since that time has had high gear oil temp on that side. After acid washing the cooling system, replacing the gear oil cooler, and dissembling the pod itself, the focus turned to the upper unit. As it turned out, ever so slightly warped clutch disks. Not enough to lock it in gear, or enough to dirty up the oil, but enough to alarm at speed on the gear oil temp. New ZF upper unit and it's back in the water. Stbd gear now runs cooler than the port.

He also took the advice if another member on here and had the propeller shaft, which was grooved at the seals, ceramically coated and smoothed by the shop up in Washington State. 2 Day turnaround and good as new for few hundred dollars and change. A replacement shaft lists at 12 grand.

Another tip. ZF is no longer under exlusove license with mercury on the pod units. You can go straight to ZF now for replacement parts for far less than you can get them from mercury.
 
bfernald0 said:
I don't have Zeus pods but a buddy of mine owns a 2010 450 Sundancer (i mistakenly said 2014 above) that does. Anyway, with about a thousand hours on the engines he's had remarkably few problems with the pods. Tests the drive oil annually for water and does out of water service every couple of years. He also uses the boat regularly.

Anyway, he wrapped a mooring line in the stbd prop 8 months or so ago and since that time has had high gear oil temp on that side. After acid washing the cooling system, replacing the gear oil cooler, and dissembling the pod itself, the focus turned to the upper unit. As it turned out, ever so slightly warped clutch disks. Not enough to lock it in gear, or enough to dirty up the oil, but enough to alarm at speed on the gear oil temp. New ZF upper unit and it's back in the water. Stbd gear now runs cooler than the port.

He also took the advice if another member on here and had the propeller shaft, which was grooved at the seals, ceramically coated and smoothed by the shop up in Washington State. 2 Day turnaround and good as new for few hundred dollars and change. A replacement shaft lists at 12 grand.

Another tip. ZF is no longer under exlusove license with mercury on the pod units. You can go straight to ZF now for replacement parts for far less than you can get them from mercury.
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If anyone needs help in Washington State reach out, I'm here...
 
We have a 2012 450 SeaRay Sundancer with Zeus Pods. This week it has been 1 year since we found rocks in the Caloosahatchee (Fort Myers, FL). At that time the boat was pulled out of the water by Diversified Yachts, Fort Myers Beach and the damage assessed. 4 new Z14 props were ordered by then. It's been an entire year and still NO PROPS! We were very fortunate that we didn't lose a pod, however this prop situation is serious! We attended the Miami Boat Show a few short weeks ago and spent significant time at the Mercury display discussing this problem. YES, it's a problem. Since SeaRay quit making larger boats, they are no longer putting zeus pods on Sea Ray Boats, therefore they are producing very few props for these pods. Prior to this hiccup we had already traveled 4,000 miles by boat from the Saint Lawrence Seaway (NE Ontario) to Fort Myers without any problems as we are 2/3 done with our first "Great Loop." We've been stuck here for a year! It has cost us a small fortune in insurance premiums (a Canadian registered boat left in Florida during hurricane season), required to have us it hauled out and placed on the hard in a "Hurricane Hole." Paid lot rent on it for 10 months. We had it put back in the Water January 17th and very slowly (7.5 mph) moved it to Fort Pierce. For this reason, I don't think we would EVER have another boat with Zeus Pods! "If" there was a bright side to be found in this, we've saved a lot of $$ in Diesel Fuel not running! (grin).
 
PS: We will be needing to find a place to complete our routine 1,000 hour maintenance on our Sea Ray 450. Does anyone happen to know of anyplace on Florida's east coast that does this (with Zeus Pods)? Thanks! ~Pam & Terry~
 
Go to Mercury Marine Zeus Pod Owners Group Facebook site and join. Link below. You will find a complete list Zeus service facilities in the Featured link at the top of the site. Plenty of Florida Zeus service facilities listed there. Also post your need for Z14 props. Something might turn up as there are plenty of members who are Zeus service facilities that have parts.

5061546487211117
 
I now see you are already a member of the Zeus Facebook site and posted your prop issue last summer/fall. I hope you find the list of Zeus repair services found in the Featured area.
 
Jose Moral said:
Guys, regarding the Actuator Seal Kit Part Number 98-8M0153478 and the service Bulletin, it only tells you to change the top seal(the one included in the kit, But on the other side(buttom) of the Actuator(after complete disassemble) there is another seal exactly the same. In the service bulletin is not mentioned, and I notice after several actuator repairs, that damage also occurs to that seal, it just takes longer to fail than the top seal because it is closer to the water level and the exhaust temp is cooler there, but distortion of that seal is observed.

Any comments??? Have guys change that bottom seal, or only the top? Any hours on record for both top and buttom. I usually have on record 900 to 1100 hours on the top one to fail. Dont have records on the bottom seal. I also observe that the seal kit 98-8M0153478 is basically the same seal as the original one. NO UPGRADES observe, I dont know if the composition of the seal is the same.

Would like to share and receive input.

Regards
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Hello

I have been looking for the Actuator seal 26-8m0153478 and nobody seem to have it. I place an order for the items a few months ago and every few weeks the Mercury agency tells me is in back order with no ETA . does anyone have an ideal of anyone that may have it?
 
Try the Mercury dealers. Google the part number and reach out to the dealers that claim they have the kit 'in stock'. Crowley, Leaders, Boats.net, PerfProTech, others. And join the Zeus Pod Facebook site I mentioned above.
 
Dunigan said:
Try the Mercury dealers. Google the part number and reach out to the dealers that claim they have the kit 'in stock'. Crowley, Leaders, Boats.net, PerfProTech, others. And join the Zeus Pod Facebook site I mentioned above.
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I tried Crowley, boats.net, and others they said they have it on stock on the web page but when you call them to confirm stock they don't have them . I order the part from Bam Mercury and been waiting already for over two months for the Mercury back order item
 
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