Vetus stern thruster - 390DA

[Jus Cruisin]

So the stern thruster really never worked last year. It was getting power and occasionally would actually run for a moment. Anyway, it's getting yanked next week and likely sent to Florida Thruster for either rebuild or replacement. Just hope it'll get before I have to delay launch in the spring. Time is dragging for me but it flies for getting maintenance done.

 

[Irie308]

So the stern thruster really never worked last year. It was getting power and occasionally would actually run for a moment. Anyway, it's getting yanked next week and likely sent to Florida Thruster for either rebuild or replacement. Just hope it'll get before I have to delay launch in the spring. Time is dragging for me but it flies for getting maintenance done.

FYI, you can launch without reinstalling. Provided you just removed the motor and not the through hull assembly. Had issues with my stern thruster end of 21 season and it turns out power cable had corrosion in it.

 

[jmcdboater]

I wish my boat was big enough to warrant a thruster……lol

 

[Jus Cruisin]

So the thruster is out of the boat. Come to find out the thruster was built the year of my boat. Not good. Parts for it are not readily available. Florida Thruster wants my tech to check the gear lube in coupling. Apparently the old ones need to have it changed. Something tells me it has never happened. Everything spins freely so fingers crossed all is good with that. If good, the thruster is getting sent south for further diag. If it just needs brushes, I'm good. They have 6 sets left for my model. If it needs more than that, I'll be buying a new one.

 

[jmcdboater]

So the thruster is out of the boat. Come to find out the thruster was built the year of my boat. Not good. Parts for it are not readily available. Florida Thruster wants my tech to check the gear lube in coupling. Apparently the old ones need to have it changed. Something tells me it has never happened. Everything spins freely so fingers crossed all is good with that. If good, the thruster is getting sent south for further diag. If it just needs brushes, I'm good. They have 6 sets left for my model. If it needs more than that, I'll be buying a new one.

Everything spinning freely pretty much exonerates the drive….hope it’s just the brushes for the motor, good luck with that!

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Received some good news. Apparently I have a sealed gear case that doesn't need servicing. Not sure what made Florida Thruster think it wasn't. Anyway, the motor is getting shipped down next week.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Received the bad news yesterday. So I have had a thruster that should never have been installed in a gas powered boat. It wasn't shielded. So a new thruster is on the way. There is some good news. Although I have to buy the complete thruster assembly, the new motor will bolt up to existing gears. Saving some labor. I'll just have a new gear case as a spare. The new unit should be at the marina by the end of next week.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

The new thruster showed up yesterday so that's good. Now I hope it does what they promised and bolt up to the leg (which is spinning freely) that exits the boat. I'm guessing it will get installed next week.
At that point, all that needs to get done is recoating the bottom with VC17. That can't be done until it gets pulled out of the building. That won't happen until April.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Thruster is in and working. Happy that is done.

 

[PlayDate]

o I have had a thruster that should never have been installed in a gas powered boat. It wasn't shielded.

What exactly does that mean.....the one installed wasn't ignition protected? Hard to imagine that would have been a Florida Thruster mistake.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

What exactly does that mean.....the one installed wasn't ignition protected? Hard to imagine that would have been a Florida Thruster mistake.

No, it wasn't their mistake. They determined it was a model that should have been installed in a diesel engine boat. I don't have documentation of the original installation. Likely done by the original owner. Just lucky there wasn't a big boom previously. I'm glad it quit working.