Thruster question

[RobS]

My 4D Starting and 31 House were dated 2003 and replaced just last year in good working condition. My 4D was donated to my friends excavating business and I believe it's still in use...

[jleonard]

I have found over the years in my experience and general experince from other boaters via several forums that 5 years is a good service life for a marine battery.
There are a lot of factors involved including how far they discharged and what kind of vibration/shock they revceive.

[DougSea]

and both batteries to be safe...

That seems drastic, are they in need of replacement regardless?

I thought you were refering to his "I'm buying a sailboat" comment!!

(And sailboats have many of the same issues as powerboats AND mix in the rig! Plus they go nowhere fast! )

[poillon1]

If you ever have to replace yours beaware that Vetus used two different style gearboxes (aka tailshaft) - a spline drive and a "key" or "tab" drive. The difference between the two isn't noted in Vetus' parts cat. so be sure to explain it to the person you order it from. They think this was applicable in the late 1980s 50 and 55 kgf series. If anyone needs one, I have a friend with a new spline drive for the 5512 that he couldn't return to Jamesport Dist. when he found it was the wrong one.

[sweetwater]

My new solenoid comes in Wednesday...keeping my fingers crossed. Additionally, when I pulled the batteries out, the ground terminal on the small one (group 31 under helm) FELL of the cable end. It was not properly crimped at the factory or where ever it was wired. Great boat, but can't wait to get past the initial new-used boat issues. Thanks for the help, I will keep you informed. I have learned a lot this week about our thrusters!

[RobS]

Great boat, but can't wait to get past the initial new-used boat issues.

There is a definite time where this comes to an end, unfortunately it's the day you sell her

Just kidding, initially it's the bugs like you are finding, then you move on to the periodic maintenance and optional stuff. You must try to find some level of enjoyment or gratification in it, it's the only way to survive

Worse than the new-used boat issues would be the new-new boat issues. I have plenty of friend who thought there was never such a thing, and boy were they wrong!

[sweetwater]

OK, here is the update: Installed the new batteries and solenoid. The thruster now spins well with no clicking from the new solenoid. I still have a huge voltage drop at the thruster when it is activated. Down to about 10 volts to starboard, and 8 to port. All the connections are tight and clean. I don't understand the difference in voltage drop in the two directions.
I did see that Vetus recommends "000" cable be used on a run as long as we have on the 28, but Albin used "00" to the battery switch and then "0" from the switch to the thruster. I tested the drop at the switch and it was a more reasonable 10 volts under power. Wondering if replacing the "0" positive cable from the switch to the thruster with the correct wire would help, or if the ground wire on the thruster would need to be upgraded as well.

[DougSea]

My question here is "What's normal?" Is it performing well? If so I wouldn't worry about it and just go boating. A voltage drop when a large load is placed on a DC circuit is to be expected. The fact that they are different could just be a function if the forward/reverse gearing and load that the thruster is putting on the power system.

A final question - is the tunnel clear? I had problems my first year with growth on the drive unit. Due to the asymetrical layout it would perform reasonably well in one direction but not the other.

[sweetwater]

Thanks Doug, I will get in the water this weekend and take a look. "normal for that motor should be a minimum of 10 volts under power. It seems to be performing ok, but I fear that the low voltage is why I burned out the solenoid in the first place. On the positive side, it has forced me to dock without it a couple times... not to much fun in the wind!
ENJOY FATHER'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

[poillon1]

Where are you grounding your thruster from/to?

[sweetwater]

Im not too sure where the factory grounded it. It looks like it goes to a ground bus in the front of the engine compartment. I will have to look more carefully, why?