Vetus Thruster Inboard Shear Pin

[Yearwood]

Trying to find the part number for an inboard shear pin fort a 3 kw Vetus Thruster mfgrd about 2000 No. 50030601 as fitted on a 28 foot PH. Manual is aboard and boat fully covered. My repair parts cheat sheet indicates bp 165, think I last used bp 198 which is described as "Safety pin, circlip+drivepin for Bow 50". Vetus says the part number is BP65S and sold me 5, but on receipt I can see that is too small. On line manuals that I have been able to find do not identify the inboard shear pin, only the one in the right angle drive.
Don
Osprey
Davidsonville, MD

[RobS]

You have the BOW50 model, right?

The "safety pin" is the shear pin mounted under the electric motor, see #19 in the attachments. The circlip and drivepin are in the lower unit.

[Yearwood]

Yes the 50. I could not find it on the diagram I saw. Still the pin appears too small to me. Perhaps I'll have to wait until commissioning to be sure.

[johnmurray]

I am somewhat confused by the numbering of the different models of Vetus bow thrusters. Mine is 55KGF. The part number for the inboard shear pin BP1130. It is one inch long and 1/8 inch in diameter.
As a matter of interest, when I first purchased the boat, I sheared pins with regularity until I realized that I had to pause for a second before changing directions of the thruster. I have not sheared a pin since.

[Yearwood]

John
That size seems to be about the same as I remember and mine is probably a 55. This year the pin broke because the bow line handler did not retrieve a line fast enough. The pin had been in there for many years. Over 10 years ago I installed a delay in the thruster control circuit which stopped the frequent shearing you mentioned. The delay unit was purchased from Vetus and does not really impede responsiveness such as to cause a problem. Simple installation.
Don

[RobS]

Easy to distinguish between a 50 and a 55 model. The 50 has the zinc mounted under the lower unit at the drain plug. The 55 has the disc zinc mounted behind the prop. Also, the 50 has the remote gear fluid reservoir mounted on the bulkhead next to the thruster motor.

If you're saying the shear pin I posted in that diagram is a tad too small it does sound like you have the 55 model. The 50 model pin is 3mm which is a tad smaller than the 1/8" pin in the 55 model.

[Yearwood]

Curious-er and curious-er ... The shear pin in the diagram does appear too small. However, the zinc on my unit is definitely under the pod and not behind the prop.
Don

[Sisu22]

Rob, do you know which model came before the 55? I don't have an external reservoir and I think my Vetus was original to my '94. My motor has terminals on the top, not on the side as in the above diagram.

[RobS]

23 —-> 50 —-> 55

[Sisu22]

Thanks! Mine must be the 23.

[RobS]

Thanks! Mine must be the 23.

That would be what a 1994 would have came with. The 50 model was short lived circa 2000

[kowal_53]

Hear is the local MD Vetus America information.

You can call them and get it figured out assuming you can get the information off the unit. They can not ship it to you, but you can take the part number and place an order for the part at Fawcett in Annapolis, or there is another place too. They were very helpful to me when I need help. Mine does not have the sear pin.


7251 National Drive, Suite C
21076 Hanover
Maryland United States
Email: sales-service@vetus.com
Phone: 410 712 0740