Bow Thruster Service

Liberty44140

I know some folks on here have thrusters. Anyone done any work on them? I literally threw a prop last summer. I know when it happened, hit a crap load of kelp trying to parallel park while being blown off the wall using the thruster. Water looked like an explosion of mud and kelp. From there it worked but sounded different in one direction, not as much thrust. At haul out I saw one of the two props gone. Decided to change the oil on the unit while replacing the prop and hardware to find moisture in the oil. Went to pull shaft seals to replace them and they are impossible to remove. Side Power's service is awesome and they are telling me dont bother trying to remove and re seal. Chances of success are slim. Time to just replace the outer leg of the unit which is $750 and a DIY project. New leg is sealed so no more oil changes, or seals.

So just putting this out there for any thoughts. If not for nothing else its out there for someone else down the line. My unit is a Side Power (now owned by Imtra) SP 75 which was original in 2007 from Cruisers. 

Dream_Inn

Thanks for the info.  I've never done anything to my thruster except rinse it off each time I lift the boat & change the battery for it.  I've always assumed it's a sealed unit that doesn't need much.  I'll have to take a peak at it this spring.

LaRea

As far as I can tell, the Volvo QL commonly used by Rinker is a sealed, no-maintenance unit.  If anybody finds good documentation on that system, I hope they will post it here.  All I have is an installation manual marked "Advanced Copy."    

YYZRC

Any 2008+ Rinker I looked at (330/340/350/360) all used Lewmar thrusters which also appear to use a sealed gear leg.

I have a Side-Power thruster and it has a coupler that breaks to prevent damage to the prop (ask me how I know  ) - I'm surprised yours doesn't have that @Liberty44140

Heres a pic of the coupler and how I jury-rigged it while waiting two months for a replacement. 

Liberty44140

Good points! If you have a separate oil feed bottle like you see mine has in the pic, then you have oil to change. They say change every few years, but I'm sure mine is 16 years old. No bottle, then it is sealed which is of course preferred 

Liberty44140

YYZRC said:

Any 2008+ Rinker I looked at (330/340/350/360) all used Lewmar thrusters which also appear to use a sealed gear leg.

I have a Side-Power thruster and it has a coupler that breaks to prevent damage to the prop (ask me how I know  ) - I'm surprised yours doesn't have that @Liberty44140

Heres a pic of the coupler and how I jury-rigged it while waiting two months for a replacement. 

Yep mine does have sheer pins at the prop, my issue though was not breaking though where the shear pin would break, the nut holding the prop on actually backed off the shaft and the prop just came off. No idea how. I’d replaced the anode on both sides but that doesn’t involve the nut. Somehow it was loose…

YYZRC

Oh, yikes! 

YYZRC

Noticed that my thruster leg is leaking. It’s a sealed unit so it will need to be replaced. Luckily it’s under warranty. 

Liberty44140

Good catch! Looks similar to mine. I’ve got my motor and leg all detached and ready to install new leg, need a second set of hands so admiral will come up first weekend in April when it’s a little warmer to help get it on. 

Here is the tunnel without the leg. Sanded it down to re adhere to clean surface. Also the cage with the motor removed. Old oil line will be capped as it is irrelevant now.