Seattle mechanic for bow thruster?

M

MsChief

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
10
Fluid Motion Model
R-21
Hull Identification Number
FMLC2606G415
Vessel Name
Ms Chief
My bow thruster on my 2015 C26 stopped working. No obvious debris in it. Anyone know a Seattle area mechanic who has experience fixing these? I’m om Lake Union. Not sure if it is a fuse issue or shear pin issue because I don’t know how to check. Would like recommendations on service shops who can take a look and repair it.
Thanks
Laura
 
Mine went out last week. The bow thruster is located under the v-berth. Take off the cushions and you will see a removable bottom on the forward storage area. Remove the bottom and you will see the bow thruster in there. There should be an extra shear pin attached to it. Remove the two allen head bolts with a 6 mm allen wrench. The allen wrench did not work on one side of the thruster due to the way it was mounted but a small pair of channel locks did the trick. After you pull the two small bolts the bow thruster will pull straight out. You will probably noticed some brass shavings and whats left of the old shear pin. Clean it out. At this point there is a snap ring that holds the shear pin in place. I was able to move it out of the way enough to be able to replace the shear pin. It fits in there tightly so getting it back in place requires a few well placed taps. Put the snap ring back into place and your ready to remount the thruster. The whole job should take less than an hour. It’s an easy repair and I am glad I tackled it myself.
 
Check the fuse . That’s all mine was . It’s an anl type. Remove the electric access panel next to the circuit breaker s in the cave. Look up , that is where you’ll find them . There are two one bow one stern. . That is a simple fix and easy to check
 
I should have mentioned in my first reply how to diagnose your problem. If you activate your thruster and you hear it spin but it doesn’t thrust you have a shear pin problem. If you try to activate your thruster and you hear nothing you have a fuse thats out. Hope that helps.
 
When I engaged mine ( it was the stern ) I did hear a noise that convinced me it was the pin.
However it was only the fuse. Checking the fuse is less than a five minute task
 
It would be 'nice' or a better design if the fuse were to blow before the pin was compromised, as the fuse is an easy fix whereas the pin not so much. Spinning the thruster's motor without any load on it surely isn't good any rate.
 
I recently had issues with my bow thruster and called a “marine electrician “ to help. The “expert” couldn’t find the problem so I started a diagnostic approach to the issue. As someone said, if you can hear the motor spin when you move the toggle, it’s the shear pin. If not it’s either a fuse OR (as in my case) a faulty connection. Here’s what I did to find my problem AND the solution. When I moved my thruster toggle I could hear clicking but no motor movement. At first I thought it could be the brushes in the motor were worn but I needed more information. I coupled two battery jumper cables together to make a long enough cable to reach from the house battery to the positive and negative thruster bolts. Then I made sure I was getting good voltage from the house battery to ends of the jumper cables. Then I connected the negative clamp to the negative bolt on the thruster. I used the positive clamp of the jumper cable to touch the positive bolt on the thruster and BINGO! the motor spun. I knew then the motor was fine but there was a current issue. Backtracking the cable from the thruster to the battery switch I found one of the cables had corroded under the seal. I replaced this section and now proudly have a fully functioning bow thruster.
Cheers,
Karl
 
Shear pins act instantaneously in response to a stuck or clogged thruster. (Or an operator who does a quick left-right on the joystick. I know.) By shearing instantaneously, it protects the prop and the gearbox from lots of damage. (The motor puts out a LOT of torque.)

The fuses are made to blow slowly when the motor overloads or totally shorts out. The blow current on a fuse for an electric motor is high because the starting current is usually multiples of the actually operating current. Also, electric motors have tremendous starting torques. (Never get into a drag race with a Tesla.) Fuses don't really protect the equipment being driven by the motor. They only protect the motor or the source of the electricity (the boat) from damage. Thus the shear pin.
 
Thanks for the clear instructions. Somehow it resolved itself but now I know what to do and most importantly where everything is located.
 
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