Thruster trouble-shooting dumb question

[tlkenyon]

Thanks for the information...I will get the bolts today..or at least get in an Amazon order if the locals do not have them.

TK

 

[rpmerrill]

Now that I'm out of the water and winterized, my thoughts come back to thruster removal and repair. I'm going to be replacing my exhaust hose this winter as well, so while I'm back there.......


Question: Somewhere in one of the stern thruster threads someone had posted a neat idea.
The idea was to cut away the front face of the rear cockpit seat (propane locker and storage area). Leaving a flange around the sides and a nice curb along the lower edge. That would allow much better access to the thruster and entire transom plumbing area. Then the opening could closed up with a nice hunk of starboard, neatly bolted in place.

Has anyone tried that? Are there structural issues (supporting the cockpit deck)?

 

[R Baker]

Another perspective on the stern thruster.... The thruster only works well on my 29 when moving the stern to starboard. The rudder interferes with the thrust when you want to move the stern to port. A larger rudder would probably offer adequate maneuverability in lieu of this troublesome stern thruster. Perhaps an over simplification, but non the less the thruster installation is troublesome.

 

[rpmerrill]

I am re-posting this to this thread and would like the ideas of the folks that have participated in this thread.....it seems to be part of the discussion.

As i knew (and dreaded) it would happen sooner or later, the shear pin on my stern thruster failed...2015 R25SC. I have neck and shoulder issues, and cannot get to the two bolts with enough oomph to do the shear pin change, even with the provided ratchet tool. I might be able to get the bolts undone, but no way am I gonna be able to get it put back together.

As I am in South Dakota, a long, long ways from a boat shop that could do this, and because we are often on very remote waters out on the prairie, I need to figure out a way to do this myself.

I am thinking about cutting out the front of the panel as shown by the shaded areas on the photo. I would place cleats, either teak or stainless, much like a sailboat companionway, to secure the panel in place. With the panel out, it seems like access to the stern thruster would quite easy....even for me.

Whaddya think? Bad idea? Good idea? Pitfalls?

Yup, that is the post that I recalled seeing. I really liked the idea. The use of wood or stainless cleats and reusing the cut-out piece is good too. AND I like the stud idea as well. Did you try it or get any more comments on the cut-out? My only thought is that the front side of the box adds stiffness to the cockpit deck. I'd have to take a good look under the deck at the engine hatch hinge line to see what is there. If the panel is needed for stiffness, it could be bolted into place for more strength instead of dropped in with the cleat idea? After all, how often would you take the panel in and out?


THANKS

TK

 

[rpmerrill]

Ok progress report:

My thruster was fixed. Supposedly it was the cheapest failure I could ask for. A circuit board that tells the solenoid which way to go had failed. Anyway I took the thruster out after the boat was hauled, took it to Pocket Yachts, they fixed it in about two weeks. The weather was nice today so time came to reinstall.

I only had one helper but I had a plan.
First we turned the prop until I could see the interior shear pin receptor fork in a nice vertical position.
Then I turned the thruster shear pin to a nice vertical position.
Previously I had purchased some 8mm bolts and cut the heads off and neatened them up a little bit (creating studs).
I installed the studs in the mounting holes on the transom flange.
Note: leave enough stud protruding so it will be visible and accessible beyond the thruster flange. AND if you leave too much protruding there won't be enough room to slide the thruster onto the studs.
Ok using some straps to hold the majority of the weight we lowered the thruster into place. It took some wiggling and jiggling to engage the studs and then engage the shear pin into the fork but it worked.
Then install a nut onto one of the studs to pull it up into proper location. Any difficulty, use a second nut. (I didn't need to do that.)
Then remove an un-nutted stud. Can be done by fingers if the assistant wiggles the strap just enough to unload the stud.
Install the allen-head screw but not real tight.
Remove the other stud and install the other allen-head screw.
Tighten both allen-heads.
Hook up the wires.
Bim-bam you're done.
It only took an hour or so. I could do it faster now that I got the practice.
Still have to reinstall the rear compartment floor and the propane cabinet.

One thing I'm going to do although they told me that I didn't have a water caused failure. I decided the control voltage plug that runs along the transom and connects back there (under the rear seat hatch) could be the problem. There is a lot of opportunity for water down there. Water in the control wire plug could have caused the circuit board failure, maybe? Well, I'm going to use some good tape and wrap the plugs nice and tight.

Another project done.
Thanks to all who gave me guidance and courage to do it.