The other issue was when the owner sold the boat they did a oil sample and found water and both lower units had to be resealed and a main shaft had to be changed. Pods are comprised of some very costly components, but theoretically, their modular design should yield some countervailing savings in labor costs. Siebert prefers Boeshield T-9. The downside is that a boat with less horsepower is more easily burdened by loading the boat. The ZS-3000 is Snell M2005 certified in the small shell size (XS to M). Pods run quieter, cleaner, and more efficiently than traditional props. Better fuel efficiency? are zeus pods still being manufactured. I'm concerned that I won't be able to get my hands on a replacement drive if one were to sheer off 5-7 years from now. The problem vs. Volvo is that the Zeus Cummins combinations are limited by Cummins engine sizes and that limits them on larger boats. Spencer Yachts was one of the first to embrace pod-drives, including Volvo Pentas IPS and ZF Marines pod-drive system with Caterpillar engines. Fashioned out of high quality aluminum, the Zeus ArcPods are designed to hold up to 0.3 grams of dry herb and work perfectly with the Zeus Xtruder which directly connects to, fills up, and automatically ejects the pod once the optimal amount of dry herb has been loaded. Regardless of the apparent belief that the pod-market growth spurt of the past nine years is over, several sources have reported that Caterpillar is preparing to release its own pod for 2014 and Caterpillar isnt denying it. The engines are in their normal spot, but then you jackshaft to pods, so you lose space in the lazarette, he says. Definitely good value for the price and performance these offer. Some could be rotated 180 degrees and run adequately facing either fore or aft. Goes without saying: Its got ZF Smart Command 5000 drive-by-wire. Petzold uses Propspeed, or some other antifouling paint formulated for underwater metals. The Zeus system propellers are on the back of the pods, as opposed to the Volvo IPS, which are on the front. There support network is much better and to me is a better product. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per pod. The aft placement of pods has added to usable space on board. With the joystick, my 12-year-old docks the boat.. Watch on Description Patented and designed for use with 3rd generation vaporizers such as the Zeus Arc GTS and Arc S, Zeus ArcPods make it easier and more convenient than ever to take your vaporizer and herb with you. Then realized it was a conversation which I figured was private so I reposted here. A little cheaper because it was in SoCal. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. I am liking the Searay 44 Sedan Bridge of the ~2009 vintage as those have QSC500s with conventional drives. Down sides were in the San Francisco Bay Area there is only one person that can work on them. . Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. They get people excited about buying a new boat.. Plus, when we haul the boat, well catch problems a diver wont see.. I have personally ruled out any boat with PODS, IPS or ZEUS, for those 2 main reasons. After that, it wasnt up for discussion any longer: The marlin didnt mind the pods at all. KISS Keep It Simple Sailor. As we have seen many times with sailfish, I am certain one of the marlin swam along with us between the teaser and the boat, looking at the wheels and not at the bait we had moved into position to switch him over to. Discussion in 'Engines' started by JamCruiser, Jun 20, 2020. For nearly a decade, pod propulsion looked like it would render inboards obsolete. The pod-drives gave us the ability to manage the narrow locks and small marinas along that route without a bow thruster. 11.5, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for 45A, 63/68A, 63/68IV, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for 80A, 85A, 85IV, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#4 for 45A, 63/68A, 63/68IV (Volvo D4/D6), ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for ZF 220A, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 ZF 220A & IRM280 (Old Style), ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 CAT Engine for ZF 220A, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for ZF 280A/IV, ZF Transmission Adapter Plate SAE#3 for ZF 285A/IV & ZF 286A/IV, Transmission Adapter Plate to Bellhousing Bolt Hardware Kit, SMX Transmission Spacer for Borg Warner Velvet Drive, ZF Marine Mechanical ATF Series Shift & Troll Valve, ZF Marine Electronic ATF Series Shift & Troll Valve, ZF Marine Electric EB15 Shift Valve with Trolling Valve, ZF Marine Mechanical Trolling Valve (ZF 280+), ZF 220/A Marine Mechanical Trolling Valve Kit, ZF ATF 63 A/IV 85 A/IV Electronic Progressive Shift Solenoid, ZF ATF 63 68 A/IV 80 85 A/IV Electronic Shift Solenoid, ZF EB15 Electronic Shift Solenoid (TROLL), ZF EB30/31 Electronic Shift Solenoid Coil, ZF ATF 63 A/IV 85 A/IV Electronic Troll Valve Coil, ZF Electronic Shift Solenoid Wire Plug/Cap, SMX Marine Transmission Drop in Screen Filter 45/63/68/80/85 A/IV Series ATF, Fleetguard LF701 Lube Filter for ZF Gears, Genuine ZF Marine Oil Filter Transmission (3213308019), ZF Marine 25A, 45A, 63A/IV, 80A/IV Input Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 63IV Inner (Small) Output Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 63IV Outer (Large) Output Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 80IV/85IV Inner (Small) Output Shaft Seal, ZF Marine 80IV/85IV Outer (Large) Output Shaft Seal, ZF 63A/IV 68A/IV 80A 85A SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF 85IV SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF 220A SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF 280A ZF 280-1 ZF 220PL SMX Marine Transmission Mounting Brackets, ZF Marine 220 / 220A Replacement Oil Pump, ZF Marine 286A / 286IV Replacement Oil Pump, Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (ZF 63/68 A/IV, Velvet Drive), Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (ZF 220 A/V/IV), Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (ZF 800 80 85 A/IV, ZF 220PL, 280A/IV, 286A/IV, 301, MG506 5061 507), Split Hub Propeller Shaft Coupling Kit (MG 509), Cummins Marine Engine Warranty Information, Marine 316L SS 4 inch Pipe (4.5 OD) 90 Degree Elbow, Cummins Marine Diesel Repower Specialists, Cummins 6bt wont get up to WOT after fuel line blockage. I am looking for a larger boat in the same size range as you. are zeus pods still being manufactured how did lesley sharp lose weight julho 1, 2022. jack the ripper documentary bbc . Interestingly, the most notable early prop-forward applications were in ice-breaking ships launched in 1990 an interesting defense to the argument that forward-facing props were too vulnerable to debris. Trawlers dont benefit much from pods. Volvo Penta officially introduced IPS (Inboard Performance System) pod drives at the 2005 Miami Boat Show; Cummins and ZF Marine followed, one and four years later, with their own versions. It might save the cost of a divorce on cruelty-while-docking grounds, too, a way bigger budget-breaker than pod drives. The most remarkable performance advantage was one that sent every propulsion and boatbuilding engineer to the drawing board to imitate: the joystick control system. Its like a orange and all they work on is apples. To use this website and make a purchase on this website: www.zeusarsenal.com, you both acknowledge and agree to follow our Terms of Use. They bite hard and wont let the engine spin up.. The performance numbers on the IPS are slightly better. Still, many boaters werent convinced. We created Lids for you to reuse your Aluminum ArcPods. Richard estimated an average annual cost of about $2,500 for scheduled maintenance on twin pod drives. I opted to avoid Volvo as my experience with them as a car dealer was poor. Four different fluids just to service them. With it, fingertip operation of any vessel became possible. But now thats all gone away. Bottom Line. The Zeus ArcPods are the convenient method of preparing, loading, and transporting your dry herb for use with your Zeus Arc GTS or Arc S vaporizer. Partly because of their angle of attack and partly because of their slightly forward position under the hull, pods gave more speed, better acceleration and more miles per gallon on the same horsepower. I liked the idea of being able to handle the boat from the helm seat instead of standing up all the time. Each IPS has anodes as well, one up inside the exhaust tunnel (the other is on the transom); both Zeus anodes are on the trim tabs where theyre easy to reach. Corrosion can cause expensive damage, and quickly, too. Pods operate independently of one another to provide vectored thrust in any direction, which makes the vessel incredibly maneuverable. Big-game fishing is a pursuit rife with tradition and time-proven tactics. I had one of the first triple-outboard SeeVees made, but I was sick of buying the gas, and Ariel was gonna try the IPS. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, Zeus ArcPods are finally here! When you put a pod system in, you try to do more with less.. Looking at other online sources, people seem to be in Love or Hate camps.what are the facts please? Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. While there has not been a flood of acceptance in the sport-fishing market for pod-drives, the cruising market has seen a larger number of owners making the transition away from conventional shaft-and-wheel boats. Zirk fittings require grease in U-joints and at both ends of jack shafts that connect engines to drives. Check them just like you check zincs on a shaft, Petzold said: Swim down and have a look. Nor did I want to. If the outer seal is damaged by debris, fishing line or rope, only the inner seal separates the pods innards from seawater. Check the status of an existing order here. In short, I love my Cummins 6.7 units and I am getting happier each day with the Zeus pods as I learn them and how to care for them. Its fun. Vessel Systems Considerations for Marine Repower, ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar, LLC. . Months later, Mercruiser and Cummins joined forces to deliver Zeus pod-drives to boaters. His company, Siebert Yacht Management commissions and maintains most new Sabre boats delivered to Palm Beach County, Florida, giving him considerable experience with Volvo IPS drives on Sabres 38- and 54-foot models and with Cummins Zeus drives on Sabres 42- and 48-footers, as well as those same hulls with conventional shafts. is ryan bingham related to ken curtis. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Please note that to purchase a vaporizer from this website you must abide by local laws and be a minimum of 19 years of age. International service is also a concern for pods. Its important to maintain good antifouling. Pods have water intakes, exhausts and other places that are inviting to marine critters, and keeping them out is important. Prior to heading out with the boat, there was a lot of talk on the dock about whether the new drives would raise fish or scare them away. Not a lot of guys know pods yet. But then outboards are more powerful and more economical than ever. He ran the boat down to sell it down there. Cummins expert Rob Mirman gives an overview of the Cummins Zeus pod drive system at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. Like long-distance cruisers, sportfishermen have been slow to accept pods, in this case not because of perceived deficiencies but rather a reluctance to try anything that might reduce chances of success. And hitting something hard at speed would strip the pods off the bottom as neat as you please. Ask to see the service records for the boats first year. I often hear stories about Mercury paying for expensive replacement parts when their Zeus units need work out of warranty. I worked on a boat with Zeus pods for about three years. I stay on top of the maintenance, oil and everything and never had a breakdown., Some people complain about the top-end speed of pods. Once hes inspected everything and put it all back together, Petzold paints the pod. Weight kills the speed on pod-drives, compared to shaft-drives, Smith says. Most pods also require periodic removal and inspection of prop sets and seals, and re-greasing of the propshaftsfigure $250 per . We had a few bugs in my first IPS boat. Blades, pitch etc Read some of the posting by Tom Bartolomei about what he has been doing with his Sabre to tune the prop sets on his pods. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Although hes well versed in the care and maintenance of inboards, Anderson was still anxious to run a pod boat. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Naval architects have also gotten better at maximizing the efficiencies of pods at all speeds. Most yards will repaint a pod for $300. Simply pop in a pod and enjoy your herbs. Volvo includes neither a water alarm nor a clear reservoir, so check the single transmission and gear oil dipstick for signs of water. (Stranded in Guaymas, Mexico, I watched a guy true up a dinged prop using just a single jack and anvil. Superior to bow thrusters, which can drain your battery and leave you stranded - Zeus Joystick Piloting for Pods is integrated with the pod drives, without relying on battery power. When checking transmission oil level, give it a sniff. Much more service options down there. If your zincs are gone, your warranty might be gone too, Siebert said, so all his clients boats with pods are cleaned and checked monthly by a diver. Theyre the cleanest-burning motors Ive experienced. There is definitely more maintenance with pods, said John Siebert. My experience is that they will work with their Cummins/Mercury dealers to lend a hand in unusual situations. He fished many tournaments with the boat, including the Mid-Atlantic at Cape May, the Pirates Cove tournament in North Carolina and several sailfish tournaments in south Florida. When one of Sieberts clients hit a sandbar, it happened so smoothly that he didnt even realize hed lost drives until he revved the engines and the boat didnt respond, Siebert said. I agree with Rob. Sea Ray sells the 460 Sundancer with twin 550-horsepower Cummins diesels, with either V-drive or Zeus drives; the Zeus option adds $113,333 to the $1,004,768 price, according to Sea Ray. If you arent happy with the local dealer, you can call the concierge and get a tech in Tennessee. Ignore it and you can forget about that edge in fuel efficiency over inboards. Whats going on here? Learn more about the 3rd Generation of Vaporizers is here: https://bit.ly/3xm5ASYThe patented Zeus ArcPod is a sin. Like most everything, making the decision to go conventional or pod is a personal choice. Great contribution Blue Magnolia..that rings true and honest. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. You dont have to redesign it to get our joystick maneuvering system. Some pods require draining. All in all saves a lot of cleaning hassle and maintenance costs- cleaning is primarily focused on the mouthpiece and associated parts with a quick wipe of the chamber. Ongoing maint costs and difficulty of changing/replacing props over time. The first pod-drive was invented in 1955 and went by the generic name azimuth thruster. They were either diesel- or electric-powered, and some were large enough for a man to walk around inside the machinery housing. But now that both Volvo Inboard Propulsion System and Cummins MerCruiser Zeus drives have been spinning beneath boats for more than five years, its time to assess the cost of ownership of pods versus conventional shafts. Wouldnt accommodations be the more relevant yardstick? The pods synthetic oil is dark, making it hard to see the telltale oil discoloration of a slipping transmission, but it will likely have a burnt smell. However, I think the best application I have run to date was a 39-foot SeaVee with pod-drives. But the rest? No more packing on the go, just pop in and enjoy. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. Just add a bracket and bolt them on, install the digital controls and joystick and youre set. Hes also got a lot of applications engineering in his background. Alas, the fact that electronics dont respond well to brute force may mean some service challenges, at least in the short term, which is why long-distance cruisers have, as a group, been wary of pods. Pods are the ne plus ultra of propulsion, but it costs a little extra to keep them spinning. Yes, you need to be concerned about steering and propulsion fluids (lower unit) but you are not dealing with shaft irregularities, cutlass bearing maintenance, and thruster maintenance. Siebert puts annual maintenance for pods roughly $2,000 above what straight shafts cost, not including extra haul-out fees for boats that exceed 250 engine-hours per year. To start with, Zeus and IPS boats have to be hauled after their first 25 engine-hours. Pods from all manufacturers have proven reliable and trouble-free, when maintained correctly. Click on the different category headings to find out more. These come with various engine configurations but commonly, with QSB 425s which can be either shaft-drive or Zeus pods. (And when the struts rip out, they can take parts of the hull with them, something that probably wont happen with pods.) (Have they also reduced the docking-related divorce rate among powerboating couples? I want to comment on how well Mercury backs their products. Zeus service includes changing 0w30 SAE transmission oil, hydraulic steering oil and filters inside the hull as well as 90-weight gear oil outside the hull. And there are computer-controlled, straight-shaft systems that can juggle shifts, throttles, and a thruster or thrusters with a joystick, too, using traditional split-shift techniques. Pods are something new, he said. Part of that comes as a side effect to the benefits of the props angle of attack. Nonetheless, pods are not going away and I hope more marine techs will learn them. Controlled at low speeds by a joystick rather than wheel, shifts, and throttles, pods take most of the angst, the apprehension, and, sometimes, the sheer terror out of close-quarters maneuvering. And once the numbers are crunched, are pods worth it? Gear, people, supplies, fuel and water lug a boat down, and the more it settles in the water, the more impact it has on your speed. (Volvo Penta soon followed suit.). And the Zeus pods also came with a joystick. Cleaning also maximizes efficiency of the pods contrarotating propellers. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. When Volvo Penta took the industry by surprise with the IPS, it had patented the forward-facing counter-rotating propellers, patented new propellers for the design and also sent the exhaust out the back of the pod, not through the hub of the props. Inboards are virtually maintenance-free, while pods require lots of servicing. Although pod housings are built of corrosion-resistant bronze rather than the aluminum alloy used for stern drives, its still critical to maintain the anodes. Pods are more prevalent in the pleasure-yacht category than in sport fishing. Zeus ArcPods are finally here! Buckley dismisses the fear of forward-facing props. SeaVee no longer builds inboard boats, but that was a neat one. In the past decade, high-tech pod drives have changed the face of powerboating, and for the better. Volvo Pentas IPS drive features patented forward-facing props, which lets them bite into clean water. Unless I lived/boated in the same area where existed the Mecca of Zeus Service Centers (wherever that may be) I would steer clear (no pun intended) . In fact, shafts and struts have been driven through the hull by groundings and collisions with floating debris. Pods have taken certain segments of the cruising-boat market by storm, and now big-game charter captains who were once fixed-shaft aficionados are embracing this new technology. Weve been serving local Ventura County, California since 1980 as a custom boat builder, repower specialist, designer, and supplier of equipment to builders, commercial fishermen, and recreational users. The noise and smell from a diesel goes away with pods, said Bentley Collins, Sabres vice president of marketing and sales, and with joystick control, you dont have to worry about crashing into the dock.. You can also change some of your preferences. Pods are designed to shear off without compromising hull integrity. Sorry, but as an ex-Cummins and Merc dealer, I've lost all faith in the Zeus system. Not so. ArcPods were made to be reliable and convenient, allowing you to pre-pack up to 0.3 grams of dry herb in each capsule using the Xtruder. Thats opened up more opportunities and options for OEMS.. The lids are essential and for one-time use only. Zeus Transmissions are available at ZF Marine! Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Theres no free lunch, so there must be a hidden cost that no ones factored in.. Our drives are made to stand up to a light freshwater rinse, Fessenden said, but dont blast them with the hose. Fessenden suggests a light coating of Mercurys corrosion spray. Running the boat for too long on break-in oil can shorten the life of the pods innards. And often, they are recoverable and repairable. Other than checking anodes, Petzold said the most important thing to do is change the fluids per the maintenance schedule, and use the recommended gear oil, or oils. For a ballpark number, Im deferring to a well-researched article written by our late friend, Capt. ZF 63A with 4BT, flywheel torsion coupler issue??? If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. More interior room? Hes also found them to be extremely reliable. (Its not a bad idea to do the sameminus the sealsfor inboards.). All rights reserved. One issue that early pod adopters discovered, usually to their financial surprise, was the necessity of checking the shaft seals regularly, and replacing them on a scheduled basisevery five years is about right for most folks. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. are zeus pods still being manufacturedbest air quality cities in arizona 27 avril 2022. are zeus pods still being manufacturedaluminum upright bass for sale 16 avril 2022; are zeus pods still being manufacturedwooden postcard postage 24 mars 2022; For those first 25 hours, we use a break-in lube, said David Fessenden, a marine applications engineer with Cummins Atlantic. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. To me the unit as a whole is way to complex than it needs to be. Look for signs of corrosion. Zeus has two zincs attached to each trim tab. A racing motor with a warranty? vs. 0.8 nmg pods @ 16.2 kts.). But not many boat owners ponied up the cash to switch to pods. IMO, Zeus, or any POD drive, would not even be a close 2nd. Autor de l'entrada Per ; Data de l'entrada ice detention center colorado; https nhs vc hh cardiac surgery a are zeus pods still being manufactured a are zeus pods still being manufactured When a 42-foot pod boat can replace a 46-footer, savings add up fast. There are many reasons why everyones not on the pod bandwagon. You get similar handling advantages to pods, but with less maintenanceand its easy to find a mechanic certified on Yamaha, Evinrude, Mercury, and other brands. I am on the East Coast. I am looking for one that has been treated well and run as close to the ideal as possible. If one engine vibrates in gear and the other doesnt, its probably caused by fouled or damaged props. Sure the stories are one-sided, but as an aggregate source of information, theyve led me to conclude that pods are no more prone to failure than inboards but that when a pod breaks, the repair bills going to be higher. Its also important to monitor for seawater dripping onto drives. All told, figure $500 per engine annually, plus haul-out fees. In the beginning of pod development, there was a huge surge of interest. Dont compare them to stern drives. There arent many external mechanicals, no rubber bellows or other components to fail, he added. Pods require drive-oil changes every 250 hours or annually. Oh, and if youre a do-it-yourselfer, youll discover that a lot of pod maintenance requires specialized tools and training. Along with Volvo, who now makes the IPS drives from 260 to 1,000 hp, Cummins and MerCruiser partnered to join the fray with their Zeus pod-drive system, complete with SmartCraft monitoring and system management that integrates the vessels electronics, propulsion and onboard systems. cable tension calculator; neptune east coast reservation. Using a ZF transmission, it could mate any marine engine (Yanmar and Caterpillar have been popular partners) to its pods. The tank has a 24mm diameter (0.94 inches) and measures 50.5mm tall (2 inches tall). Somewhere in between the cost of straightening conventional shafts and rudders, and possibly even repairing transmissions, the advantage shifts back to pods. Full details on shipping can be found here. Comparing the Sabre 42 Hardtop Express, one with pods and one with shafts: At wide-open throttle, the pods horizontal thrust and contrarotating propellers increase economy (0.8 nmg for pods, 0.63 nmg shafts). A very hard grounding is also likely to cost less with pods, since theyre meant to shear off and then go right back onto the boat with just a thorough service and new bolts. A Bonnier LLC Company. The pod-drive boats were clearly more maneuverable and accelerated more quickly than strut, shaft and -prop-drive inboards. Sabre Yachts, for example, first offered pods in 2008 as an option over straight shafts in the 42-foot express cruiser. Once offshore, I spun the boat in a complete 360-degree rotation on its own axis in less than 14 seconds. If you dont like the look of outboards, hide em, like Pursuit does in its SC 365i Sport Coupe, with twin outboards concealed by a transom hatch. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. Maybe.) $44 MediaLight Mk2 Flex 4m D65 6500CRI98 Bias Lighting USB powered ComputersTablets & Networking Laptop & Desktop Accessories USB Lights & Gadgets And if they dont want them, I cant talk them into it.. You might not think of Cat as a pod company, but since ZF offered its pods to the market, hes helped several manufacturers build ZF or Zeus pod with Caterpillar engines. They have shafts, they have props, and they can get more if they need them. Dont cheap out on anodes, Petzold advised. I was surprised by how light and long lasting these were. Because they operate independently, pod-drives can be controlled via joystick for superb maneuverability. And while its hard to nail down the amount of that fuel-efficiency edge, everyone agrees it does exist and can compensate you for at least some of the additional maintenance costs. Volvo doesn't offer the option of in-water service. Indeed, were approaching if you have to ask territory here, and although a magazine writer like myself has about as much chance of buying a pod-driven anything as he does scoring a date with Sofia Vergara, I still think the benefits of pods far outweigh the extra initial and maintenance costs. With the pods, there is only a very slight, nearly unnoticeable change in the amount of flavor in the vapor, but it's a very small trade-off for the level of convenience that they deliver. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us . If you seem to be going through zincs quickly, call an electrician, Fessenden warned. The first boatbuilders installing pod-drives in the early to mid-2000s werent putting them on sport-fish boats. Sacrificial anode maintenance is both cheap and easily performed by the average inboard boat owner. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Rob makes a very good point about service network and availability of skill in your intended cruising area. And, if you preferred to stand, Viking built the helm so you could control the pods with traditional dual levers.. Can anyone speak to when there were evolutionary changes in the Zeus pods? Shafts, Props and a good ole thruster or 2 can have you handling your boat like a POD boat. The company didnt invent them, but it made pod a household word among boaters. A Valid Government issued Identification is required to receive product. The pods require yearly maint that is beyond what regular trans, shaft and prop systems require. You must be logged in to reply to this topic.