Sidepower thruster removal

[DDW]

Has anyone removed the prop angle drives on Sidepower thrusters? The part that is outside of the hull. Wondering how involved it is. I cannot find a good installation manual for them online, the exploded view indicates two socket head screws removed from the inside and then it falls off? Perhaps need to drain the oil first?

Mine appear to have corrosion on them, possibly from copper antifouling paint. I will guess these are aluminum housings. I'd like to remove them and recoat with something to arrest the corrosion.

 

[Lollygag1]

Www.yachtaidmarine.com has a side power thruster install manual.

Perhaps there is a YouTube video

 

[PhilPB]

Has anyone removed the prop angle drives on Sidepower thrusters? The part that is outside of the hull. Wondering how involved it is. I cannot find a good installation manual for them online, the exploded view indicates two socket head screws removed from the inside and then it falls off? Perhaps need to drain the oil first?

Mine appear to have corrosion on them, possibly from copper antifouling paint. I will guess these are aluminum housings. I'd like to remove them and recoat with something to arrest the corrosion.

I take it the boat is out of the water? I have a Sidepower bowthruster and the repair/warranty folks said if they needed to pull the leg it had to be hauled

 

[Comodave]

Has anyone removed the prop angle drives on Sidepower thrusters? The part that is outside of the hull. Wondering how involved it is. I cannot find a good installation manual for them online, the exploded view indicates two socket head screws removed from the inside and then it falls off? Perhaps need to drain the oil first?

Mine appear to have corrosion on them, possibly from copper antifouling paint. I will guess these are aluminum housings. I'd like to remove them and recoat with something to arrest the corrosion.

The Sidepower thruster I put in our last boat had a bronze gear leg. Not aluminum. I never removed the gear leg after I installed the thruster and the gear leg came attached to the motor and went in as one piece. Not sure how to get it off. Imtra gave me excellent support.

 

[O C Diver]

I removed mine and had it resealed 8 years ago.

On mine:
Remove propellers
Disconnect wiring
Unbolt motor and lift off
Remove and drain oil bottle
Remove coupling from lower unit shaft

My recollection was that the motor frame was held in place by the 2 cap screws that go through the tunnel into the angle drive.

Don't remember if there was an external gasket between the tunnel and angle drive, or just caulk.

The coupling is two metal pieces, one on each shaft, with a rubber spider in the middle.

Ted

 

[DDW]

The boat will be hauled at the end of our trip for the season, next week.

The drawings and pictures of the gear leg are rendered in bronze color. I would think that would eliminate any corrosion problem. Perhaps I need to look at them closer, but it is hard to get a close up with them in the tunnel. From outside it looked a lot like typical cast aluminum corrosion.

Lolygag - thanks for that link. I was eventually able to find the install manual on that site, I think newer models but it looks like the same install. It also looks like removing two fixing bolts allows the drive leg to come free. The drive leg is stated to be bronze on those newer models.

 

[DDW]

OC, thanks. I was hoping not to have to remove the motors given the access I have, but as you say maybe the whole thing is held on by the drive leg screws. The assembly procedure has the motor going on last.

Do you know if the drive leg on yours was bronze? Mine are 2006 vintage.

 

[djones44]

I removed my Side Shift stern thruster last week. Understanding prop walk is my organic replacement.

 

[O C Diver]

OC, thanks. I was hoping not to have to remove the motors given the access I have, but as you say maybe the whole thing is held on by the drive leg screws. The assembly procedure has the motor going on last.

Do you know if the drive leg on yours was bronze? Mine are 2006 vintage.

Mine is vintage 2001 or 2002 and is bronze.

I think you will probably have to remove the motor to remove the coupling on the angle drive. Other than your limited access, disassembly was surprisingly easy.

If you have to remove the motor, I would consider a new set of brushes, blowing the carbon out, and checking for play in the bearings.

Ted