Repair of Vetus TSL124A Bow Thruster on a marine trader

[billfromport]

The Vetus bow thruster on my Marine trader has stopped working, I believe the brushes on the bow thruster are bad and need to be replaced and the split ring needs cleaned needs to be cleaned up. It slowly kept getting worse and the contactor appears to work. Click in both directions

Has anyone removed the motor and had it sent out to a local repair shop to be rebuilt?

How hard is it to remove and has anyone attempted it. The boat is out of the water and I hope to start working on it next week.

Thanks for you help

Bill T

 

[Comodave]

In addition to those things, I would check every electrical connection in the thruster path for looseness and corrosion.

 

[PMF1984]

Bill,

I had my Vetus out about two years ago. What a PIA.

It’s just 4 bolts. (Except they are usually placed where they are hard to get to.)

While you are there, check the wire size to the battery. Often a problem.

Take the solenoid in to the motor shop too. They can check that out.

 

[billfromport]

I checked cleaned and checked all the electrical connections and the battery tested and everything was good. So I think it is the motor brushes.

Thanks for the feedback

 

[billfromport]

Bill,

I had my Vetus out about two years ago. What a PIA.

It’s just 4 bolts. (Except they are usually placed where they are hard to get to.)

While you are there, check the wire size to the battery. Often a problem.

Take the solenoid in to the motor shop too. They can check that out.

Thanks for the information. Since you live in Mass who fif you have looked at the motor and contactor?

 

[Cold Duck]

I checked cleaned and checked all the electrical connections and the battery tested and everything was good. So I think it is the motor brushes.

Thanks for the feedback

Did you check that you are getting voltage to the thruster motor especially thru the solenoids? If you have good voltage at thruster motor when you switch port/stbd then you might be looking at the brushes. Looking at your configuration I would try to install brushes with the thruster in place. It's just like a starter motor on a car, not that hard. If armature is bad then you would need a rebuild. Also, try moving the thruster by hand and then try applying voltage. It may be just sitting on a bad section of the armature. It that's the issue you might be able to clean the spaces between the contacts on the armature without removing the motor but most likely a bad spot means rebuilding it.

 

[billfromport]

i hope to get down there next week. The boat is in Newburyport mass in the yard. I live up in the north country of nh in the winter. i'm going to call a local motor repair house to see if they can rebuild if it gets into that.

Thanks for your sugestions and I'll try them shortly.

 

[C lectric]

Brushes can get stuck and not make contact with the armature. Sometimes a sharp rap with a wooden block will jar a stuck brush loose so it makes contact.

A warning though, that is not a fix. It is a warning the unit needs some help.
It still means the motor must come off and the sticky brush holder cleaned up if the brush is still serviceable.


Don't assume the contactor/direction control is OK. They have contacts inside that burn a bit every time you operate the thruster. Eventually they simply quit making the needed contact.