Last fall, we pulled a routine oil sample from the Zeus Pods on this 2016 Eastbay 49 and found water. This led our team to dig deeper. After removing the pods, our technician discovered scoring on the shafts, further confirming water intrusion. The service manger and boat owner then discussed the economics of rebuilding vs replacing the pods; the owner opted to replace them.

Continuing with the preventative maintenance theme, the owner also authorized a 1,000-hour service on all of the boat’s cooler systems. The heat exchangers, charge air coolers, as well as oil and fuel coolers, were removed, inspected, cleaned, painted, and resealed as needed. The exhaust elbows were also inspected, as they had already been removed in order to reach the pods.

With clear access all around, our tech was also able to clean and service the steering and trim tab actuators, and replace the seals responsible for separating fluid types. It’s important for these seals to remain fully functional; if they fail, steering fluid can enter the gear lube cavity. When the capacity of that chamber is exceeded, the fluid has nowhere to go – except all over the engine room!

Needless to say, preventive maintenance is preferable to engine room cleanup or, worse, complete engine failure.