Bow Thruster oil...

[alt]

Not too sure what bow thruster I have, think it's a QL.

Anyhow, it takes oil. Today I opened up the spare container that came with the boat and it smells a lot like gear oil (that'd make sense).

Would any 75w-90 gear oil do, or is there some super dooper expensive oil I must use? (Like the Volvo supercharger oil... grrrr!)

 

[Portofino]

It's bog standard gear oil from a garage
Not the dear VP comp oil
You supposed to bleed it now and agian -assuming boat is out of the water - take cap off reservoir , then remove a prop and using a hex Allen key the bleed screw is at the lowest point under the gear casing , open this and " bleed" it .
Idea/ reason - is that if there is an airlock in the gear box then it will overheat and draw water back in through the saft seals = corrosion
You can tell by the death rattle sound of a bow thruster as the worn gears vibrate/ resonate arround the fibreglass .
Replacement gearbox € 800

 

[alt]

It's bog standard gear oil from a garage
Not the dear VP comp oil
You supposed to bleed it now and agian -assuming boat is out of the water - take cap off reservoir , then remove a prop and using a hex Allen key the bleed screw is at the lowest point under the gear casing , open this and " bleed" it .
Idea/ reason - is that if there is an airlock in the gear box then it will overheat and draw water back in through the saft seals = corrosion
You can tell by the death rattle sound of a bow thruster as the worn gears vibrate/ resonate arround the fibreglass .
Replacement gearbox € 800

Wowza, thanks for the info! I suspected it was just bog standard gear oil from the smell.

Re. bleeding 'remove a prop' - what do you mean by this? I assume when opening the allen key just bleed until oil starts to seep out?

Good info to know as boat will be coming out of the water next week for a while until the weather picks up.

Am I right in saying that the bow thruster consumes oil? Or should the reservoir just be filled and it stays full?

 

[aquapower]

If oil level is low you could have a leak, it shouldn't use any oil, most now are sealed and don't have the reservoir inside. Check for leak and repair if required.

 

[Portofino]

It's easier the get to the bleed screw with a prop off ( and the scrape/ clean/ antifoul) .
It should not consume oil- exept a little evaporation , so if you are topping up often its leaking out through the shaft seals - not good!
The reserviour is mounted higher - usually under a bunk so that gravity exerts a little pressure with a tendency to force fluid out if seals leak .
As mentioned disaster if water enters = slow noisy death by corrosion .

My Boat has same QL BP 350 from memory and I had to replace a gearbox due to this , lesson learnt .

 

[alt]

If oil level is low you could have a leak, it shouldn't use any oil, most now are sealed and don't have the reservoir inside. Check for leak and repair if required.

There is no leak, the reservoir on my boat is half full and has been since I bought it. I just saw an almost empty bottle of oil a storage compartment (presumably left overs from the original fill) and thought it was for topping up. I assumed it may 'consume' oil hence why there was some left in a bottle in the engine bay.

Thanks for letting me know that it shouldn't need to be topped up.

 

[LionsDen]

Not too sure what bow thruster I have, think it's a QL.

Anyhow, it takes oil. Today I opened up the spare container that came with the boat and it smells a lot like gear oil (that'd make sense).

Would any 75w-90 gear oil do, or is there some super dooper expensive oil I must use? (Like the Volvo supercharger oil... grrrr!)

Not sure what boat you have but the boat build manufacturer should provide the necessary info required.

This should also be found in the docs supplied with the boat trust this assists

 

[alt]

Not sure what boat you have but the boat build manufacturer should provide the necessary info required.

This should also be found in the docs supplied with the boat trust this assists

Hmm, I have a folder full of doc's that came with the boat sitting beside me, included in this is the documentation for the Bow Thruster.... I guess it would make sense if I read it

 

[VicS]

Hmm, I have a folder full of doc's that came with the boat sitting beside me, included in this is the documentation for the Bow Thruster.... I guess it would make sense if I read it

and you'll find that the oil is "bow thruster oil" !!

 

[LionsDen]

Hmm, I have a folder full of doc's that came with the boat sitting beside me, included in this is the documentation for the Bow Thruster.... I guess it would make sense if I read it

Princess supplied us with a flight case full off docs included everything except for the details off the supplier off the proverbial kitchen sink.

As they say in our business if in doubt read the manual

 

[CharlieAlpha]

and you'll find that the oil is "bow thruster oil" !!

But when you come to buy a bottle you will find its liquid gold, about £30 for a small bottle I seem to remember so if you could use the gear oil it might be cheaper.