QL bow thruster parts?

[Charliemciver]

Hi,

I have a QL BP900 bow thruster.

For some reason the drive shaft from the motor down to the gearbox broke (none of the shear pins went!!!?).

I can't find anyone selling the shaft... Anyone know any vendors?

And looks like I have to remove it from the bottom while out the water? Anyone think it can be done from above?

Thanks

Charlie


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[Konny]

I've got the same bow thruster and the same problem. Mine is on my 2006 38' Silverton Sport Bridge. Thruster has hardly been used at all when I got the boat. Boat has extremely low hours.
When it happened to me last year, I had 2 new shafts custom fabricated. Stronger material. Over the winter when my boat was out of the water, my techs put in one new shaft. This season, after just a couple of uses, it stopped working again. This time the shear pin failed. That didn't require the boat to come out of the water and it was easily replaced. But then this week it stopped working again! Took off the motor unit and discovered that the new shaft broke, AND while the shear pin was intact, there were shear pin shavings everywhere. This QL bow thruster is a POS. No wonder QL went out of business.
I'm not going to replace the shaft because apart from the expense (even though I have another shaft), the shaft and shear pin will fail again. The mechanical and electrical design of the QL unit is so poor it's amateurish. The motor needs a better coupling to the shaft, and more importantly, it needs an electrical solution that allows the motor to accelerate and decelerate rather that hit the shaft instantaneously with raw full power.
At this point, I'm searching for another solution to this problem, and open to suggestions. One thing I'll try is giving SidePower a call and seeing if they have any suggestions short of replacing the entire system.

[Charliemciver]

Hey,

Yeah, I eventually replaced mine with a Side Power one and so far very happy - a lot more effective and quiet,

I did manage to sell the broken QL model on ebay for parts for about £80!!!!

The Side power went in nicely into the same tunnel and also I could have re-used the wiring and button unit - but in the end used the new one.

Good luck!

[Konny]

Cool. Thanks for the note.
Good luck with it!

[beegee]

Charlie
I have just (today !) repaired a drive shaft on a QL bow thruster on a friends Sealine 42.
The shaft had brocken just at the drive tang ,shear pins OK ?
We had the boat lifted as it would appear that it could not be removed.
However after removing the gearbox I found that if the large circlip is removed the shaft can be lifted out .As the shaft had brocken flush with the bearing there is no way of getting a grip of the bearing,there is a small circlip either side of the bearing so the bearing must come out.I managed to grind 2 small notches in the bronze gear housing (Dremel) so as to remove the bearing and shaft.
Once out I machined a new upper part of the shaft and tig welded it on to the part with the spline on .This was completed today 13th march 2016.and it works
still cant see why it broke in the first place.
any more info contact me

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Konny & Beegee.

[thomas311]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and I found this thread.
I just replaced my QL bow thruster due to the same issue of a broken drive shaft. I decided not to repair but replace it with a Sidepower.
Is anyone interested in all or some of the other parts which are in perfect functional condition: motor, gear housing, props, joystick?
My exact thruster model is a BP800V which is not to be confused with the BP800 (mine has the same gear as the BP900, not belt driven, but direct).
Let me know. Everything negotiable.
Cheers
Thomas

[Turbo Noise]

I just joined this forum to look for solutions to a QL bow thruster issue.

As we were docking this morning it sounded very different and thrust was mostly gone - I assume it is the shaft breakage issue.
What Side Power thruster did you replace your QL with? Did it take much modification?

Thanks.

[Charliemciver]

Hi,

From the recieipt its an SE100/185T - they guy who sold it to me was extremely helpful about ensuring it was as close of a match as possible.

I paid someone to fit the mechanics of it, but don't think it took any real modification to fit.

He said the toughest part was getting the old QL one out cleanly.

For me this is one of those jobs below the waterline was money well spent for someone else to do. I hooked it up electrically.

A season and a half later still very happy with it...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Thomas, & Turbo Noise.

[thomas311]

Just like Charliemciver I replaced my QL with a Sidepower SE100/185T. This was the closest I could find to my QL and has a good reputation. Both use a 90mm tube, so no modification necessary there. The amount of space the motor uses is almost the same. The power wiring in my boat was a match too. 3 things I had to take care of: First the Sidepower control stick has one more wire in the cord than the QL. Hence you need to run the new control wire, which is easy, but depending on the boat a bit painful. Second the drill pattern of the gearbox into the tube is slightly different. I had it glassed and re-drilled. Third: the main fuse of the Sidepower is bit stronger (325AMP instead of 300AMP). I had it hauled out and let my boat yard do the tube and gear mounting job (I don't like to mess with things which could sink my boat). I did all the electrical myself because I'm good at this stuff. I also purchased the thruster myself. Best rate I could find was at defender. Hope that helps.

[thomas311]

@GordMay: Thank you!

[Turbo Noise]

Thank you thomas311, GordMay & Charliemciver!

Very helpful info. I expect to buy the SE80 model. Have to make sure I have package space down there. I'm going to try to make it to the end of the season without a thruster and have the yard help with the work. I have to change out my radio as well so will do both at the same time since we need to route a new control cable.

Regards

[andypne60]

Originally Posted by Charliemciver

Hi,

From the recieipt its an SE100/185T - they guy who sold it to me was extremely helpful about ensuring it was as close of a match as possible.

I paid someone to fit the mechanics of it, but don't think it took any real modification to fit.

He said the toughest part was getting the old QL one out cleanly.

For me this is one of those jobs below the waterline was money well spent for someone else to do. I hooked it up electrically.

A season and a half later still very happy with it...

Hi Charlie,
I'm a fellow Gosport berthholder with, I think, the identical problem on a QL BP900 on the same size of boat.
This is all really helpful on this thread - I know its all a bit historic now but can you let me know your thoughts on the following please (PM is fine if you prefer)
1/ were you tempted at all to buy the smaller SE80 to save a few quid? I would also err on the more powerful model myself but just wondered if you got advice that the larger one was the right choice?
2/ where did you buy the thruster and did they sell just the parts actually needed (e.g. not a new tunnel as presumably the existing QL one is fine, and not the new wiring and switches etc as old ones still ok?)
3/ who did the fitting for you?
Its a pain this has happened now as I wasnt planning a lift for another 5 or 6 months yet!
Cheers
Andy

[Charliemciver]

Hi Andy, sorry just saw this...

1. Was not tempted by smaller. Had already struggled in blowy conditions! No brainer!

2. Sleipner In Devon. Shipped it. Sold me just the motor no tunnel. Did sell me the switch as it comes with it, but it was time for a new one anyway.

3. JJ at Mechanical Services in Portland. Everything he’s done was awesome for me.