Sleipner SR & SR-IP Retractable Thrusters — Installation & User Manual

Product Specifications

• Maximum operation time: S2 motor at 2 – 3 min. duty cycle at 20°C ambient temperature. Thrust is quoted with the voltage measured at the motor terminals while the thruster runs.
• SRV300 installation manual: maximum operating voltage 48VDC; thrust 340 kg /749 lbs at 48VDC and 300 kg /661 lbs at 42VDC; typical boat size 22m - 30m (72ft - 100ft); twin counter-rotating propellers.
• The SR80 & SR100 and SRL/SRV 80–100 installation manuals print the 80 weight as 31 kg / 61 lbs; the user manual gives 31 kg / 68 lbs.
• Housings and SRF flanges (SRF-185-GRP, SRF-250-GRP, SRF-300-GRP, SRF-386-GRP) are polyester: use sealants, adhesives and bonding material compatible with your hull and with polyester.

Electronic control unit 150000 (SRL / SRV models)

Installation Key Points

• The hatch must always open towards the bow. Allow a minimum of 100mm clear space around the thruster for moulding the flange, plus room for future service.
• Bow installation: on the keel centre line and as far forward as the minimum tunnel depth allows. Stern installation: may be offset from the centre line to clear propellers, trim tabs and rudders, and must not conflict with the propellers or their water trail (consult a naval architect).
• Never modify hull stiffeners or stringers to fit the thruster.
• Sandwich hulls: remove inner laminate and core to expose the outer laminate with a minimum 100mm clearance around the flange, then reinforce with several bonding layers.
• SR80 & SR100 hatch: cut at 45° on three sides and 30° on the bow face so water forces on the closed hatch go into the hull, not the thruster.
• Pre-check before moulding: the hatch must open fully without touching the hull and close with pressure on the hatch/hull contact surfaces only. If not, raise the stern end of the housing on wedges, record the height and keep the wedges for moulding.
• Paint the inside of the retract housing with anti-fouling, but not the drive shaft. Anti-foul the gear leg and propeller, never the anodes, seals or propeller shaft.
• Motor to bracket: align couplings and drive shafts, solenoid facing the longer length of the housing (SR80/100); tighten the 4 bolts to 33 Nm (24 lb/ft). The propeller must turn by hand afterwards.
• A motor installed more than 30 degrees off vertical needs separate support (never on the motor cap). SRL/SRV: the gap between the two shaft-coupling halves should be approximately 2mm.
• SR80 & SR100: the retract mechanism cable goes to the ACTUATOR socket and the motor cable to the MOTOR socket of the 6 1242 Retract Thruster Controller – swapping them damages the controller.
• Keep the motor covered during any fabrication work and remove the cover before running the thruster. Never run the thruster out of water.

Electrical Reference Guide

Power cable cross sections (mm² and AWG, minimum and recommended) are tabulated by total cable length, from <7m up to 36–45m (total + & -), in each installation manual. Total length runs from the battery positive via fuse, main switch and motor back to the battery negative.

• Use slow-blow fuses rated to hold the nominal current for minimum 5 minutes. Fit the fuse and a main switch on the positive cable, as close as possible to the battery, with the main switch easy to reach.
• Dual thrusters on one battery bank: a dedicated Automatic Main Switch (AMS) with fuse, or manual main switch and fuse, for each thruster, close to the battery bank. The AMS needs its own fused supply (5A fuse in the wiring diagrams) and switches on and off with the control panel.
• Motor lugs: M8 nut max 13Nm (9.59lb/ft), M10 nut max 23Nm (16.96lb/ft). Lug faces back to back, no washers between lugs (overheating and fire risk), spring washer in the outer position.
• With the main switch off, check with an ohmmeter that there is no connection between the motor flange and either motor terminal.
• S-Link: blue-ended BACKBONE cables, green-ended SPUR cables (one per connected unit), one POWER cable protected with a 2A fuse (ideally mid-backbone), an END Terminator at each end. Consult your distributor if the backbone exceeds 100 meters.
• Lithium batteries can supply more than the rated voltage of ON/OFF thrusters: running above rated voltage reduces operating time, increases wear and voids the warranty.

Operation & Panel Alarms

1. Turn on the main power switch for the thruster (always off when you leave the boat).
2. Press both "ON" buttons together: the thruster deploys. Flashing green = deploying, solid green = deployed and ready, solid yellow = panel on.
3. Push the button or joystick in the direction you want the bow/stern to move; release shortly before the boat reaches position, as it keeps moving.
4. Press "OFF": the thruster retracts (flashing red during the retract phase); all LEDs go out when shut down.

• Forward or reverse speed must not exceed 4 knots when operated; above 1–2 kn the thruster has little steering effect.
• Maximum continuous run time is approximately 3 minutes; a thermal cut-off stops the motor when it overheats.
• The thruster will not retract while reversing at high speed ("Retract operation obstructed" alarm): reduce speed and press both ON buttons before retrying OFF.
• Two panels giving conflicting directions at the same time: the thruster will not run.
• Never store gear in the thruster compartment, never run near swimmers, and turn off the main switch before touching the thruster. Use caution near the hatch: the retract mechanism closes with high force.
• Ignition Protected (IP) assemblies must never be disassembled.

8700 panel alarm codes

150000 Controller: Alignment, DIP Switches & LEDs

1. Check alignment: power the thruster and S-Link, set the DIP switches to normal operation and turn the panel on. The thruster deploys; the pointer on the actuator lever arm must align with the mark on the nut. If it does, turn the panel off.
2. If not: select Service Mode with the DIP switches and align the arrow with the calibration mark using the UP/DOWN buttons.
3. Select Sensor Calibration Mode, press and hold UP and DOWN until the STATUS LED lights green (a red FAULT LED means a wrong align mark).
4. Select Operation Mode: the thruster retracts.

• DIP switch 1: OFF with two actuators, ON with one actuator. DIP switch 2: ON only with P8 type actuators (plastic cap at the back for manual adjustment, P8 sticker or label). A rattling noise as the door closes with switch 2 ON means the actuator is not P8: set it OFF.
• Continuous red: motor or controller over-temp, no controller communication, motor relay failure, low battery voltage, position sensor failure, no power to actuators, retractable unit failure, temp sensor open circuit.
• Fast-blinking red: DIP switch in an invalid position. Short red flash every 2 seconds: shaft not calibrated or out of range.
• Continuous green: normal or service mode, or re-calibrated "down" position. Flashing green: no S-Link communication.

Basic Troubleshooting

SR Vertical Drive Shaft Replacement

1. Turn the thruster on to open the hatch, hit the main switch while it is open so it cannot close, then turn off all power.
2. Remove the motor, the actuator cover, the actuator split pins and pin, the circlip and the shaft key.
3. Bend up the washer clips, unscrew the retract arm bolts both sides, remove the hatch pins and the hatch assembly, then the retract arm side shaft.
4. Swing the retract assembly down and back, remove the old drive shaft and spring seal and carefully remove the ceramic seal from the gear leg.
5. Oil the new spring seal and the ceramic seal contact faces with gear oil SAE EP90 80-90, fit the combined ceramic and rubber seal into the gear leg and fill the gear leg with the same oil to just below the white ceramic seal.
6. Feed the new shaft up through the motor bracket and reassemble in reverse order: side shaft, washer clips and bolts, hatch, pins and split pins, actuator pin, circlip and key, actuator cover, motor.