Berkley or Legend

[nelsonf]

Greetings all I would like to ask a question about rebuilding Berkley jets. I have a Berkley 12JC that I think a bearing has gone bad (it has a very loud hum) it was just replaced before I bought the boat. My question is should I spend the money rebuilding (hoping the bowl & shaft are good) or should replace it. IM looking at the legend jets mostly because they are local and are mostly old Berkley people. Any info would be helpful

[james s]

I happen to be going through the exact same thing right now. I have an old JB pump on a 20ft Eliminator that was not only making noise, but was leaking terribly. I removed the whole unit and found no gaskets on any mating surfaces at all. Anyway, I researched between Berkeley and Legend and decided to buy the rebuild from Berkeley. They are reasonably priced, provide you with everything you need with different packages available. Berkeley is still local (Rohnert Park), which allows you to get the parts relatively quick. However, if you can afford to get a whole new unit, well....

[GlastronGuy]

"(it has a very loud hum)"
When do you hear the hum? idle, WOT, etc.

[nelsonf]

The loud hum is all of the above although it is very loud almost a whistle at WOT.thanks for the help

[Squirtcha?]

Is your pump cavitating or slipping when you do a full throttle take off? If there is no slip it would indicate that your impeller and wear ring are probably o.k. You may just have a thrust bearing going out. It's also possible that the hum you hear is just the normal noise of a pump spinning at several thousand RPM. How many other pumps have you had a chance to listen to? Thrust bearing problems (from my own experience) are best described as a rumble or rattling sound, not a hum. Alignment problems between pump, motor and ujoints can also make noise but typically disappears as RPM increases, (this is also more of a rumbling sound).

[nelsonf]

Thanks for the info Squirtcha. The boat leaves really hard but a little info about the noise when i first got the boat there was no noise but after using it a few times it started making noise the longer i used it. now it makes a very loud hum with a vibration all the time. I talked to a man about rebuilding the pump but he said if the shaft is bad it is very expensive to replace. So i was wondering if it would benefit if i just replaced it with a new pump looking for about 70 with a mild 455 Olds any info would be great thanks

[james s]

Does the vibration get worse as more load is applied?

[Blown509]

the thrust bearing is nothing more than a wheel bearing. if it makes noise as the RPM's incress it needs replacing. a new bearing is only $80. or so (parts) not that hard to R&R. but as for legend pumps they are said to be the best.

[Jeff]

Nelsonf:
The easist way too tell if your thrust bearing is the culprit is to get a wooden stick (5/8 dowel rod works great) and place it on the thrust bearing housing. Place the the other end on your ear. Have someone run the engine at idle and maybe 2500-3000 rpm. (Boat in water of course) (The stick will work as a stethoscope). Your bearing should have the same quote unquote smooth even whine to it. If the bearing is bad it will have a rough chattering uneven sound to it. Been through it myself.
Good luck let us know the results.
Jeff

[Squirtcha?]

Nelson
Have you been lubing the thrust bearing? This is done via the zerk fitting near the input shaft on top of the drive. This should be done at the very least, prior to each outing. Make it part of your preflight maintenance checks. It's possible that the noise you hear is the bearing gone dry, especially when you said it has gotten worse with each outing. If you continue to run it dry it will most certainly result in failure of the bearing and or shaft. Try giving it a few shots of grease and see if it quiets some. I'd hate to see you rebuild what might otherwise be a good pump, when all it needs is a bearing replaced. As Blown509 said, the bearing is cheap and easily replaced.

[nelsonf]

Thanks for all the help it is appreciated to answer your questions. James S & Blown 509,Yes it gets louder with RPM. Jeff, As for the bearing I can’t check it because I already took the engine out to rebuild. But I can tell you it was a loud constant vibration always the same (louder as RPM is increased). Squirtcha, I greased the bearing when I bought the boat and about every other time out and it just got worse. Thanks again for helping me out with this problem all the suggestions are helpful.

[Jeff]

Nelson:
One more thing to check is your U-joints. When you removed the engine did your U-joints move very freely? I mean very very freely. This will also make a horrible vibration and chattering sound. Look your U-joints over real close. I blew one out this past summer, had a dry socket. I thought I picked up a stick at first becouse of the way the pump was vibrating. Then used my wooden flag pole to listen to the thrust bearing housing, then listen to the bell housing. Noise was comming from the bellhousing. Only 7 miles to the trailer at 2mph is a long long way to go. Good Luck Let Us Know How You Come Out.
Jeff

[james s]

Hey Nelson,
I agree with Jeff. Sounds like you've got a u-joint assembly that's either failed or getting ready too. If you've got your engine pulled, I'd probably think about replacing it. That's about all that is left with the pump - not much else could make noise. Good luck!!!

[nelsonf]

I chacked the u joints they seem to be ok but i will change to be safe. Thanks for the info

[nelsonf]

Well i pulled the pump out this weekend and come to find out the pump is a 12JB. The rear bearing is wasted and the wear ring is not much better. I think that is where my problem is, So now the question is Rebuild or replace? Thanks for all the help.

[Jeff]

Nelson:
Glad to hear you found the problem. Have you looked into a complete rebuild kit yet? I run a Dominator pump and a rebuid kit for it runs ruffly $750 this price is a few years old but I don't think things have gone up that much. It includes new drive shaft, thrust bearing, tail bearing, seals, packing, impeller & wear ring. Evey thing you need to replace the internals of your pump with.
Good Luck let us know how you come out.
Jeff

[james s]

Good job. As stated before, I recently purchased a rebuild kit for my pump, which included everything you need. I ordered it online from www.cpperformance.com (http://www.cpperformance.com) - check them out. If you chose to get a rebuild from them, order the JG kit. Berkeley does not manufacture a kit for the B pump, however the G pump and kit are identical. Make sure to check your shaft, if you have grooves in it from the bearings, you may want to replace it as well. Good luck!!!

[Blown Budget]

I know you think you want to rebuild it yourself and when you think about it the pump is pretty simple right? I am a professional marine engine and systems guy so I felt the same way untillll.... I met the real pump guru. I would send the whole pump to Jack at Marine Performance Designs in Monrovia CA. I did with mine after an alum. impeller grenaded and ate into the suction piece on my JG. Jack will make your boat run better than it ever has even when new. With no other changes the work he did dropped my WOT rpm by 100 and picked up almost 15 mph. No kidding! Best investment I have made for more performance of any so far.
John