Thrust Bearing Question

[thinkblue83]

I have a 21 foot Ultra with a Dominator 12-S setback pump. The thrust bearing appears to be in need of replacement and I need advice on replacement. I called American Turbine and they said that starting in 1998 they began putting in a higher performance bearing in comparison to the standard thrust bearing used by all Berkeley pumps since the 60's, my pump is a 97' so it as the regular thrust bearing and they recommended putting in the higher performance bearing kit. The price difference is approx $340 to $80. Stage-1 blueprint was done by Jack McClure at MPD and he recommends the standard bearing.
What do you guys think?
Appreciate the advice, thanks

[sleekvino]

I have a 21 foot Ultra with a Dominator 12-S setback pump. The thrust bearing appears to be in need of replacement and I need advice on replacement. I called American Turbine and they said that starting in 1998 they began putting in a higher performance bearing in comparison to the standard thrust bearing used by all Berkeley pumps since the 60's, my pump is a 97' so it as the regular thrust bearing and they recommended putting in the higher performance bearing kit. The price difference is approx $340 to $80. Stage-1 blueprint was done by Jack McClure at MPD and he recommends the standard bearing.
What do you guys think?
Appreciate the advice, thanks
if it was me and jack said do it, enough said!!!!:D :D :idea:

[Cas]

if it was me and jack said do it, enough said!!!!:D :D :idea:
yep, I'm real sure Jack knows his sh!t! Hell, he's probably been rebuilding pumps longer than Dom or AT have been around :D

[Jet Hydro]

I use the standard bearing in all the pumps I rebuild

[thinkblue83]

Thanks for the help, appreciate the advice:

[RCB19]

What ever you do don't skimp out for a cheap ass bearing. You can cause more damage than you could ever imagine to pump and motor with a shitty bearing. Chances are you have a ZKL bearing in there which is a cheapo. Stay away from them.

[Daytona100]

I agree.:D

[Rondane]

Chances are you have a ZKL bearing in there which is a cheapo. Stay away from them.
what makes any bearing any better and how do you know this? Are you a metallurgist? Does it say " made in china" or does it say new zealand? As long as it's installed right and it greased(with the right grease) as it should, how does it go bad? I've seen quite a few of those bearings behind some good HP and they arent worried and furthermore never had a problem yet. :confused: Kinda like turbine telling the man he needs a $340 upgrade on a bearing to replace one thats been around for years.
rondane

[Duane HTP]

Price is not the only concern when it comes to a thrust bearing. And when it comes to the thrust capabilities of a bearing, ZKL is about second from the top in thrust capabilities. I have never had a bearing failure that I know of since I started using ZKL bearings. ( but, experiences between people vary).
The type of grease used has more to do with the life of the bearing than anything.
The High Performance bearing that ATJ uses is a very good bearing. It is a pre loaded THRUST bearing. It just takes a longer time to set it up correctly, and it requires some special made spacers, (which we make), to run a Jetaway with it. But, They DO HANDLE the HORSE POWER!
And here's some new information for Rondane. After quite an extensive research several years ago, we learned that there are 134 variations of the bearing that will fit our jet pumps. There are only about 8 or 9 of that 134 that are really suited for using in a thrush application such as a jet pump.
By the way, The ATJ HP bearing is part # B1107 and lists for $118.77, (NOT $340.00). See it here;
http://www.americanturbine.com/
Look under prices, then click on bearings.

[Jet Hydro]

Chances are you have a ZKL bearing in there which is a cheapo. Stay away from them. I use the ZKL bearings, whats wrong with em? To this date I have never had one problem. I even have one in my SJ (Big heavy Boat) with about 800hp.
I dont know what Duane put in my Hydro`s pump but I`ll take a guess and say it was a ZKL and it`s been in there for the last 4 years.

[bakerjet]

i had a fairly new zkl go bad on me and i kept it lubed, but i think it was probabley damaged when it was pressed on and that is probabley what happens to alot of premature failures....but i went back with a Koyo.

[American Turbine Man]

We spend about $60.00 more per jet to use the QJ style bearing. After changing to the QJ bearing in 1998 our thrust bearing warranties were a thing of the past. The QJ style bearing is rated for 35% more load. Also if it does fail it is less likely to tear up expensive parts.
"Kinda like turbine telling the man he needs a $340 upgrade on a bearing to replace one thats been around for years.
rondane"
You can buy the cheap bearing a hope it holds up, if it doesn't then you will be calling for some very expensive parts. How did that old ad go "you can pay me now or pay me later"
ATM

[Jet Hydro]

but i think it was probabley damaged when it was pressed on and that is probabley what happens to alot of premature failures....
:idea: There you go right there!
I just did one tonight for a guy that tried to DIY and he knew he screwed up the bearing so he brought it to the shop to have it done right.
He asked me what I run in my boats and I told em the ZKL has worked for me :D