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Thread: The beginning of undrestanding

  1. #1
    Zoom Daddy
    Good afternoon. I have been reading you folks for a couple of weeks now and think that I may be starting to understand just what I have gotten myself into.... :jawdrop:
    The Berkly JG should be;
    Lubed with exotic (cus she is special) grease at the thrust bearing.
    Lubed with 90 w lower lube at the boal. (currently has a zerk and a plug)
    Lubed at the U joints with the exotic stuff.
    and whistles, vibes, and other noises are to be investigated via the thrust bearing first.
    Am I following this correctly?

  2. #2
    SmokinLowriderSS
    Yea, you've got a pretty good handle on it. Any good waterproof (preferably marine) bearing grease will do for the thrust bearing, DuaneHTP can set you up with what he reccomends (& I use) for a non-exotic outlay of $$$
    http://hi-techperformance.com/
    I personally use 85W-140 in my rear bowl bearings because it is what I use on all my vehicles (Mystic JT-7). I'd reccomend treating both of these after every trip to the lake (or weekend trip anyhow)
    The u-joints on the coupler are probably less likely to encounter water seepage than your thrust bearing is but, why not keep it simple and put a squeeze or 2 in them every year of the same stuff.
    Vibrations are usually an object (rock,stick, rope) lodged in the impeller/arround the shaft. also causes cavitation which ruins thrust. Dents & dings on the impeller face causes cavitation, reducing thrust and increases RPM. AExcessive gap from impeller to wear ring allows water to flow from the high-pressure section to the low-pressure intake section (blowby of sorts) which reduces thrust. I run a polyurethane wear ring from DuaneHTP and could NOT be happier. Other vibrations, noises, etc, will usually come from the thrust bearing. If it fails completely, your shaft slides fwd to bottom out on your coupler then pushes with hundrede of pounds of force on your crankshaft thrust bearing (can't say enough how VERY BAD this is) so strange behavior needs to be checked out promptly. It cost a guy on the Taylor Boats Roost Board his crank recently, another guy his suction piece as the impeller literally ate it moving fwd.
    I am running a Berk "F" with factory trim nozzle which has only been rebuilt 3 times since 1978 ('79 by DuaneHTP, '90, and this coming fall/winter (to match recent engine upgrades, budget causing delay). She has behaved flawlessly other than my digesting far to much sand 1 DAY(!) in '90 and grinding the front 1/4" off my impeller against the wear ring. (The gap should be measured in thousandths, not quarters of an inch) They are a very easy drive to care for and mine has not even had the greatest care in recent years untill it passed from Dad's hands to mine 2 years ago.\
    Best of future fun and fortune to you. :clover: :shift:

  3. #3
    Zoom Daddy
    Thanks for the conformation.
    My background is not in boats but I don't need to look hard to spot square port heads and external balancers.
    The previous owner (original) used marine grease on the bowl.
    Should I be concerned? Tear it down this winter or run it (as was the plan before I found this site) until proof of need arises?
    The reason for the search for info is she whistled last time out.
    It sounded like a vacuum leak. Upon inspection I discovered that the spark arrestor was filthy and the vent breather has a type of vent that is connected to the exhaust manifold.
    Cleaned the arrestor, un-kinked the vent hose, greased the bearings. And will listen tomorrow at the lake.

  4. #4
    BigBlockBaja
    I wish I learned as fast as Zoom Daddy. It took me years to gain that information...

  5. #5
    Zoom Daddy
    I can’t remember if it was the used throughout bearing or the discovery that reverse is lower than first (should make better burnouts). Maybe two drive shafts, four M-21s, six clutches, two third members, all on one set of tires are making me want to keep the toy for the rest of the family in one piece (the jet is safer for the kids to be around)
    I just don’t want to tear up something that is so dependent on the seasons and weather.

  6. #6
    clownpuncher
    Dammit. Here's a stupid question.....................
    How do you grease the thrust bearing? I've done all the other stuff meticulously.

  7. #7
    Zoom Daddy
    The only stupid question is one not asked.... been a shoprat for thirty years.
    The exploded diagrams at this site will show you where the thrust bearing is in relation to the jet housing and the engine.The grease point is on the top of the saddle.
    http://www.cpperformance.com/TechTips/bjd-manual.htm
    The reason for the concern of the thrust bearing is that the saddle that it rides in is cast into the jet's main body.
    Any damage would require replacement and is seems that the jets are like Ford FE blocks, slowly evaporating, and should be preserved.

  8. #8
    clownpuncher
    Never mind Looking at the exploded diagram I know I do that too. Dont' know WTF I was thinking.

  9. #9
    SmokinLowriderSS
    It is truly a shame that Jets are no longer the popular machine they once were. I do think they got put in a few heavier platforms where they weren't as well utilized as other drives and so hurt their potential. They have become a niche item, and I intend to stay right here in the niche I enjoy so much. Light boats, big, thumping, powerful engines (what the heck is this "4.3L" toy thing?) :wink: and acceleration that is more than impressive. I haven't had a single friend who has ridden in Lowrider over the years that hasn't been bitten by the "gottahaveone" bug. My Taylor is a good-looking family lake boat that does a great job pulling anything (tubes, skiiers, broken boats, Lice) but she has a lot of muscle hiding out under her upholsterd sundeck/engine cover and is ready to fly at a moment's notice if "provoked". :2purples:

  10. #10
    BigBlockBaja
    Very nicely said low rider...

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