[Phillip]

Actually i was planning on asking you guys that question i was going to build a 15ft flattie race boat powered with a 3lt jap motor but im guessing this isnt the unit for that purpose. it just happened to be for sale but the seller isnt answering questions on it.

I was looking at a surface drive option but the Props can be expensive and tricky to get the right one.

Everyone else in NZ runs a Vdrive but i like to do things differently.

 

[Phillip]

Small Berkeley jet unit
Stainless Skattrack impeller. 14-16 5 inches.

Hope this image works just wondering if this is something similar to your discussions

On the unit; Berkeley Jet Drive, H-2317
ON the nozel The boldest number, N-GJACW .
Then Smaller: L 3857 Berkeley Jet drive also cast on the nozel. Hope this helps.

 

[Shaun]

I want to say that scat said with one of their impellers the pump would handle 80 HP. I'm wondering if you built a custom intake that a loader and shoe could be bolted too if these pumps would perform better and also handle more hp. I'm concerned though about the pump because the motor i'm building is going to put down 130 HP.

I've been starting to look at tigershark jet pumps and yamaha wave raider pumps. The wave raider 1100 engine put down 155HP so the pump should be able to handle my motor easy. Problem is that these pumps are longer, and the pump is not ment to be epoxy'd/bolted down the way i need/want to do it. They basically have two bolts in the front, and then on the back they are ment to bolt up against the top of the hull ( wave runner). Those pumps are 155mm while the berk looks to be around 120mm

 

[78_Tahiti]

Great thread Shaun, on a kool forgotten pump. Have you guys done any more on this project? really interested to see what comes of it.

 

[joshfish]

has anyone found anymore info on these pumps? i was looking at buying one to put in an aluminum boat with a jetski motor. the motor i have is about 80hp. i called cp and talked to someone there. he said that the pump could handle 80hp no problem as long as the pump had the bronze impeller. i then called scat and talked to glen. he said yes they still have the molds for the impellers. they are 120mm pump. glen said they use a kawaski js 440 impeller with american threads instead of metric. if someone wanted to they could take a js 440 impeller and rethread and use it. hesaid that when guys started putting more hp to these pumps they didnt hold up very well and advised me to use a yamaha jet ski pump instead. they have a 144mm and a 155mm pump. parts are readily available and the pump can handle way more hp.

 

[Ratchet]

Hi guys, I've just bought an 11-1/2' glass over ply, set up with a 6JA linked up to a merc 50hp motor. It's pretty much a bare hull with the motor and pump, but I'm looking at it as a project that I can have a little fun with.

Does anyone have any idea of how well these go with 50hp behind them? I'm not looking to break speed records, but a bit of get-up and go would be good...

 

[Shaun]

There is very little information out their on these pumps unfortunately and I still have yet to test the 3 pumps I have. From the info I've found it sounds pretty common that these pumps will move a small hull around 30 MPH in their stock form. Not sure what they will do with a skat impeller, or maybe even a custom loader and some how getting a shoe on it.

Another option I've really been looking into are pumps from the tigershark and Yamaha wave raider since those pumps intake housing is cast and not built into the hull like other PWC's. The biggest problem i have with these are the length of them and for my application they wont work in their stock form.

Hopefully one of these days i'll get some more time to work on my project.

 

[Ratchet]

It's funny you should mention the Tigershark pump - I rebuilt one from the 1000cc model two weeks ago, and the design definitely lends itself to being used in a small-hulled boat. I'm optimistic that what I've just bought will move along reasonably well, but I'll be sure to have a good look at the impeller design. Running a propeller shop certainly puts me in a good position for being able to source and customise something for that pump. I'll be sure to post updates as I work through the project.

 

[Shaun]

For me the biggest problem i have is space. I'm trying to stuff a V4 engine behind my pump and leave room for the driver My boat also is 10' long. If i had an extra 1.5ft I would be golden! If i remember correctly the reason i was looking at tigershark pumps was that they are 144mm pump were as these berks are quiet a bit smaller.

 

[Ratchet]

Okay, so I picked up the boat last weekend. The motor (Merc 50hp 4 cyl 2-stroke) looks like it's seen better days, so I can see a rebuild in its future. The jet unit itself looks to be pretty tidy. Turns relatively easily by hand, but there is a small scraping noise that I will need to investigate, so when I tear the unit down I'll make sure everything is ship-shape there.

Little bit disappointed to see it has the alloy impeller, but the boat itself weighs next to nothing (REALLY light glass over ply construction) so I'm hoping it will perform okay. I will need to remove the strakes (hunk of timer, not glassed, screws through the glass) and replace them, so I'll probably put another layer of glass over the whole hull (and some inside for additional strength)

I'm aiming to document this build as best as I can (I usually rip into a project and don't take any photos at all!) So I'll endeavour to post some updates for anyone interested.

 

[jetboatperformance]

For me the biggest problem i have is space. I'm trying to stuff a V4 engine behind my pump and leave room for the driver My boat also is 10' long. If i had an extra 1.5ft I would be golden! If i remember correctly the reason i was looking at tigershark pumps was that they are 144mm pump were as these berks are quiet a bit smaller.

Shaun why not set the little jet back a bit ? just curious

 

[shakescreek]

Anybody ever try a cog belt drive for a jet. That would let you get your motor back further and add the option of playing with different gear ratios to fine tune the rpm without changing impellers. Engine would have to sit substantially higher though.

 

[Ratchet]

For me the biggest problem i have is space. I'm trying to stuff a V4 engine behind my pump and leave room for the driver My boat also is 10' long. If i had an extra 1.5ft I would be golden! If i remember correctly the reason i was looking at tigershark pumps was that they are 144mm pump were as these berks are quiet a bit smaller.

What motor are you using for your jet? I've started stripping down the Merc, and discovered a few little 'foibles' that come with running a 2 stroke outboard horizontally, and was considering changing motors.

 

[Shaun]

Shaun why not set the little jet back a bit ? just curious

I though about that and thats what i will have to do, problem is that this pump is short and if i set it back 6" that would be half the pump sticking out the back! Also their is no intake on these, they just boat right to the hull. I though about the possibility of making one that could be setup for a shoe/loader/rideplate this would help move the pump back while at the same time allow more area to grab the hull. I've had all kinds of ideas, if i can actually implement any of them will be another thing Another idea i had was to build a POD like the SWTD.

Anybody ever try a cog belt drive for a jet. That would let you get your motor back further and add the option of playing with different gear ratios to fine tune the rpm without changing impellers. Engine would have to sit substantially higher though.

The 5J i believe was originally hooked to the engine by a chain system. When i was first doing research on stuff I did try to find a few systems but they all were pretty expensive. I'll check into the cog though.

What motor are you using for your jet? I've started stripping down the Merc, and discovered a few little 'foibles' that come with running a 2 stroke outboard horizontally, and was considering changing motors.

It's a Ford V4 out of a Saab sonnet. My goal with this project is to make a mini hotboat, engine sticking out, over transom headers, etc. Problem i'm having with this deal is that parts are hard to find and expensive! also not a lot of knowledge out their on them.

 

[shakescreek]

"The 5J i believe was originally hooked to the engine by a chain system. When i was first doing research on stuff I did try to find a few systems but they all were pretty expensive. I'll check into the cog though."

Check out the Gates Poly Chain GT Carbon line of belts. I think I am going to switch my 18 1/2' welded aluminum riverboat over to a cog belt drive using a Poly chain GT Carbon belt and see how it works. Should give me quite a bit more room in the boat. Search for "blower drives" and you'll find lots of sources for belts and aluminum sprockets. The pulleys/sprockets should run about $130 each and the belt about $175-$200 for my apllication. I'm running a 4cyl diesel with about 250 hp.

 

[Ratchet]

Just put in an order for a Kawasaki 440 S/S impeller today, and checked with the machinist who does our impeller and wear-rings, so by the end of the build my pump will have a nice stainless wear-ring and a brand-spanking new impeller, letting me run a heap more hp than the standard pump so I can look a little further afield than the Merc 50 if I need to - was considering a GSXR-400 @ 59hp as a possibility. I'm working on the theory that I can pin the gearbox in the right gear to give me the correct RPM for the pump, and install a heat exchanger in place of the radiator to keep the thing cool.

That and an Arrows exhaust would make it one of the more unusual sounding things around here....

 

[Ratchet]

Pulled the Merc to pieces week before last. Not pretty inside - corrosion in the water jacket was to the point where one of the pits in #2 cylinder looked like it could burn through pretty easily. Boat motor is now boat anchor.

Plan B:

Located a Honda VFR400 motor - 60hp V4, all electrics including dash and CDI unit. Plan will be to install the engine, couple the output shaft to the impeller shaft via a toothed drive belt, select the right gear to get the correct pump RPM and GO FOR IT!

 

[Shaun]

n/m re-read what you said, looks like the tranny is on it. These vfr400 engines, or even the 700/800 models look pretty good. Wonder how hard it would be to get ride of the tranny on them, just hack it off and weld up the side.

 

[bartel]

I just started the same type of project. I started a thread in the jet boat section. Anyway my plan was to combine my Yamaha waverunner with a VW invader. But the jet ski drive train is 55 inches long and that puts the motor in the driver seat. Anyway I am looking for one of these small berms if u can spare one. And do u got any advice before I start?

 

[WizardJet]

I found this on the net, it looks like these pumps where used in the first Seadoo's. The 6ja model had a whoping 25.3HP motor butted up to it. Ran 6000RPM.

The 5J5 model had a 18HP motor connected to it and ran 6000 RPM. The 5j5 pump was driven by a timing belt.

I was reading your post about these older berkeley pumps for a mini jet boat and I have a similar situation with the mini jet boat that has an old pump manufactured by Doen. Although Doen is still in business, they do not manufacture the pump that I have nor will they provide the specs. The pump and intake is one housing similar to the small old Berkeley pump that you have been discussing on this feed years ago. Do you think the small berkeley pump would be a good replacement considering the location of the intake? My boat has an L14 Datsun pushing about 85hp. Or, should I go with a jetski pump such as the wave raider ?
Thanks,
Ian