Berkeley Jet Drive seized

[eswarbrick]

i Just traded a truck for this boat so I have no history on the boat. Here is what I know...

It is a 1977 Tahiti Baja with a 460 Ford motor. It has a Berkeley Jet Dive model: 12JE-A, BM No. 6578, Serial No. 7554547.

The starter has a very hard time turning the engine over at all. It has a brand new fully charged battery. If I hook up a jumper box to it for some extra cranking power it will turn over. Once I get it cranking it cranks at normal speed but just as soon as the engine fires it hear a loud sound out of the jet drive.

It almost sound like a really loud squeak like something rubber is wedged in somewhere. No sooner than the engine fires it stops immediately.

It’s like something is seized up in the pump preventing the engine from turning.

i have never owned a jet boat before. I have owned many boats but all outboards and I/O’s, so I’m completely new to jet boats.

Do I need to disassemble this pump? What could I possibly be looking to replace? Is this a difficult job?

Thank you in advance for your help!!

 

[eswarbrick]

Also... I opened the clean out cap and I cannot see anything wedged in there anywhere, looks clean.

Also, there are new bolts on the pump indicating this has been very recently opened.

The previous owner claimed that the motor and jet pump were just rebuilt by a professional but he has not had it on the water yet.

however, I did not get the feeling he was being very honest, and he clearly did not know how to work on these things because there are many things not put together properly. The throttle cable for example was mounted backwards, so pressing the pedal closed the throttle plate lol. Makes me worry it was him that worked on the pump.

i still wanted the boat because the truck I traded was given to me so basically a free boat, and the engine appears to be good to go.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,...... There's various bearings in the pump, I suggest a tear down to see which are bad,.....

Don't keep runnin' it, you'll just destroy more parts,.....

 

[kenny nunez]

The problem you are describing may be the impeller binding inside the stainless wear ring. The best advice I can give is to remove the engine. The only ball bearing is in the front of the pump. With the engine out you will be able to turn the pump by hand, it should turn smooth, if not then there is a problem. There are 2 bushings in the rear of the bowl called “glacier” bearings. The pump is not hard to rebuild. While the engine is out take a close look at the oil pan, they are so close to the bilge that they rust really fast. I was a Berkeley Jet dealer for 30 years. Parts and technical support is easy to find. Also make sure that the stringers are solid. If your engine has a 3 point mounting system with weak stringers it is very possible for the engine to come loose and slide forward.
Never run the engine without having water also going into the pump to keep the impeller wet.
Get on the Performance Boats site. There is a section just for jet drives and a vender who can help.

 

[eswarbrick]

Great information! Thank you so much! I will report back when I find the culprit.