Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

[Part-time]

I found a jacuzzi jet drive for sale localy. asking price is $250
it's from a j craft, it's complete from the BBC adapter to the back, transom mount, everything.
I was told that they're not as good as a Berkeley, but are they still an "OK" drive?
I'm modifying a boat to go play in the shalows and rapids and I was thinking using a surface drive (prop) with rudders but for $250, can I go wrong?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Howdy,


I didn't know much about surface drives until I did a little reading. I thought they were mostly confined to SE Asia!

Google is your "Friend" here!

A jet drive is great where you don't have a LOT of debris. But the water inlet on a jet drive or jet-outboard can be plugged up pretty badly in places where a surface-drive can run pretty much un-"fazed".

I guess you'll have to decide which one is better for what you want to do... There's some pretty cool surface drives out there with good engines on them! http://www.godevil.com/index.html

There's nothing 'wrong' with a Jacuzzi jet.

Parts are still available for both Jacuzzi and Berkeley (and Hamilton)

http://www.berkeleyjet.com/

http://www.marinejet.com/

http://www.hamiltonjet.com/


I can't tell you if $250 is "good". It's going to cost you a LOT more than $250 by the time you get a complete running jet drive in any boat!

You're comparing apples to oranges I think though.... The jet you're talking about is more suited to a 300+ HP BBC and most of those surface drives are small potatoes (small under 50hp air-cooled engines) on small "skiff" type boats.....unless you're considering cobbling together a homemade surface drive with a BIG V-8 in there!

Good luck!!


Rick

 

[Part-time]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

This is the type of surface drive I was refering too. But everything I found so far is insanely expensive.
They throw a wicked roost as well!!!

 

[QC]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Yeah, I think the confusion of a surfacing drive in a jet drive question needs to go away. Surfacing drives like that are not intended for shallows.

I think $250 for a Jacuzzi is fine. Hard to find a lot of comps, just depends on if you want it. Jets are very simple and I can't see how you would really tell the difference in use. Yes, more parts available for the Berkley, but I still think this is not really the same as comparing say a Merc Alpha to A Stringer. Good luck!!

 

[Tahorover]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Arena Craft made surface drives runabouts in the 70's. Not much different in the hardware dept than a standard inboard.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

surfacing drives like that are not intended for shallows.

yeah!! No kidding

That one is a racing type surface drive.

 

[Part-time]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Well, I ended up getting the jet drive and decided it was going in the sea-sprite deck boat.
All that left to do is find a BBC to power it and I know just where to get one...

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

That is a Jacuzzi WJ. You did OK on that drive if it is in good shape. The after market support for the WJ is not there. For that reason replacement parts are expensive. Many people convert them with an energier kit simple because of the cost of original WJ parts. iboats is a great board but be sure to look around. There are several forums more oriented to the jet boat/hot boat crowd with tons of great info.

 

[Part-time]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Thanks for the info everybody...

Today I found what I think will be a good engine to power it.
It's not the BBC I was after but I'm getting it for next to nothing.
I found an early 80's Century, 19' or 20', with a good 5.7 L 260 mercruiser.
I'm getting in trade for a 14' steel boat and an older 25hp merc.
I'm just going to keep the new steering cable that just happens to be the same length as the one I need for my Sidewinder, sell off the outdrive and controls and scrap the hull.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

What are you trying to achieve as far as top speed? Post some pics of the boat you are putting it in.

 

[Part-time]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

I'm not looking to go fast... so long as it gets up on plain.
This is the boat it's going in.

In August the water gets low here and I only have 2' at the end of the dock. It would also let me get up a few sets of rapids when the waters get that low.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Looks like an interesting project. Any idea the weight of the hull? 260 HP is not much for a jet. Hopefully that 5.7 is enough to get you on plane. One of the beauties of owning a jet. You can boat in mere inches of water. LOL.

 

[QC]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

I agree that a small block jet is no powerhouse, but jets are also known for hole shot. I think she'll plane and should reach high 30s to low 40s.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

You may be right. My Ambassador weighs in at about 3K. I GPS'd it at 39 MPH last summer. With a well worn Olds 455 it's probably in the 250 - 300 HP range. That was with the converted Jacuzzi YJ that is very similar in mechanics to the WJ you have.

 

[Part-time]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Here's what the stern looks like.

The way the bottom of the hull is shaped at the rear I shouldn't have any problems mounting the jet's intake and getting a good clean supply of water to the jet.

260 hp was rated at the prop on those so it's probably closer to 300-310 at the crank. Not really that far off of that of a stock big block.
But the small block is definately not going to have the torque of the big block.

I'm also thinking that if that boat went good with a OMC 140 I-4 it should at least get the same or a little better with an extra 120 hp behind it.

I also decided to go with a jet because it will work the same regardless of the amount of weight in the boat.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

You might sign up over at Jet Boat Performance. Tom has done a lot of stern drive to jet conversions. He will be an asset to you.

http://forum.jetboatperformance.biz/index.php

 

[Part-time]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

You might sign up over at Jet Boat Performance. Tom has done a lot of stern drive to jet conversions. He will be an asset to you.

http://forum.jetboatperformance.biz/index.php

Thank you, I will...

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Glad to see you made it over there.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Jacuzzi jet drive, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Jacuzzi no longer makes jet drives. North American Marine Jet has the rights to the Jacuzzi stuff. NAMJ is still around but focuses on the larger jets now.