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View Full Version : Berkeley JE and a Loader Grate



Joey
06-12-2001, 01:39 PM
I have a JE on an Spectra 18 and I recently bought a Loader Grate from Rex Marine to increase performance. Every knucklehead I talked to said "piece of cake, man. 4 bolts and its done. Its cheat, its easy and it'll make you boat perform better. 10 minute job, tops."
Well, heres the thing, I was on my way to the Lake and thought I'd slap it on since everyone said it was a 10 minute job. Well, the four bolts (screws really) wouldn't thread out. I climbed into the engine compartment (its covered) and figured out the culpret. The existing intake grate doesn't seem to be bolted to the suction housing or the pump at all but rather its bolted through the fiberglass. Now, the other thing is that there doesn't seem to be a plate back on the inside of the boat for added strength.
Needless to say, I didn't r&r the grate for the loader. So, my question is....1) When I make the switch is there any particular type of sealent (silicon) I should use to seal the holes and 2) Should I see about having a back plate made to strenghten the hull where the new loader grate will be (since the loader grate will put more pressure on the glass).
Joey

Riley
06-13-2001, 04:57 AM
very interesting. I was contemplating this swap myself. I went to www.hitechperformance.com (http://www.hitechperformance.com) and looked at the exploded view of the 12je pump. It appears that the intake bolts to some other piece which then bolts to the pump. So it looks like the intake should just come right off. If that's not the case I guess I would use loctite on the bolts and silicone for sealer. Let me know how this turns out as I will probably be doing the same thing very soon. Good Luck
riley

bilgewiper
06-13-2001, 05:37 AM
My 18 foot Keaton with JE pump when I bought it had a angle iron ramp type loader grate on it that was so loose it was just 3 minutes from falling off. I was glad that I checked it before I launced it the first time. Previous owner probably thought pump was junk because of all the vibration he had. So, I like you thought "No big deal" just tighten it up with some locktite and head to the water.......Yea right, seems they put all the screws in absolutly worst spot. Not a fun job on a JE.
Ethan

pb
06-14-2001, 05:43 AM
I changed my grate about 8yrs ago on my JF pump. Not that hard of a job. I had to drill the 4 holes larger due to larger bolts supplied with the grate and by the recommendation of the manufacturer. Before installation I cleaned the surface of the hull intake to remove any old sealant etc. For sealing, I purchased a 3M marine sealent approved for underwater use. Be careful which product you buy. Some are adhesive sealants which will really bond the grate to the hull making for difficult removal at a later time, unless that is what you want. I applied a generous amount of sealant to the grate plate and each hole. Installed the grate, sliding the bolts through and had a friend install the washers and lock nuts. My setup already had an aluminum backer plate molded into the hull. Double check yours, it may be buried in fiberglass. I have never had a problem with leaks since the install. And I check the locknuts a couple times of season for peace of mind. Hope this helps.
Paul