# Another Jet Head



## smackdaddy53 (Oct 19, 2012)

I guess I should introduce my self, My name is Mac and I recently purchased a used 1997 mercury 60/45 Jet and Im working on a 1981 Polar Kraft 1652 to put it on and make a poling skiff out of it for fishing the flats down here on the Texas coast. Im planning on removing the center seat pods to make more deck space since they serve no structural purpose anyway. Im going to fab a big front casting deck with storage underneath, a large casting deck in the back for storage, a beefed up raised transom to fit my outboard on, a forward center console made of an aluminum pipe frame with a seaboard top box for steering, switches etc and a dry box below it for wallets, phones etc. I figured on making it like a Ranger Ghost console with the pipe legs showing on the bottom half instead of just a full aluminum sheet console with lots of extra welds and more area to have to paint. i already have the aluminum/seaboard poling platform ready to go minus the white running light and a hairline crack in the leg that needs a little welding, I plan on beefing both rear legs up with a section of larger diameter pipe. I will have some pics for you guys soon!
As of right now I have my jet off and all hardware off and I sandblasted it and plan on leaving it raw with a good anode on the back of the foot and just buffing the raw cast with a scouring pad and some wd40. I keep my stuff clean, flushed and on a trailer when not fishing so it will stay corrosion free. I noticed a lot of the outboard jet units have bubbling paint from corrosion, its a great grade of aluminum alloy just like the Merc lower units, the factory paint just sucks. no paint, no way for corrosion to start underneath it and trap saltwater, problem solved. Im having the bearing pressed off and a new set of O rings, seals, snap rings, bearing, etc. done soon. the guy that had it before me used a grease gun and blew out the seals and salt got in the grease tubes and the bearing and salted the grease fitting up so no grease could come out the return grease tube...a big mess! 
My impeller is a three blade aluminum and its in good shape, the liner is a bit grooved from the bearing failing and allowing the impeller to drop and lightly scar the liner...only two shim washers behind the impeller so i plan on resurfacing the liner and re shimming to 1/32" soon. i am going to sharpen my impeller but noticed a few of these threads were debates on whether to sharpen the top or bottom, I am still fuzzy on which way is correct...the motor side or the foot/ liner side? 
Any input will be greatly appreciated!

So, have I picked up the right information and have a decent idea of what Im doing with this jet tin? I have only had it for two weeks and have never even been in a boat with a jet besides a PWC/Waverunner...Did I do good?


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## Lil' Blue Rude (Oct 20, 2012)

I sharpen from the motor side. alot will argue with me about it but it what's worked best for me.


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## optaylor823 (Oct 20, 2012)

If you look at this link under question 19 they have a pdf file you can download that lets you know how to sharpen an impeller. This is straight from the manufacture of jet foots.

https://www.outboardjets.com/faqs.php#19


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2012)

Thanks guys, im about to get the new bearing pressed on and run the motor. Was the rest of my post on track? Im new to jets and want to soak up all the info i can.


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## Kevin Turner (Nov 5, 2012)

Welcome to the forum! Are you runn'n the Guadalupe?

Over the yrs, I've seen no noticeable performance difference as to which direction the blade is beveled. That said, when guyz like 'Rude, squeeze every last once of perf a small pump has to offer...he's got my attention.


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## lowe1648 (Nov 5, 2012)

I've sharpened on both sides and sharpening the bottom or intake side would cause cavataion out of the hole. I started sharpening the top side and have never had any cavation out of the hole.


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 9, 2012)

Kevin Turner said:


> Welcome to the forum! Are you runn'n the Guadalupe?
> 
> Over the yrs, I've seen no noticeable performance difference as to which direction the blade is beveled. That said, when guyz like 'Rude, squeeze every last once of perf a small pump has to offer...he's got my attention.


Im going to be strictly saltwater back bays/flats fishing.


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## smackdaddy53 (Dec 29, 2012)

I changed my mind about the deck layout, im going with a full flush deck now to be up higher when driving and it will be less aluminum sheet i have to buy, and im adding a jet tunnel since im going to have to flatten the center rib for several feet to reduce cavitation. I figure i can get a few inches shallower this way as well. Heres a diagram from outboard jets i found on fabricating a tunnel.


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## Kevin Turner (Dec 29, 2012)

Sorry to sound like a know it all, but I see a tunnel causing more trouble than it's worth. Flats and bay fishing + tunnel = cavitation.


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## smackdaddy53 (Dec 30, 2012)

Kevin Turner said:


> Sorry to sound like a know it all, but I see a tunnel causing more trouble than it's worth. Flats and bay fishing + tunnel = cavitation.


Its your opinion, no worries. Theres a couple of locals that have been rigging and building aluminum outboard jet boats for this exact purpose and they have no problems and they run in 2" no problem, no dragging the foot. 
Heres a video with the same boat, same size motor/jet and a tunnel just like the one im adding. Watch the bottom on the way back, he goes skiiiiiny!
https://youtu.be/PBjLua3gT0A


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## smackdaddy53 (Dec 30, 2012)




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## Kevin Turner (Dec 30, 2012)

Yepper, that rig is running good. In my above reply, I had visions of wind blown, frothy chop. Good luck with your build!


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## smackdaddy53 (Dec 30, 2012)

Im not planning on trying to run her in super choppy water, if i have to ill either run slow or hug the shoreline and run between waders and other boaters...kidding
This will be more of a back bay poling boat, not an open water cruiser. I mainly fish the middle texas coast and there is pretty much always protected water. Thanks for the help!


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## smackdaddy53 (Mar 27, 2013)

Finally starting on the boat, here is a link to my build thread. https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29768
What are you guys thoughts on the pros and cons of adding a jet tunnel to my hull? It is not a flat bottom, it has a little deadrise at the bottom of the transom and of course gets more deadrise as you get to the front. I plan on removing at least 36" and maybe up to 48" of the center keel to reduce cavitation and keep the jet supplied with a clean flow of water with few bubbles. I need some feedback on the tunnel before I proceed with adding one or just keeping a "flat" hull.


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## smackdaddy53 (Mar 28, 2013)

No opinions on the tunnel?


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## WhiskeyBent (Mar 28, 2013)

smackdaddy53 said:


> No opinions on the tunnel?


I built mine with the dimensions supplied on outboard jets website, zero cavitation and it runs like a dream.

Scroll thru my build pics and you'll see the tunnel.

https://s984.photobucket.com/user/TRAC2772/library/Boat%20build%20along?page=1


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## smackdaddy53 (Mar 28, 2013)

WhiskeyBent said:


> smackdaddy53 said:
> 
> 
> > No opinions on the tunnel?
> ...


Thank you! That is what I was looking for! 
I have a manual jackplate with 4" setback...i am adding float pods on the transom and thinking about extending the tunnel/bottom of the boat back far enough to get the jet foot under the tunnel like you did but I will have to extend about 4" further back. In theory it should work fine. What do you think? I really like the idea of having the motor a bit further back anyway so I can clear the larger sized Boyd's Custom float pods. It is going to be a poling skiff so I need the extra floatation to float my 220# and my ~250# motor. Do you think there would be any negative effects of extending the tunnel and bottom like that? I figure that i can just make my tunnel 20" long starting at the jet foot (~8" wide foot x 2.5= 20" long tunnel) and 8" wide foot x 1.75= 14" wide tunnel at the top. The only thing about the width is my strakes (ribs) on bottom are 12" between them and 14" center-to-center.


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## WhiskeyBent (Mar 28, 2013)

smackdaddy53 said:


> WhiskeyBent said:
> 
> 
> > smackdaddy53 said:
> ...


The tunnel will actually be wider than 14" where the cut on your boat will be so the 14" strakes won't be an issue. If you'll notice on this picture the sides are parallel to each other, they don't taper, the bottom piece is the one that tapers from 14" to ...maybe 16"?. (No doubt I didn't explain this to where anyone can understand it, but once you start building the tunnel it will make sense). On my boat I let the hull run 6" past the transom just to keep from having to add a splash plate later.


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## smackdaddy53 (Mar 28, 2013)

That is dead on with what I had drawn out but I added the extra 4" to the tunnel length. Should the tunnel be 20" total or 24" to make up for the 4" backset? Im thinking 20" from the front of the tunnel to the transom and then whatever extra i need to add to make the tunnel fit over the front of the foot. 
I am about to get my jackplate and motor mounted so I can get exact measurements. Thanks for the help!


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## WhiskeyBent (Mar 28, 2013)

smackdaddy53 said:


> That is dead on with what I had drawn out but I added the extra 4" to the tunnel length. Should the tunnel be 20" total or 24" to make up for the 4" backset? Im thinking 20" from the front of the tunnel to the transom and then whatever extra i need to add to make the tunnel fit over the front of the foot.
> I am about to get my jackplate and motor mounted so I can get exact measurements. Thanks for the help!


I built mine at 20" and just slid it rearward 6" past the transom.


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## smackdaddy53 (Mar 28, 2013)

WhiskeyBent said:


> smackdaddy53 said:
> 
> 
> > That is dead on with what I had drawn out but I added the extra 4" to the tunnel length. Should the tunnel be 20" total or 24" to make up for the 4" backset? Im thinking 20" from the front of the tunnel to the transom and then whatever extra i need to add to make the tunnel fit over the front of the foot.
> ...


That makes more sense, it is keeping dimensions with the design measurements. Thx


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## WhiskeyBent (Mar 28, 2013)

WhiskeyBent said:


> smackdaddy53 said:
> 
> 
> > That is dead on with what I had drawn out but I added the extra 4" to the tunnel length. Should the tunnel be 20" total or 24" to make up for the 4" backset? Im thinking 20" from the front of the tunnel to the transom and then whatever extra i need to add to make the tunnel fit over the front of the foot.
> ...


Sorry, I just looked back at the OJ drawing, I built mine at the 18" and the 6" as they show, but their drawing is doesn't show the angled front I have on mine and it is necessary unless you have a flat-bottomed boat. So mine is actually 24" plus the tapered front portion. Probably around 30" OAL.


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## smackdaddy53 (Mar 28, 2013)

Yeah, my boat does not have as much deadrise, not flat either. Probably about 1/4 as much as yours.


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