SoCal Jet Boats
Discussion => The No Wake Zone => Topic started by: 76Maverick455 on November 16, 2013, 12:46:12 PM
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Hello everybody, my name is Ken. I have a '76 Wriedt Maverick with a 455 Olds that's mostly stock with Hooker headers. My pump is a Berkeley 12JB-A that has been recently rebuilt by Jet Boat Performance. I got the boat back in 2006 when I got out of the Marines and had no idea what I doing. I was 23 at the time. Long story short, I almost sunk it because the hose that goes from the jet to the motor broke off, pumping water in the back of my boat instead of through the motor and my bilge stopped working. :banghead: It was the first and only time I took my boat out on the water. I bought it off of ebay from a boat dealer in Reno, NV who told me it was "ready to go". It was not. So when I get back home, I start looking at everything and all the hoses are old and cracking, the carbs are leaking everywhere, the front engine mount was about to fold in half (tube under the oil pan) from rust, and the rear main seal blew out (not sure how that happened, maybe from it being under water?). So I pulled the motor, parked the boat and little by little doing things here and there. I did some minor upgrades to the motor, installed a double roller timing chain, 10 qt. oil pan, high-volume oil pump, high flow fuel pump, rebuilt the carbs, all new seals and gaskets, and had the heads checked out at the local shop. I got some 4-point Guardian engine mounts off of ebay to replace the 3-point crap. I had to replace the carpet because when the rear main seal blew out, some oil came out and was all over the carpet. The seats were original so they were getting to the point of needing to be replaced. The hull is in great shape. The gas tank is fiberglass and its built into the hull / bow. Not sure if I like that so I might change it to a aluminum one, but keep it in front. The jet I had rebuilt and now it has a new shaft with a inducer and new impeller and new seal / gaskets, etc. Like I said at the start, it has water injection Hooker headers which I never seen before. I have looked at a lot of jet boats and never seen anybody have Hookers. I bought some Bassett's in 2007 with the bell tips cause I like that look but now on the fence with the Hookers. I have been taking my time with the boat because I want to get it right the first time and I want it to look nice. Not ghetto rigged or anything. I got friends and family telling me that im never going to finish it, but some times it just takes time and money. Right now, Im at the point of installing the motor. Anyway, here is a pic of my float when I bought it.
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New carpet
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New gauges
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Welcome to SCJB ;D
Looks like you're off to a good start. Keep it up, because the next season will be upon us sooner than you think.
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thanks! I would like to get it done by spring 2014 but we will see. I have been looking all over this forum and other jet boat websites for the best info on installing a motor because im going from a 3-point to a 4-point. So far from what I seen, it kinda sounds like everybody has a different way of doing it. Some say to make the motor level and some say have about 3 degrees higher in the front. Once the motor is in, everything else is pretty easy and I should have it in the water in no time.
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Jet before and after
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Good looking boat. Those Wreidt's are nice riding boats, my nephew has one. His also had the bow tank, but it was a steel tank that was rusting on the inside and kept plugging the fuel filter. We replaced it with side aluminum tank's. You may want to consider that if you end up pulling the bow tank. Getting all that weight out of the bow definitely helps the boat free up.
You must have crazy patients to have had that boat since 2006 and only had it out once. Keep up the nice work, doing it the right way will be well worth your time in the end.