Shaft leaking water

My jet (Berkeley 12jb-a) is dripping water while anchored. It's dripping from where the shaft comes from the jet. I believe where the packing rings are. Can I tighten the nuts that hold that on?

Guess I could just read this.

I drip every 1-4 seconds is what you are looking for. Over tighting leads too bad things. Too loose is way bettet then too tight.

Yellowboat said:

I drip every 1-4 seconds is what you are looking for. Over tighting leads too bad things. Too loose is way bettet then too tight.

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I have a feeling that when I'm underway I'm getting quite a bit of water tho. Bilge had an inch or more of water.

you may have a leak some place else too. I have seem more then a few jets leak out the inspection port/hose/ control valves but only under load.

you should have some one check under way( camera if you can't get your head down there) and see what its doing. if it is, I would got no more then an 8th of a turn then check again. also remember it will need to be the water for at least an hour before you check as the packing needs to get wet.


edit headers are also a common leak point. also you may want to add water too your bilge a quart at a time to see how much it takes to get too that point. some times it does not take a lot of water too get too an inch.

My jet always had a bit of water in there. How long did it take for an inch in the bilge would be my question.

t&y said:

My jet always had a bit of water in there. How long did it take for an inch in the bilge would be my question.

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Took like a 15 minute boat ride.

When I go out the next time I'll have have someone check it out. I checked all my lines and they were dry. It is something that just started. Had it out 4 times and I noticed the drip on this trip and the excess water in the bilge

Rogers Hopeful said:

Took like a 15 minute boat ride.

When I go out the next time I'll have have someone check it out. I checked all my lines and they were dry. It is something that just started. Had it out 4 times and I noticed the drip on this trip and the excess water in the bilge

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what does it do after that 1st 15 mins? remember it takes time for the seal too water log and swell too stop the leaks.


that being said, if a seal is ever run dry, replace it.

Yellowboat said:

what does it do after that 1st 15 mins? remember it takes time for the seal too water log and swell too stop the leaks.


that being said, if a seal is ever run dry, replace it.

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It was at the end of the day when the large amounts of water were in the bilge

Rogers Hopeful said:

It was at the end of the day when the large amounts of water were in the bilge

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That was par for they course with my jet, but it was a combination of the shaft, getting in and out of the boat (skiing, swimming, tubing) and a small leak to one of the line inlets on the pump housing for the trim. If you haven't already, get your boat high enough on the beach so that all the possible entry points on the transom are under water and see if anything else is leaking besides the shaft. Probaby not a big deal, but for piece of mind it would be good to know.

well you can try tighting the packing gland nuts a quarter turn, then see what happens. if it still does it do it again and check on the next trip. with out being "hands on" it is hard to say if they are too tight/worn. if it takes more than a full turn on the nuts and you are still get a lot of water in the boat. it may be time to pull them and replace them.

The pump shaft packings need to "leak" a tiny bit as described prior to help keep them lubricated and cool , over tightening them will cause them to burnish and cause them to leak worse and... cause premature shaft wear ..... heres a fact .... boats leak that's why someone invented bilge pumps a bit of water is very normal