Reverse Trick?

[Robert Sands]

Quick question. Does the reverse trick work, I hear about it a lot?

On my Scarab reverse is just a bucket that caps the jet nozzle and shoots water forwards forcing the boat to go backwards. The impeller is still turning in the same direction. I don't understand how simply putting the bucket down will help with anything getting lodged in the intake. It's not as if putting the boat into reverse changes the direction of the water flow through the intake therefore flushing anything out.

What I was thinking is that perhaps some of you have an option to open your grates and maybe somehow the backward momentum of the boat would allow anything stirred up in the intake to flush out?

I saw a guy the other week in the marina with really tough sinuous weeds stuck in his intake and he was giving the throttle a few hard burps in reverse. I just can't see how that wasn't making things worse. Maybe you experienced guys can enlighten me. Thanks.

 

[Julian]

Check out the FAQ to see how its done and give it a try next time.

https://jetboaters.net/faq/i-keep-getting-stuff-stuck-in-the-pumps-any-tips-to-help-aka-the-reverse-trick.66/

It depends on what is in the intake and if it is stuck or not. Loose twigs and plant material...usually comes out. Wedged items....no.

 

[Ronnie]

The last parts of the reverse trick after the boat starts moving backwards are to turn the motors off and quickly move the buckets up into the forward position, it is the force of the water being pushed back through the jet from the nuzzle to the intake that is supposed to dislodge anything that is in the intake or blocking the intake grate.

I don't think it works for a thing that is stuck behind the impeller but I front of the stator (stationary fins/veins that are angled opposite of the impeller fins). I idled through some vegetation once and had to get into the water to clear it from the bottom. Some of the vegetation was over 6' long so pulling it through the grates and or nozzle was not the best way to clear it. The trick works on jet boats as well as pwcs but it does not always work.

 

[Robert Sands]

Ohhh, thanks guys. I see there was a lot more to this trick than I imagined. I'll give it a shot next time.