list for maximod

[doodoobrown]

when are we going to get the list going for the next meeting? i just want to make sure we have plenty of time to get it together! by the way, thanks for doing those chris. they looked and worked better than i had expected. i really appreciate you doing the leg work on those

[rcmike]

Yes, I wasn't expecting them to work so well. So if I understand correctly we are supposed to bring a Maxijet and Chris is getting the other parts? Also I forgot to ask. Are we doing different sizes or all the same size? I definately want some of the 1200s. I have some unused maxijets I need to dig out of a box now. :)

[waynesworld]

I wish i would have been able to come and see the mod but had problems at the house. I want to do dome mods on my maxi jets too

[fishdoc11]

I was very impressed. I would guess at least 1000gph and probably a whole lot more.

I definately want to be on the list:)

[Mikeyjer]

Darn it, I keep on hearing about the maxi-jet modification. I wish I could have been there. I need to do something with my maxi-jets. I need to try to take a saturday off to make to the next meeting!!! :)

[rcmike]

Well the next meeting would be the one to get off for then. That is when the maxijet modding is proposed to take place.

[Mikeyjer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6779710#post6779710 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rcmike
Well the next meeting would be the one to get off for then. That is when the maxijet modding is proposed to take place.

I'll ask for that day off ahead of time!! Do I need to bring a maxi-jet???

[fishdoc11]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6779826#post6779826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mikeyjer
I'll ask for that day off ahead of time!! Do I need to bring a maxi-jet???

Yes

[boofer]

When you guys/gals get them together, and if someone ends up with a couple, they can try this :D
timer wavemaker (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=469673&perpage=25&pagenumber=1)

[rsteagall]

It wouldn't be suggested to put these modded mj's on a timer. I'll be missing the next meeting, but the weekend before the meeting the parts are all supposed to be made. I'm hoping to help with that.

[TitansFan]

Has the issue of spinning the incorrect direction been solved? Wish I could have made the last meeting (would have been my first).

[boofer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6780199#post6780199 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rsteagall
It wouldn't be suggested to put these modded mj's on a timer.

Whys that?...Im sure someone wouldnt suggest the mods either;)

[doodoobrown]

titan fan, chris had a knob on the spacer and the end of the pump that holds the rod in place and when the prop started the wrong direction it would hit it and automatically reverse the direction. so yes it has been solved. with that being said i dont know why there would be a problem putting these on a timer. the only thing i can figure is the prop will wear out eventually after it hits and reverses so many times.

[rsteagall]

I don't think Mj's with or without this mod are ever suggested to be used on wave timers that have any decent frequency. Cutting these on and off with a possibility of it hitting the stopper over and over again, would not be good. It appears Chris really did his homework on these and has a good design. There was one he demonstrated that would reliably fail due to a shorter design.

Beyond that... I wouldn't want my bi-color blenny getting in there and becoming chopped up and blended food for other fish in my tank :O There is no protection from the blades.

[rcmike]

I have some maxijets that I used for probably 7 or 8 years on wavemakers and rarely had a problem out of them. I have had to replace the impeller on a couple but not very many. I can't say that for other powerheads though. Maxijets are tough little pumps. Now the propeller hitting the stopper may be a problem but who knows. I know I will personally have mine on a wavemaker. If I wear out a prop every once and a while who cares? They are cheap.

[DMBillies]

Where is the best place to get Maxijets at the best price? At this point I am planning on being to the next meeting and I would hate to miss out on the fun.

[boofer]

I hear ya Mike...randoms the way to go:D

rsteagall- seems you have some info crossed up. People use the MJ's all the time on wavemakers...do a search on it.
Just curious though, whats going to keep your bi-color (or anything else) from getting chopped up using that mod anyway? Im assuming your still going to be using one in your tank?....Theres a way (Im sure, with some searching) to make a guard for the prop if absolutely necessary. With small fish Id imagine it would be necessary if its used on a wavemaker or not.

[fishdoc11]

I don't know if the Critter carries them anymore and I'm pretty sure Ebay doesn't(could be wrong on one or both). http://www.premiumaquatics.com is the closest(for ground shipping time) and cheapest I know of. Good people to deal with also.
hth, Chris

[Angela Short]

What size maxi jet did you guys mod? What all does the person need to supply besides a MJ? Hate I missed the meet and workshop. I may be in on ordering a couple of MJ's but premium AQ is out of the 1200's.

[fishdoc11]

You might try http://www.marinedepot.com

If everyone is out of 1200's that's gonna stink:(

Chris had a 1200, a 900 and a 400(?)

The 900 actually uses about half the electricity that the 1200 does but neither really use much. Looked like the 900 would still push a bunch of water. The 1200's might be too much for some tanks.

Chris

[Angela Short]

do we supply the "parts" to do the mod? I haven't a clue what I would need and are the parts differant for a 400, 900 and 1200 MJ? Sorry I missed the meet, I would know the answers I guess if I had been there. I want to do at least 2.

[danieljames]

Didn't i read on the mod thread that the 9's were the prefered powerhead? They were using dual props though. Are you guys modding a single or dual prop?

[rcmike]

I could tell a lot of difference in the 1200 and the 900 personally.

[rsteagall]

the difference in the 1200 vs the 900 is the double prop on the 1200. The 900 can't pull a double prop though. Another reason is the 9's(stock) are preferred over the 12's is the ratio of flow:watts used.


When are we going to start making a list of the people that want to participate in making this mod at the next meeting? Who will be keeping up with it all and taking orders?

I intend on helping with prefabs the week before the meeting although I will not be able to make it to the meeting.

-Ryan

[coralreefing]

Hello all
To get everyone caught up with what we did at the meeting. I modified 3 maxi jets to show the mod options.
MJ-400 with 1 small prop.
MJ-900 with 2 small props.
MJ-1200 with 1 large prop.
I demonstrated the impeller upgrade & assembly of a MJ-900 w dual props at the meeting & we gave away the two 900s as door prizes. I have to take pictures of the options this afternoon & I will post them in a new thread. You can choose from the pictures & descriptions which ones you want & I will add you to the parts order list. Once I know what everyone wants I will order all the parts necessary to mod YOUR pumps. The club will pay for the parts for your first mod. If you want to do 2 or more there will be a charge for parts. I will calculate the costs & post that in the new thread.

We can still use this thread for discussion of the mods & the new thread will be for choosing which size & how many mods you want.

[coralreefing]

Daniel & Mike
You are both right. The 900 dual prop is the most popular mod but the 1200 with a single large prop does move more water. The 900 mod is easier & a little less work but we can do both. Just depends on how much water you want to move.

[Nashvegas]

is the noise factor altered in any way? What if we can't make the meeting?..I really want to mod one of these badly but am awful at just reading instructions..I would prefer to join the instructions but can't.

[coralreefing]

They seem to be quiet to me.
We are planning to make the parts in a "production line" type setup. If a few people can't make it we can still get the parts made for them as long as we know how many we need to build of each kind.

[foggy54]

Chris' How well would these work being switched on and off every 2 minutes? You know as wave makers?

[gflat65]

John,

Should be a problem unless you have fish like bi color blennies that like to back into things and sit when they aren't on...

For all asking how this is going to work, we talked today and decided that each member will be given the first mod for free, but will have to pay the cost of the other mods. No pumps will be provided, though. Trying to be responsible with spending, if we allowed more than one mod (~$7 for parts), we would quickly eat all of this years funds per member. I will want three of them, so that would exceed my membership dues for the year.

What we need to do is determine who wants how many of what. I can keep a spreadsheet of the info and post it several times before the deadline (TBD) so that we know we have enough time to get all the parts in. We plan to modify the parts the weekend before (as Chris mentioned), so any willing/able to help out that weekend will be appreciated. Rick's neighbor has offered his workshop up, so we can build each section in groups and knock it out quickly. We will then do the gluing, etc., at the meeting. The mods twist onto the pump like the normal impellor housing, so you don't really need a pump on hand to do the mods. I'll star another thread strictly for keeping a count of the who's, what's, and how many's. For my sanity, if we can, I'd like to keep this thread the questions thread and have the other one be the count thread. Chris has found the place to order parts from, so he will do the ordering for this batch. He is also the one that can answer questions like what exactly is the difference between singles, doubles, and large props, etc. We are looking into an form of attachment better than what we have now. The cost of those parts has not been determined yet, but will be offered as an option (if the cost if feasible-gotta check that out tonight, hopefully). Hope that helps answer some of the questions:).

[gflat65]

coralreefing,

Can you give a snyopsis of what you showed us at the meeting (900's that worked had X prop, 1200's had Y prop, etc.)? With that, those that were at the meeting can field questions for those that didn't get to see the mods in action.

Essentially, the 1200's pushed more water than my Seio 820's (not a ton more, but a little more). The 900's pushed a little less than my 820's, if that helps at all. I bought two 820's to replace a Rio 2500. I pulled the 2500 after adding them and didn't have enough flow (2500 pushes ~750gph). I'm planning on running two 1200 mods in the 125 (and may need to still run one 820, but hope not to). Hope that gives an idea of flow...

[rcmike]

Where are you getting the parts from?

[fishdoc11]

FWIW I would like to offer to pay $10 for each of my 4 sets of parts. Small price to pay for the work that's put in:)

Does anybody think PVC glue would work better than superglue?

thanks, Chris

[Kennetht]

Ok, since I'm not near Nashville.....could someone explain exactly what you did for me? It sounds like a great idea, and I could use a cheap upgrade to keep from buying more powerheads. Thanks.

[rcmike]

This Kenneth.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=717034

I wish I could come the weekend before the meeting to help but I doubt I can. Maybe I can work something out though, I'll have to see. If you need me to do anything I have a lot of woodworking equiptment just let me know.

[coralreefing]

This mod replaces the MJ impeller with a single 1 1/4 propeller & produces about 1200-1500 gph.
Outside
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20539MJ400_SIDE-S.JPG
Inside
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20539MJ400_OPEN-S.JPG

As you can see I did this one with a MJ400 & it works but I recommend we use the MJ900 because the impeller assembly is better. If you have a MJ400 or MJ600 we can mod them but if you are going to buy a pump for a single prop, buy the MJ900

[fishdoc11]

What are we using for the impeller shaft Chris?

[coralreefing]

This mod replaces the MJ impeller with 2 of the 1 1/4 propellers & produces about 1800 gph. The MJ900 is the suggested size to use for this mod but could be done with a MJ1200 if you already have it.
Outside
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20539MJ900_SIDE-S.JPG
Inside
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20539MJ900_OPEN-S.JPG

[coralreefing]

This mod replaces the impeller with a 1 3/4 propeller & produces about 2500 gph. This propeller requires a MJ1200.
Outside
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20539MJ1200_SIDE-S.JPG
Inside
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/20539MJ1200_OPEN-S.JPG

[coralreefing]

The impeller/prop shaft is carbon fiber rod.

[coralreefing]

Mike
I ordered the props & shaft from tower hobbies & bought the rest locally.

[rcmike]

That is what I thought. I am in the super saver club at Tower Hobbies and I can get free standard shipping. I think you can use my user ID to get it if you want.

[SexiShrimp]

holy crapola! That's a lot of power for one little maxi jet!!! I need to see if I have any!!!!
:)
I have weekends off now....last weekend was my last call for this rotation anyway, I can be included in the assembly line if anyone needs my hands! :)

SS

[boofer]

It doesnt look like fish getting in will be a problem with that guard, even used with a wavemaker. I didnt realize how much flow they produced. I might have to get in on this, since I have a couple mj 1200's sitting around.

[coralreefing]

Mike
Thanks, that's a good idea. We should save club funds wherever we can.

[rsteagall]

Chris/coralreefing,

Did you see what I was talking about concerning the beveling of the reverse stop? Also what about my suggestion of a teflon/nylon washer on the side the propeller is pushing?

Thanks,
Ryan

[coralreefing]

I see dhnguyen rounded off the corners on his prop stop to prevent chipping the prop blades. I moved the stop in toward the center hub where the prop is thicker & there is less water flow. I haven't seen a chipping problem yet but it would be no trouble if you want to round it off.

I haven't heard of anyone having a problem with the impeller magnet wearing toward the motor housing but a teflon washer there could be cheap insurance & could also reduce friction & let the prop turn faster. Do you know where we could find teflon washers that small?

[rsteagall]

Chris,

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKTU8&P=7

That should do it. The carbon rods are 2.4892 millimeters. These washers are 3mm inside diameter.

-Ryan

[coralreefing]

Cool. I'll order some so we can try them.

[rsteagall]

I think it would be a good idea for years of usage. It should also reduce friction in turn increasing flow even more. :P

When are you guys getting together to prefab the parts?

[coralreefing]

We're going to make the parts March 18th.

We need two volunteers who are experienced & comfortable using a table saw or radial saw. We could also use a few volunteers for dremel work & some glueing.

[dhnguyen]

Just a quick FYI guys

If you're doing alot of these mods at a time. It would be cheaper to use 3/32" OD 316 stainless steel welding rods.

It's very cool that your club has picked up on this mod :)



D.

[coralreefing]

Hello D
Welcome to our corner of RC. As you can see, your thread has been informative & inspiring. We're doing about 60 mods tomorrow :)

[dhnguyen]

Hi Chris,

That's really cool of your club to do this :)
When you have time you oughta check out the Octura brand propellers. I am no longer using The Nitro Hammer props because the Octuras are so much better.

Octura Models Inc
(847) 674-7351
7351 Hamlin Ave
Skokie, IL 60076

Use models 2035 (1.38"), 1435 (1.38"), 1240 (1.57"), or 1440(1.57")


One 2035 or 1435 will put out more flow than the dual Nitros easily.


I also posted the latest parts list here

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=790770&perpage=25&pagenumber=7


My next project is building a motorized swivel mount for these maxi-mods :D Can't wait til my motors come in.

[coralreefing]

Thanks D
We'll have to check them out.