Need some help

[G1sammons]

I'm trying to get some more water flow thru my box... I'm running a old 6" tripple keene with a honda gx 670 (24hp) And a keene 350s s pump new. Less than a year old ... Pump is working like it should . Also. The jet is a single 3" input Question is what do I need to do to increase water flow from here? Hose lenth is 15 ft Iv removed it and just run the jet and still not enough water flow. I'm close it sucks like hell but my main box loads up iv tried putting more angle in the box it helped but I'm getting too much angle .. And it still loads Should I try going to a 2" double jet Larger pump Is there any performance to polishing internals of the pump?? Looking at the box when it runs it appears to need more,water Thanks in advance

 

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[DizzyDigger]

I don't know dredges, but next time John Hoser logs in I'm
sure he'll give you some pointers. He certainly knows his poop
about dredges, pumps and any other gear related to it.

 

[russau]

Gary from what your saying,IMHO,either your pump is wore out or your just hogging to much material at one time or a combination of both!

 

[Oakview2]

Plenty of motor, HP 500 Proline pump would fix but pricey. Cheapest might be a infinity jet. Hoser would be the guy who can steer you in the most efficient fix. I think he may have some blueprints for a build, and I know you have a shopl


PS Did you get my PM on the Nome inland dredging

 

[G1sammons]

Gary from what your saying,IMHO,either your pump is wore out or your just hogging to much material at one time or a combination of both!

Pump is fairly new iv look at all the clearance's impeller ect just to be sure .
I think my problem stems from the triple box which really require a lot of water flow ..
On top of that these unit set above the water which requires more power to pump the water up ...


It mainly seems to be the larger rocks that want to load don't think I'm have a over feeding problem as I'm usually slowed From throwing larger cobbles which gives the dredge time too wash ...
Beside even when I remove my hose and just observe the water flow my main box only run maybie 3 inches of water at the most ..
I really expected the box to be near or at least 3/4 of the box to be full..
I brought this up when I first ran the unit but thought maybie I was expecting to much from this but after talking with some old timers whom dredge for a living
They told me that I should not have to remove any rocks and the water flow should be at least 3/4 up the sluice .

Never have a problem with my 4" keene's and I really push the feed rates with them ... I would expect the 6" tripple to be at least equal in proportion if not stronger!

 

[G1sammons]

Plenty of motor, HP 500 Proline pump would fix but pricey. Cheapest might be a infinity jet. Hoser would be the guy who can steer you in the most efficient fix. I think he may have some blueprints for a build, and I know you have a shopl PS Did you get my PM on the Nome inland dredging

Yes thanx
Iv talked with the fella I just don't think I want to go to nome to dredge inland ....
Plus he's looking for 3 months and I'm looking for learning experience in the bearing sea and a vacation .... Maybe a month at the most.

Just can't see paying the expense of running there too dredge inland I'd probably end up in trouble for taking his dredge too the ocean ...
Thou iv really enjoyed reading his log's on his adventures up there it's a great eye opener to the reality up there but it doesn't scare me away
Iv ordered his book .... And look forward to getting it ....
I offered to buy a dredge or pay him to build one that would be his to use in trade that I could use it for a couple of weeks a year but he doesn't seem interested...
I love dredging and would really enjoy going up there for 2 or three weeks a year maybe longer but I'm not trying to make a living doing it .... Just want to play and dream ...
I think he think that I have other intensions but I don't ... I'd be nuts to shut my business down to try something like that ... But I'm going to visit him he lives really close to where I dredge now and has shown some interest in getting in the water there ... Probably to train and test his help ..... Maybe after he gets to know me a little something will work out I'm not going to set up shop up there just to play for a few weeks a year and I don't want to spend all my summers up there !

 

[principedeleon]

Have you tried changing the front mesh to punch plate with maybe 1/4 hoes ?

 

[G1sammons]

Have you tried changing the front mesh to punch plate with maybe 1/4 hoes ?

Not sure I understand

 

[Goodyguy]

I'm trying to get some more water flow thru my box... I'm running a old 6" tripple keene with a honda gx 670 (24hp) And a keene 350s s pump new. Less than a year old ... Pump is working like it should . Also. The jet is a single 3" input Question is what do I need to do to increase water flow from here? Hose lenth is 15 ft Iv removed it and just run the jet and still not enough water flow. I'm close it sucks like hell but my main box loads up iv tried putting more angle in the box it helped but I'm getting too much angle .. And it still loads Should I try going to a 2" double jet

Larger pump

Is there any performance to polishing internals of the pump?? Looking at the box when it runs it appears to need more,water Thanks in advance

Do not do a "polish" to the pump internals, that would only worsen the problem.

To gain more horses in the motor, a port and polish job would help but I do not believe that alone would solve your problem either.
It seems to me to be more of a sluice set up problem than anything. As Principedleon was suggesting a punch plate rather than a mesh would not load up as bad because of the smoother surface, plus the smaller holes will allow more flow over the top of it, however you never really explained exactly where the sluice is loading up.

It helps to see the exact setup as far as width, height, and length of the sluice as well as all the friction areas in the sluice.
Sorry, best I can do without being there in person, other than suggesting going to a narrower sluice box which will automatically run deeper and faster. It could also be as simple as just changing out the rubber flap damper to a shorter lighter weight one.



GG~

 

[principedeleon]

If your box clasification mesh is the wire type and have maybe .5 " holes it will send a lot of your water to the undercurrent or side sluices.

Placing a punch plate mesh will let more water go to the main sluice riffles helping you with your larger rocks.

 

[principedeleon]

Do not do a "polish" to the pump internals, that would only worsen the problem. To gain more horses in the motor, a port and polish job would help but I do not believe that alone would solve your problem either. It seems to me to be more of a sluice set up problem than anything. As Principedleon was suggesting a punch plate rather than a mesh would not load up as bad because of the smoother surface, plus the smaller holes will allow more flow over the top of it, however you never really explained exactly where the sluice is loading up. It helps to see the exact setup as far as width, height, and length of the sluice as well as all the friction areas in the sluice. Sorry, best I can do without being there in person, other than suggesting going to a narrower sluice box which will automatically run deeper and faster. It could also be as simple as just changing out the rubber flap damper to a shorter lighter weight one. GG~

Thanks for explaining .. Exactly what i was tryng to get out there ..

 

[G1sammons]

Do not do a "polish" to the pump internals, that would only worsen the problem. To gain more horses in the motor, a port and polish job would help but I do not believe that alone would solve your problem either. It seems to me to be more of a sluice set up problem than anything. As Principedleon was suggesting a punch plate rather than a mesh would not load up as bad because of the smoother surface, plus the smaller holes will allow more flow over the top of it, however you never really explained exactly where the sluice is loading up. It helps to see the exact setup as far as width, height, and length of the sluice as well as all the friction areas in the sluice. Sorry, best I can do without being there in person, other than suggesting going to a narrower sluice box which will automatically run deeper and faster. It could also be as simple as just changing out the rubber flap damper to a shorter lighter weight one. GG~

Sorry don't have any videos of it running
But here's some pics of the unit main box is 22 sides are 16

 

[principedeleon]

There is various things you can do before going and messing with the pump or engine. First i think switching to a flare;then trying to get a bigger openning in front of the swivel nozzle by making it id as closes to 6" and restricting it with a wire and clamp. You can also try making it like keene swivel nozzle. Trying taking off the swivel nozzle and dredging you will draw more water. Other things on the box itself i dont know since i dont have a tripple sluice box. Maybe someone who haves one spots something.

 

[Goodyguy]

First thing I notice is the crash box header. You will get way more flow with a flair.
Everything else looks good to go.

Of course I would trade out the miners moss/carpet on the sides for vortex mat but that's just me


Oops..... great minds think alike principedeleon beat me to it

GG~

 

[principedeleon]

First thing I notice is what looks to be a crash box header. You will get way more flow with a flair. Oops..... great minds think alike principedeleon beat me to it GG~

At least he got what he might be looking for

 

[Goodyguy]

At least he got what he might be looking for

Yep, he may have to throttle back the engine after changing to a flair, Just to keep from blowing everything out of the sluice.
Of course that crash box does come in handy for breaking up material. But that's the trade off decision that needs to be made.

GG~

 

[G1sammons]

There is various things you can do before going and messing with the pump or engine. First i think switching to a flare;then trying to get a bigger openning in front of the swivel nozzle by making it id as closes to 6" and restricting it with a wire and clamp. You can also try making it like keene swivel nozzle. Trying taking off the swivel nozzle and dredging you will draw more water. Other things on the box itself i dont know since i dont have a tripple sluice box. Maybe someone who haves one spots something.

That is a keene swivel nozzel lol
I really don't want to switch to a flair I would have to give up the tripple or do a lot of fabrication to keep them together as the crash box has the drop section that goes to the
All three sluices
Just as a question why would the crash box flow less

 

[G1sammons]

First thing I notice is the crash box header. You will get way more flow with a flair. Everything else looks good to go. Of course I would trade out the miners moss/carpet on the sides for vortex mat but that's just me Oops..... great minds think alike principedeleon beat me to it GG~

Most of the side boxes are deep grove v matt just the ends are miners moss ....maybe the last 18"
I'm thinking of dropping the riffles in the side boxes and going to hog matt .. Unless I get a bunch of folks telling me not too...
My loading is mainly the main box it just doesn't move enought water ... Larger rocks say 3" and up just don't wash and the riffles tend to load and r not really turning over like I would like them too. The side boxes do pretty good nice gold recovery but
Over all I would expect it to wash itself too clean when running clean for awhile as my 4 does but it doesn't well the sides do but not the center
If I'm converting to a flair I'd probaly just drop the tripple and go to the 3stage commercial 6" keene box and flair setup

 

[Timberdoodle]

A crash box is located higher than the main box usually in the range of the diameter of the hose, in your case 6" or so. A flare is located into the end of the box and this lower level means less pressure on the jet output and therefore more flow.

If you are not finding that you have enough water flow/depth in the center box, you could decrease the center box width along with overall width of the 3 to achieve enough flow to clear. You could also radically change the design to a O/U and eliminate the outer sluices and the need for so much wash water in them.

 

[Goodyguy]

Just as a question why would the crash box flow less

Something to do with back pressure I suppose. For one thing the water has to go uphill at a steeper angle to even enter the crash box and then once inside the crash box there is some blow back involved. Plus once the large cobbles hit the crash box they lose momentum and the water pressure inside the box drops considerably from that inside the supply tube.

Good question though, perhaps someone else has a better answer.


* dang got beat to the answer again Good job Timberdoodle
GG~