American Turbine AT-309 User manual

THE POWER IS IN THE PUMP!
OWNERS MANUAL
MODELS: 12-S & 12-TD
MODELS: AT-309 TJ-309 SD-309 SD-312
MODEL: J120-AT

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DOMINATOR 12-S & LEGEND J120-AT
TILLER ARM
GREASE ZERK
(THRUST BEARING)
PACKING GLAND GREASE ZERK
(BOWL BEARING)
HAND HOLE COVER

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AMERICAN TURBINE AT-309
HAND HOLE COVER
PACKING GLAND
GREASE ZERK
(THRUST BEARING)
GREASE ZERK
(BOWL BEARING) TILLER ARM

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HAND HOLE COVER
SUCTION PIECE
GREASE ZERT
(THRUST BEARING)
BEARING CAP
PACKING GLAND
RUDDER
REVERSE BUCKET
BOWL
GREASE ZERT
(BOWL BEARING)
TILLER ARM
NOZZLE
DOMINATOR 12-TD & AMERICAN TURBINE TJ-309

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AMERICAN TURBINE SD-309 & SD-312
SHORT SNOOT
HAND HOLE COVER
BOAT TRANSOM
WATER TUBE
INTAKE ADAPTER
BEARING HOUSING
WEEP HOLE
SUCTION PIECE
HOSE CONNECTOR
GREASE ZERT
(THRUST BEARING)
BOWL
GREASE ZERT
(BOWL BEARING)
REVERSE
BUCKET
NOZZLE
TILLER ARM

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Before Operating your jet boat
Read this manual carefully. Learn how to operate your boat properly. If you have any questions, contact your dealer.
Safety and operating information that is practiced along with using good common sense can help prevent personal injury and
product damage.
Boat Horsepower Capacity
Do not overpower or overload your boat. Using an engine that produces such power so that you have less than 8 pounds per
horsepower can 1. Cause loss of boat control 2. Cause boat to break up from excessive power. Overpowering a boat can
result in serious injury, death or boat damage.
Boater’s Responsibilities
The operator (driver) is responsible for the correct and safe operation of the boat and safety of its occupants and general pub-
lic. It is strongly recommend that each operator (driver) read and understand this entire manual before operating the boat.
Be sure at least one additional person on board is instructed in the basics or starting and operating the boat in the case the
driver is unable to operate the boat.
Check with you dealer before installation of accessories. The misuse of acceptable accessories or the use of unacceptable
accessories can result in serious injury, death, or product failure.

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PRE OPERATION INSPECTION
The following inspection should be performed with the help from the SELLING DEALER prior to jet drive operation. The same
inspection should be performed by the user or selling dealer after the first 10- 20 hours of use and regularly thereafter every
three months. If any items of the inspection list do not meet inspection guidelines, they should be corrected before using the
jet drive.
1. Thrust Bearing Lubrication. The bearing is lubricated at the factory before shipment. Lubricate every thirty hours or if
the boat sits for more than 2 months. Lubricate before you take it out, about 4-5 pumps in the thrust bearing. Do not
force grease in the bowl bearing.
2. Hand Hole Cover. Check to make sure that the hand hole cover is tightly fastened.
3. Steering. Check the steering by rotating the wheel right and left with the engine off and verify that the nozzle turns com-
pletely against the housing to which it is attached.
4. Reverse Shift Control. With the control in full reverse, the reverse bucket should completely cover the nozzle's dis-
charge opening. In full forward, the reverse bucket should clear the entire nozzle discharge opening. In neutral, the re-
verse bucket should cover about 3/4 of the discharge opening. The reverse bucket should have a provision to lock it in
the forward position so that the bucket cannot fall into the water stream.
5. Throttle. Check to see that the throttle is operating smoothly.
6. Transom Seals. There should be no leaks at the housing seal to the boat or the housing seal to the bowl.

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7. Packing Gland Inspection AT-309, TJ-309, 12-S, 2TD, & J120-AT. The two packing gland nuts should be snug. If too
loose, turn in quarter turn increments until snug (tighten each nut in quarter increments to insure an equal compression
on both sides). After they are snug, then back them off very slightly less than a quarter turn total.
8. SD-309 & SD-312 Weep Hole Inspection. A weep hole is provided to indicate the condition of the mechanical seal.
Water running out the hole is an indication of a failed seal or that there is foreign debris between the seal faces i.e. fishing
line etc. A blast of compressed air in the weep hole will sometimes clear the obstruction. If it continues to leak, consult
your dealer.
9. Engine Cooling Connections. Check to make sure all hose connections are tight.

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OWNERS MANUAL
1. Trailer Launching. Before launching make sure that all drain plugs are in place securely. To drive off of the trailer, the
intake part of the jet drive should be immersed in the water. Use low speed and gentle handling when driving on or off
the trailer.
2. Starting. Always start your boat in neutral. Warm up engine properly.
3. Break-In Time. The thrust bearing and shaft packing, and or the mechanical seal need break-in time to insure long life.
4. Packing Gland Inspection 12-S, 12-TD, AT-309, TJ-309, & J120-AT. After the first hour of the break-in period the
packing gland should be inspected and adjusted if necessary. With the boat in the water and the engine running, tighten
the packing gland nuts equally. Excessive tightening of the gland will result in heat damage to the shaft. Excessive leak-
age of the gland can result in poor low speed acceleration and possible water damage to the boat engine.
5. SD-309 & SD-312 Weep Hole Inspection. A weep hole is provided to indicate the condition of the mechanical seal.
Water running out the hole is an indication of a failed seal or that there is foreign debris between the seal faces i.e. fishing
line etc. A blast of compressed air in the weep hole will sometimes clear the obstruction. If it continues to leak, consult
your dealer.

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Practice. It is a good idea to use the recommended break-in period of the engine and jet drive to get the "feel" of your new jet
drive powered boat. It should be handled in the beginning at low speeds and with gentle turns. Because of the jet drive's natu-
ral absence of torque, steering is much more responsive than propeller driven boats. Since tighter turns can be made in a jet
drive boat, be sure to practice these carefully at lower speeds until you are completely familiar with the handling characteristics
of your boat. IMPORTANT, jet boats will not steer without power to the jet. A jet drive propelled boat has the ability to
brake quickly unlike boats using a propeller that must contend with gears. At no-wake and low speeds the jet driven boat may
be halted by pulling the control into reverse. Shifting into reverse at planing or high speed, can result in serious injury,
death or boat damage.

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GENERAL MAINTENANCE
1. Lubrication. Thrust bearing; inspect regularly, at least every thirty hours of operation or if the boat sits for more than 2
months. Grease the thrust bearing before you take it out. Lubricate the thrust bearing using VALVOLINE SYNTHETIC #
985, SFR # 2522, or the equivalent. NOTE: DO NOT USE WHEEL BEARING GREASE. Bowl bearings, lubricate at the
time of winterization, summarization, and once midway through the boating season. Use the same grease as the thrust
bearing. The grease zert is located at the discharge end of the jet drive. Access to the grease zert is through the nozzle;
a long extension on your grease gun will be required. If you have a Droop Snoot it must be removed to service the bowl
bearings. NOTE: Be sure to grease the bearing before your first outing in the spring. Most thrust bearing failures occur
then.
2. Shaft Packing 12-S, 12-TD, AT-309, TJ-309, & J120-AT. The packing gland nuts can be adjusted to alter the compres-
sion of the packing strips against the shaft. The packing must be loose enough to allow for natural expansion. Too tight
of packing around the shaft can cause scoring of the shaft due to excessive heat. Packing too loose can result in exces-
sive air and water leakage. The two packing gland nuts should be turned in quarter turn increments until snug (tighten
each nut in one quarter turn increments to insure an equal compression on each side). After they are snug, then back
them off very slightly (less than a quarter turn total).
3. Reverse Components. The reverse bucket should be inspected every thirty hours for proper function. The reverse
bucket should not have any play when the cable is under tension. The cable attaches to the reverse bucket with a pivot
pin. Make sure this attachment is secure. Also make sure that the reverse cable is secure where it passes through the
tiller arm. Adjustments to the reverse bucket position can be made by tightening the bulkhead fasteners at the tiller arm.

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4. Steering. You should check all steering cable connections, each trip for safety. These include the transom housing
steering nut, the tiller arm-to steering tube connection, the tiller shaft set screw and the lower nozzle pin cap screw.
5. Hand Hole Cover. Check the hand hole cover for tightness periodically. This should be done on land. Do Not Remove
The Hand Hole Cover In The Water, unless it is Clearly Above The Water Line (AT-309, 12-S, & J120-AT).
6. Lack of Performance. If the pump over revs when trying to get on plane, it is probably due to a stick, leaf or something
else in the impeller eye. Remove any foreign material from the impeller. REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY BEFORE
PLACING YOUR HAND INSIDE THE JET DRIVE.

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IMPELLER INFORMATION
The size impeller to choose for your jet drive depends upon the priority you place on speed, economy, efficiency, engine life
and noise. All of these factors are affected by impeller trim size. the six different impeller sizes offered for your American
Turbine, are listed across the top line in the Impeller Selection Chart. The largest impeller is the 9 1/2" and the smallest is the
C.
In general, the larger the impeller the more efficient it is. this means that for any given boat speed, a larger impeller will re-
quire less RPM from an engine than will a smaller impeller. The benefits of the lower RPM are better fuel economy, less en-
gine noise and longer engine life. In some cases these benefits may be achieved at the expense of a slight loss of top-end
speed (rarely more than 1-2 mph).
The maximum rating of the aluminum impeller is 400 BHP and 5000 RPM. To achieve maximum top speed Figure 1 must be
used. To utilize this table, it is necessary to know the RPM at which maximum horsepower occurs in your particular engine.
This information is obtainable from the engine manufacturer. Select shaft horsepower figure in the left column and move
straight across to the right until you see the recommended RPM of the engine. The impeller trim given at the top of this col-
umn is the choice for maximum top speed. Should the selection fall between two impeller sizes, the larger of the two is rec-
ommended. Top speed is variable with load and hull design. This chart is accurate only if the jet drive has adequate water
supply at maximum RPM.
Since the jet drive demands a constant load against the engine regardless of load, there is no danger of lugging the engine as
in an overloaded propeller-driven craft.

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IMPELLER SELECTION CHART
FOR MODELS 12-S, 12-TD, AT-309, TJ-309, SD-309, & J120-AT
H.P. 9.5 9.25 AA A B C
150 2900 3050 3200 3600 3800 4050
200 3200 3350 3500 4000 4200 4450
250 3450 3600 3700 4300 4500 4800
300 3800 3950 4050 4550 4800 5100
350 4050 4200 4300 4750 5100 5350
400 4250 4400 4500 5050 5300 5600
450 4450 4600 4700 5250 5500 5850
500 4650 4800 4950 5400 5700 6050
550 4800 4950 5100 5550 5850 N/A
*THESE RPM VALUES MAY VARY ACCORDING TO HOW YOUR BOAT ALLOWS
THE PUMP TO LOAD
HORSE POWER REQUIREMENTS ARE AT THE PUMP SHAFT

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H.P. 8.1S 8.1A 5.7S 5.7A 4.3S 4.3A
150 3075 3200 3350 3500 3650 3800
200 3400 3550 3700 3850 4000 4200
250 3650 3800 4000 4150 4300 4500
300 3850 4050 4200 4400 4575 4800
350 4050 4225 4450 4625 4825 5025
400 4250 4425 4625 4850 5025 5300
450 4475 4650 4800 5025 5250 5500
500 4575 4800 5000 5225 5415 5700
550 4725 4950 5175 5400 5600 5900
*THESE RPM VALUES MAY VARY ACCORDING TO HOW YOUR BOAT ALLOWS THE
PUMP TO LOAD
HORSE POWER REQUIREMENTS ARE AT THE PUMP SHAFT
IMPELLER SELECTION CHART
FOR MODEL SD-312 GEN 1 ALUMINUM & STAINLESS

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H.P. 2.4 KW 2.6 KW 2.9 KW 3.3 KW 4.0 KW 5.0 KW
150 3600 3500 3400 3250 3050 2825
200 4000 3900 3700 3550 3325 3100
250 4300 4200 4000 3850 3600 3325
300 4550 4400 4250 4100 3825 3575
350 4800 4650 4500 4300 4025 3725
400 5000 4850 4700 4500 4225 3900
450 5200 5050 4900 4675 4375 4075
500 5400 5250 5050 4850 4550 4225
550 5550 5400 5200 5000 4700 4350
*THESE RPM VALUES MAY VARY ACCORDING TO HOW YOUR BOAT ALLOWS THE
PUMP TO LOAD
HORSE POWER REQUIREMENTS ARE AT THE PUMP SHAFT
IMPELLER SELECTION CHART
FOR MODEL SD-312 GEN 2 STAINLESS

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SAFETY
1. Retrieving Skiers. We recommend shutting off the engine when retrieving downed skiers.
2. Ski Ropes. Ski ropes should be avoided if possible to insure that they are not sucked into the pump. Should you run
over the rope turn the engine off immediately. Shut off the engine while retrieving the rope. There is a certain amount of
danger in retrieving the rope with the engine running, i.e. should the line be sucked up and a person become entangled it
could be possible for them to be drawn under water and drowned. REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY BEFORE PLACING
YOUR HAND INSIDE THE JET DRIVE. Do not remove the hand hole cover unless it is clearly above the water line (12-
S only).
3. Shallow Water Operation. When the boat is operated in shallow, rocky water, ingestion of small rocks can cause dam-
age to internal parts. No system can keep all the debris and rocks and allow enough water through to operate properly.
So, remember to be careful in rocky water.
4. Braking At Speed. Be sure to use the braking action conservatively because the effect is much the same as an emer-
gency stop in an automobile.
5. Engine Cooling. Do not operate the engine out of the water as severe damage to the engine and jet drive could result.

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LIMITED WARRANTY
1. American Turbine, Inc. warrants, to the first original retail purchaser, each new jet drive unit manufactured by American
Turbine, Inc. to be free from defects in material and workmanship.
2. The warranty extends for 12 months from the date of purchase.
3. Claims under this warranty shall be made by returning the defective part freight prepaid to American Turbine, Inc.
4. Any jet drive or part determined to be defective in either workmanship or material during the warranty period will be repaired
or replaced at American Turbine, Inc.'s option, without charge for parts or labor. American Turbine, Inc.'s liability shall be lim-
ited to repairing or replacing part found to be defective during the warranty period.
5. American Turbine, Inc. reserves the right to change or to improve the design of any product without assuming any obliga-
tions to modify such units previously manufactured.
EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS
This warranty does not apply to:
1. Any part, accessory or product not manufactured by American Turbine, Inc., And for which Manufacturer warranty has been
supplied to the consumer by the respective manufacturer.
2. Normal Maintenance items such as lubrication and adjustments necessary as a result of normal wear and tear.
3. Any jet drive or part that has been modified, altered, or repaired by other than American Turbine, Inc.

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4. Products damaged as a result of misuse, neglect, negligence, accident, freezing, normal wear and tear, corrosion, salt
water corrosion, improper installation, operation with lubricants which are not suitable for use with the jetdrive, failure to oper-
ate and maintain the product in accordance with the owner's manual supplied with each new American Turbine product, prod-
ucts used for racing, damage resulting from debris, or other substances entering through the jetdrive, operating the jetdrive at
RPM in excess of the maximum rated RPM as stated in the owners manual, or any case other than a defect in the manufac-
ture, material, or assembly of an American Turbine, Inc.
5. American Turbine, Inc. shall not be liable for any incidental, consequential or other damages whatsoever, including but not
limited to: loss of use, loss of time, inconvenience, cost of returning the defective product to American Turbine, Inc., travel,
lodging, or damage to personal property.
6. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may
not apply to you.
7. This warranty is the only express warranty applicable to American Turbine, Inc. products, and is in lieu of any other express
or implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness
for a particular purpose. All implied warranties are limited in duration to minimum period required by State law. American Tur-
bine, Inc. neither assumes or authorizes any other person to assume for it any other liability or warranty in connection with its
products,
8. Some states do not allow limitations on the duration of implied warranties, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
9. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which may vary state to state.

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OPTIONAL STEERING ASSEMBLIES
HTR II
PART # RSK2101 BEST
PART # BNA1407 TURBINE TRIM
PART # RA8507
AT DROOP SNOOT
PART # RA1201 SDR
PART # SRK2101 DOMINATOR PART # RA1703 BERKELEY PART # RA1707
JET TRIM
PART # JTA8507
HTR
PART # RA1701