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way that most people have used until recently and the next is my preferred method.
The original method is easy and you can use the impeller again to change your MJ
back to normal. The second method requires breaking the impeller apart so it can
never be used as a normal MJ again. The benefit of this way is you remove the
linkage and therefore most the vibration/noise the unit produces. It should be noted
that just because I posted these methods does not make them the best methods.
These are simply the way I do it. There are many small tweaks to them that you
can read about on the Reef Central thread. I think if I attempted to post every
possible variation, people would just get lost in all the different ways and not know
what one to do.
Take the impeller out of your maxi jet and pull it a part so all you have is the magnet part.
Take a small piece of the airline and super glue it onto the magnet. Then take a piece of
the rigid airline and glue it inside the soft airline. I like to keep the old metal rod inside while
I do this to make sure everything is on strait( I used the old rod so I don’t get glue on the
new one. Next glue the prop on. Two things id like to mention about gluing the prop. First is
you don’t want it all the way to the end. If you glue it just below the end of the tube it will
stop the prop from getting stuck between the stopper and the black centering cap. Second
you want to make sure you fill the small square spaces at the bottom of the prop with glue.
Then using a dremel cut the steel rod to length. When you are done it should spin freely
around the metal rod. I can't tell you the sizes to cut all these because it will very from
housing to housing . The rod should be cut so it is just barely doesn’t come out the end of
the cap when assembled. You will need to put a dab of glue on the end to hold it in. the
ridged plastic tube should be cut so it positions the prop ¼” under the stopper bar you put
in.***update*** some people have reported that the black airline that comes with the maxi
jet works better to attach the impeller to the rigid airline.
The reason I like this method the best is because it uses one long shaft rather than trying
to adhere two pieces of shaft together with a soft plastic . The end result is a prop that
spins much more freely and makes less vibration and noise. Down side is you are
breaking the impeller apart so it can never be used as a normal MJ again . You can also
mess it up and ruin the magnet so do this at your own risk . Do not get mad at me if you
break your magnet. If you do break or ruin it in some way you can get a new impeller
from places like premium aquatics for about $9.
For this method we are going to break the plastic ends off the impeller and pull out the
tube in the center. Just use a pliers to snap off the large end and pull the other end out.
You can also use something small to stick in the magnet hole and push it out.
prop on. I like to use a dremel and cut two small notches in the bottom of the dumas
3004 prop so I can fill them with glue. It tends to stay glued better this way. I also like to
glue the prop on just slightly below the end of the airline , this will stop the prop from
getting stuck between the acrylic rod stopper and the black centering cap . Next slide
the magnet over the airline. It should be noted that the magnets inside diameter vary
quite a bit from one to the next so some will fit really tight and some will be slightly
loose . the loose ones will of coarse require additional glue. Now the reason we cut it
the same size as the metal shaft is because its better too long than too short, that way
you dont have to start over and throw out the prop if you are too short. Next cut a bit
off the tube, slide the magnet up and assemble the unit to see if it fits right inside the
shroud, the prop should be about ¼” below the stopper , if it's not cut a bit more of the
tube off and assemble again until it’s the right size. Make sure to leave a bit of tube
hanging out the end of the magnet to simulate the space that the black cap was taking
up and make sure the end tube is flat because it will be spinning on that surface. You
can also just glue that black cap back on the magnet instead Once you are confident
that everything is the right size glue both ends of the magnet onto the rigid tubing .
doesn’t, don’t worry. What happened is the magnet was too tight and it squeezed
the rigid airline . There is a very simple solution to this problem. I take a piece of
carbon fiber rod that is the same dimension as the stainless steel rod I am using
and stick it in the end of my hand drill. Basically what you are going to do is use the
drill to bore the hole out slightly. Don’t go crazy or you will overheat it and melt the
airline, short bursts are best. When you are done the prop assembly should spin
freely on the stainless steel shaft.
this version but don’t discount the risk. You may ruin your impeller in numerous
ways. If you are careful and don’t rush things you should be fine. When you shop
for the rigid airline at your LFS, petco, petsmart… Bring a piece of the stainless
steel shaft with you. The inside diameter of the rigid airline is extremely inconstant
from one piece to the next. So try a bunch until you find one that is the exact same
size as the rod you have . If you can’t find one go to a different store. Trust me its
worth the time you spend finding a good piece as it will reflect in the vibration and
noise the final product makes.
I am working on a method using carbon fiber tube or ceramic tube/rod to replace
the rigid airline but this is a few weeks out. I need to build and rebuild a bunch of
them and see how each works.
