The Todd Mod for Jabeo WP pumps!!

MidwesternTexan

MidwesternTexan

Average Joe
So I've been thinking of cleaning my WP's (haven't since I've had them),
and I've wanted to mod the fins/grate to open the flow and keep the detritus from forming.
I noticed that the newer RW has much wider spacing on the fins, etc.

Today, Dale(Tech 1) was over, stuck his hand in front of one of my WP40's, and sugggested I clean them.

Well, after he left, I had some time and took them out one at a time;
briefly soaked in vinegar/water and got my toothbruch going.
I figured out that the outer/front grille comes off my simply twisting.

I looked thru my tools and choose some suitable cutters, needle noses to get the task done.
I snipped the crossbraces on the front grill, and used a thin paif of needlenoses to
grab every other fin and twist it and pull and it broke right off.
Not once did it rip/crack the housing around it.

When I took the impellers off/out, they had very little buildup on the shaft, the inner mag, or the impeller itself.
It was plastic or ceramic, and didn't break off when the outer housing was removed replaced.
Having rebuilt Koralias b/c they failed, stuck, or always started backasswards- this pumps' quality of build and materials is far superior.
And, when I went to restart them again? Perfect, and forwards! I didn't have to bump the hjousing to get it to start,etc.

I got both pumps done, cleaned, put back and flowing in 30min or less- with the MOds to the fins.

Talk about FLOW! My fish are loving it! I mean I've had these since the 180 was up, but with the closed fins, and the small slots getting a little dirty, the flow was really reduced.

The old design- was working well



The operating room table/counter during the procedure



The WP40 Todd Mod



I highly recommend this! Easy, free, fast
 
People have been doing that to Tunze Streams for over 10 years. Unlike the Tunzes, you will still have to keep cleaning the impeller to keep them from slowing down.
 
sirreal63 said:
People have been doing that to Tunze Streams for over 10 years. Unlike the Tunzes, you will still have to keep cleaning the impeller to keep them from slowing down.
Click to expand...

Unlike the Tunzes? I should have taken a picture of my impellers- about like new.

The impellar on one of them was about 9 months use, the other 3 months use.
The impellers hardly had anything on them-
and they weren't slowing down.
The fine detritus build up on the thin intake slots was at least 98% of the
decline in the output- and it was still pretty good too.
98% of the decline- not declining output by 98%.

It's a really quality impeller, etc.
Never had a Tunze, but multiple Koralias and MaxiJets using the power head attachment- POS IMHO- they stick, and when the do start up- often in reverse! Oh, but you can jump thru hoops and get an improved outer grille that cuts it down some.
For the price vs the output and dependability- It's Jabeo all the way for me and my DT.
 
I go about 6 months on cleaning my Tunzes, not because they have slowed down, but to get the coraline off of them. The impellers are never gunked up and flow has never diminished. I have two 6100's that are about to have their 10 year birthday, same impeller and they look like new. When you do the math, over the lifetime of the pump, it is always cheaper in the long run to buy something that lasts, even if the price is more initially. Very few of these Jebao's have lasted to the one year mark, even fewer have lasted beyond that. You will enjoy the Jebao until you have had to replace them several times.

The reason the Koralia's and Maxi's have startup, and running the correct way issues, has nothing to do with the impeller, it is because they are AC pumps, which can start in either direction, DC pumps always start in the same direction.

FWIW I have an original K4 that still works great to this day, it is from the original batch and has been used in numerous aquariums over the years. I still have a couple MaxiMods, that I made myself before you could buy the mod, they still work great too, I use them to mix water. Though they are no where near the quality of the Tunze, they have done the job as expected.
 
toky916 said:
More flow ? With the Front grates open is flow more wide or about the same ?
Click to expand...

Not sure really, that's hard to objectively measure actually- the width of stream that is.
IMHO, it is wider also though.

Lincutis said:
good job Todd, I will probably do this tonight.
Click to expand...

It works well!, should keep the fins from slighltly slowing the flow some.

sirreal63 said:
I go about 6 months on cleaning my Tunzes, not because they have slowed down, but to get the coraline off of them. The impellers are never gunked up and flow has never diminished. I have two 6100's that are about to have their 10 year birthday, same impeller and they look like new. When you do the math, over the lifetime of the pump, it is always cheaper in the long run to buy something that lasts, even if the price is more initially. Very few of these Jebao's have lasted to the one year mark, even fewer have lasted beyond that. You will enjoy the Jebao until you have had to replace them several times.

The reason the Koralia's and Maxi's have startup, and running the correct way issues, has nothing to do with the impeller, it is because they are AC pumps, which can start in either direction, DC pumps always start in the same direction.

FWIW I have an original K4 that still works great to this day, it is from the original batch and has been used in numerous aquariums over the years. I still have a couple MaxiMods, that I made myself before you could buy the mod, they still work great too, I use them to mix water. Though they are no where near the quality of the Tunze, they have done the job as expected.
Click to expand...


You are right on all accounts, the a/c thing, etc.
I too have heard of the Jabeo's not lasting- I'll find out soon enough.
As of right now, they're great!
 
Last edited:
Great post.

I have a couple of WPs to modify!

I didn't think about he larger slots on the RWs allowing for more water movement...
Duh.

Good thinking Todd.
 
Unlike the Tunzes, you will still have to keep cleaning the impeller to keep them from slowing down.

I would question that.. Unless the Tunzes being referred to have some sort of incredible design that includes a self-wiping mechanism that doesn't allow buildup, I don't see how they'll do any different than any other pump. (I can say from my experience with the WP40, the impeller is always the cleanest part of the powerhead)

Anyways, decent idea! I wonder how my puffer would react though since he likes to sit on top of the powerhead every now and then! lol :/
 
Bryopsis said:
Unlike the Tunzes, you will still have to keep cleaning the impeller to keep them from slowing down.

I would question that.. Unless the Tunzes being referred to have some sort of incredible design that includes a self-wiping mechanism that doesn't allow buildup, I don't see how they'll do any different than any other pump. (I can say from my experience with the WP40, the impeller is always the cleanest part of the powerhead)

Anyways, decent idea! I wonder how my puffer would react though since he likes to sit on top of the powerhead every now and then! lol :/
Click to expand...

I have a Des. Tang that like to try and pick at the front grille in the slow cycle, He tried and got his nose in there a bit farther this time due to the crossbracing being gone.
But not to worry, just like touch a fan that's pointing AT you, it just pushes it away, not cuts it off.
 
Bryopsis said:
Unlike the Tunzes, you will still have to keep cleaning the impeller to keep them from slowing down.

I would question that.. Unless the Tunzes being referred to have some sort of incredible design that includes a self-wiping mechanism that doesn't allow buildup, I don't see how they'll do any different than any other pump. (I can say from my experience with the WP40, the impeller is always the cleanest part of the powerhead)

Anyways, decent idea! I wonder how my puffer would react though since he likes to sit on top of the powerhead every now and then! lol :/
Click to expand...


They get very coated with bio mulm, but it doesn't slow them down. I will let someone else figure out why that is, but it is still a fact that I don't have to clean them to get the flow from them, even after a decade on the original parts.
 
Having used both, I have to say Jack is correct. I did this mod in my old tunzes and decided to try it on the Jebaos I tested as soon as I got them (I think I actually wrote it in the original thread). I believe it does increase flow a little as it did with the Tunzes; however, the jabaos still needed cleaning on monthly basis, it is incredible the amount of flow you lose with just a little bit of film buildup on the impellers.
 
OK, my observations now.

Remember, I didn't spend anything on this 'mod', so that doesn't influence the observations.

There is no difference in what the housings are doing, no new noise, etc.

I have them about 2.5-3inches from the top, aimed down ever so slightly.
I now notice, every so often- 15+ min., it pulls a air vortex in, and quickly breaks it when the air hits the impeller.
My WP's are on the front of my C2C overflow, unless I put them on the sides, or on the back below the overflow, it's as low as it'll go.

This isn't a problem, in the time I logged in here and typed this, it's didn't pull the vertex down once. Opps- it just did, and it immediately breaks it too- the air vertex that is.

But, if you know you're have the pump a certain direction up most all the time,
Then I'd now recommend leaving the fins in on the top side, if it's anywhere near the top.

When I was using a Maxijet 1200 with power fan mod and had it on a hanger near the top, I had to put a piece of plastic on the top 1/4 to keep the vertex from forming.

All in all - Way more flow even when they were brand new!
It's obliterating all my Shallow CC bed in the front, about 4 feet from the pumps, on W2 mode.
The whole front middle is now BB again!
 
Last edited:
Fixed it! The air vortex that is.

I got a small piece of plastic, and wedged it under the bracket where it was pulling the vortex.
It's on the upper back, so you don't even see it.

Easy fix- a piece of an already used small plastic measuring cup- clear. I used the same piece for the top of my MJ power head, now I'm using about 1/2 of it in one area, no more vertex/pulling air and bubbles.
 
I had moved my wp40's down about 5 inches and underneath my C2C overflow, on the back wall.
No more vortexes with them there.


It's been 2 months, no problems and no structural problems.

I haven't had to clean any detritus off the intake fins either.

All is good.

 
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