It seems like every time I have reawakened an old engine that's been dormant for many years, I've had to replace the water pump after a very short time. I suspect the seals get rotted, so they quickly wear away, letting water into the pump's bearings or bushings. Then, it's goodbye water pump! Is there something that can be done to save the seals? Or Is there a someplace to buy just the seal? My engine is an off-topic 1971 Cadillac 472 that has been sleeping since 1989. But I've had the same thing happen on a 1962 Buick 215, Pontiac 195 and a Ford Straight 6. Does anyone have any advice as to how to keep from having to buy a new water pump for my latest Rumpelstiltskinian engine?
If you have spun the water pump.......it is toast. I have used wd-40 with some success. $80 for a reman
I did think to take it off before turning the engine over. But that turned out to be a dumb mistake because oil poured out everywhere when it started. $80 buys a nice steak dinner for two.
We used to use polypropylene glycol to lube hot tub pumps to they don't run dry on start up. Maybe try dumping some into the pump before turning it over.
I think you had a run of bad luck or bad water pumps. I have revived lots of old cars, only one had a bad water pump and it was obviously shot when they parked the car. Fill with fresh water and a can of water pump lube is about all you can do. If it is a real old car it may have a grease ****** on it, grease it with water pump grease or waterproof marine grease. Not too much, one pump is plenty.
I just replaced the one on my 355. The old one sat for 30 years and I have this phobia about getting stuck on the road. It was actually a new Cardone pump and really inexpensive.
For some time Some Euro and Japanese makers forbid using coolant with silicates, which supposedly are abrasive and eat even fancy seals. I wonder if other makers used different seals, or didn't care. It seems like most brands these days are phosphate and silicate free, so /// might /// have some benefit in old iron.
when I have a motor that is going to be dormant for a period of time...I just make a plug out of some exhaust tube and a bit of old radiator hose to blank off the pump and then make a weak mix of soluble oil and fill the motor... stops the pump drying out and also stops the rust forming inside the block a couple of rinses with fresh water and good to go again....the soluble oil I use is the stuff they use on lathes for lubrication..dunno it's right name.
I may have been unlucky. That's one reason I wanted to ask - to see if others were having the same problem. I have some water proof trailer bearing grease. I wonder if that will work. I may try to get some under the seal somehow. I usually just call my wife to bring the truck and we flat-tow stuff home. Doesn't happen that often and I'm usually just around town. I'll check before refilling. Thanks. Good tip. Mine had green radiator fluid in it that looked new. Hopefully that preserved the seal a little.
The water pump seal on many older engines is a spring loaded fiber disc pressing on a machined surface of the pump casting. If the casting machined surface is corroded it will leak. There's also a rubber seal around the spring that will deteriorate over time.
I'd say the biggest problem is corrosion on the pump shaft. It gets rusty from sitting and eats the bushings, bearings, and seals the minute it starts to spin again. As far as avoiding it, every old engine that gets revived should have the pump rebuilt or replaced.
say the biggest problem is corrosion on the pump shaft. It gets rusty from sitting and eats the bushings, bearings, and seals the minute it starts to spin again. As far as avoiding it, every old engine that gets revived should have the pump rebuilt or replaced I'm not so sure about that...I have had a couple of experiences where I had bought brand new water pumps at a good price to keep on hand as spares and after a couple years on the shelf, when call into use I found they leaked like ******y.....I know a couple years on a shelf is not the norm but shows that the seals dry out on new stuff too. just hope the water pumps I have had for 11 years for when I build my flattie are still okay
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