Technical Pontiac water pump issue.

Stuck. 1964 389. The water pump that was on it worked on the car the engine came out of. I understand about plate clearance. Anyway I couldn't get things to work. Put on a 14 bolt pump that came off what was a working 400. Still won't work.

Pulled the thermostat. Put the upper hose in a bucket. I'm getting absolutely no flow. Radiator full. Engine is verified as full. Start the car and nothing. Not even a dribble.

 

Are there different pumps available?
Pump turning in correct direction ?
Any restrictions at all in engine or rad ( run a garden hose through rad and engine to verify )
New build?
Old build ?
What’s the story morning glory ?

 

New radiator. Engine was done years ago, ran a little and then I bought it. Clean as can be in it. Sounds great running.

Any way around it, as sitting there it should pump. Pumps absolutely nothing.

 

@flamedabone please pick up a white courtesy phone.

 

With the belt off spin the pump in both directions. Does it pump at all in either direction? Is this a stock ‘64 block and heads or post ‘64 heads? What front cover is installed? Randy


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I'll have to run back down but it's not pumping at all with the belt and car running.

Stock 64 block with stock heads. It was running fine in the car I pulled it from.

The front cover is from a 400. 14 bolt water pump. It wouldn't pump with the stock cover and pump so we tried this.

 

Did you install the water pump sleeves inside the front cover when you converted to later pump?

 

Yep.

 

Were the engine cooling p***ages open during storage ? Mice & chipmonks love small storage spaces , mud daubers need a place to make a home ..

 

All checked. All good. It wasn't open......

Pulled the thermostat. Took the heater plug out. Fills right up. Just doesn't pump.

 

If I understand, you've tried 2 different pumps and neither works. That would suggest that the pump is not the problem. Something is blocked or airlocked, or the pump isn't primed.

 

We've changed 100's of water pumps. Fill the radiator and the engine fills. You can't watch the water reach the thermostat opening. You can pull the heater plug and watch it fill that far.

It doesn't circulate at all. Pour coolant into the upper radiator hose and the radiator fills. It goes through the engine.

 

If you've changed " 100's of pumps" , you should have this under control , I can't imagine your needing anyone's suggestions ...sorry for interrupting ..

 

Pull the pump and check it off the block.
Something in the p***age acting like a one way valve?

 

The pump is clear. Everything worked fine on the 400. On the 389 cover I even tried a brand new water pump. Checked clearances on all of them.

The only differences is the radiator now. I've never used a dual flow radiator before but as I noted, it doesn't seem to be the issue. Fill and it will run out the bottom hose. Disconnect the top hose and we get nothing.

The only other difference is the intake. It is filling as far as I can determine. Coolant up to the thermostat neck and then coolant to the top of the heater hose opening (it's plugged off).

 

My money is on a rag stuffed in a p***age left over from storage time

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Show us some pictures of the front of the engine.

 

No rags. We have had the front cover off. No rags. I pulled the engine out of a running car. We installed a new timing chain and cam but it was all ****oned right back up.

We have the water pump off again. Will get it tomorrow if nothing gets figured out tonight.

 

Check the water inlet at the head. most of those old aftermarket pontiac intakes fit 55-64, and have two holes for the water. one hole is for the earlier engines and the other is for the 61-64 heads
Make sure the port lines up with the water inlet in the headand the other is plugged. Had the same problem years ago with a 64 gto and a p22 edelbrock dual quad intake.

 

THANKS!! I have to think it's something like this.

 

....

 

I think buds56 had it. Pulling intake now. Ran a wire and it doesn't seem open.

Doh.

 

The intake was the issue. Thanks.

 

Interesting problem, glad you found it. Please post some pictures of what you found.


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Aftermarket intake. Two holes. The earlier engines have water running through the rear hole. Newer through the front. I'm ***uming thats because of the reverse flow on earlier engines.

This one had the plug in the front (since removed). Luckily we had a correct gasket as the rear is an oil p***age.

 

Glad you got it figured out!

 

Could that be because the early engines use the front of the heads to flow water from the pump?

 

That is probably some of that "back when but no pretty well forgotten now knowledge. I worked in Pontiac dealerships in the 70's but didn't do engine work.
A search shows that the same water pump fits all of the Pontiac V8 engines from 59 through 68. Evidently they made a change in 69. Or is that the "Late" pump mentioned above?