TR2/3/3A Water pump problem

[Got_All_4]

Installed one of those up rated water pumps from Moss when I installed the engine. In the past i remember reading posts where there were problems with the pumps. Horror stories where pulleys were coming off and going through the radiator. Herd some strange noises under the bonnet tonight and was watching the engine run and noticed a pretty good wiggle in the water pump pulley. You can actually grab it and wiggle it and I din't notice the shaft moving ether. So the pulley must be loose on the shaft. Tried tightening the nut and it's tight. The pulley is the original that came with the car so are they compatible?. What could be going on?

 

[DavidApp]

I seem to remember a comment about the woodruff key being tight and not fitting well in some of the water pump shafts. Could the pulley be riding on the key?

David

 

[Got_All_4]

i remember an issue that i had to file mine to fit.

 

[DavidApp]

I would take the pulley off remove the key and refit the pulley then check to see if you have the wobble. If it ids gone check how deep the key goes into the pulley. Did the key come with the pump or is it the original key?

David

 

[charleyf]

Definitely remove the pulley from the pump and inspect the SHAFT of the pump and then the inside of the pulley. I had one where the shaft was wallowed out by the loose woodruff key. Pump and pulley were both throw always.
Charley

 

[bobhustead]

Last summer I bought a new Moss pump. The woodruff key cut in the pump shaft was metric and smaller than the 1/8 original key and the corresponding slot in the pulley. Had to have the cut in the shaft machined to 1/8. Worked fine. While I repeat that we would not have these cars without Moss and such, they were absolutely no help on this.
Bob

 

[Got_All_4]

Got it all apart today. The pulley was definitely walking around on the shaft. You can see the scuff marks on the pump body and the inside of the pulley. I'm so fortunate that I have this resource here but went to Team Triumph this morning and bought a new pulley and wood drift key. As you can see in the pics I had the same problem as Charley. The new key was larger then the shaft slot but fit perfectly in the pulley. However I didn't take mine to a machine shop I just used my Dremmul tool and my grinder to alter the shaft slot and key to fit the shaft. Took over an hour to get it perfect. Just for some piece of mind I epoxied the key into the shaft. All is running now. I figured out the clutch problem one another post.

 

[DavidApp]

Fitting that key is tricky as it is completely hidden by the pulley. Found how tricky when I spun the pulley and the key fell out. Probable worth checking hao far the pulley goes on the shaft without the key first so you can see if the key is holding the pulley off a bit.

David