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Water Pump Wiggle

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Andy65

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Now that I have the new Bell exhaust on the 65 BJ8, I'm hearing noises I never heard before. One sounds like a rumble from the water pump. I grab the fan blades and it wiggles about 1/8 inch to and fro.

Is this a "Do not drive it another mile you fool." situation? or "There is no high pitch whine so you have a few hundred miles to go until the new part arrives." Don't want the fan going through the radiator. Water temp is fine.

Is it a good idea to replace the seal when replacing the pump? Seals are sometimes difficult. Is removing the radiator a must? Any other tips are appreciated.
 
Grab opposing fan blades by the outer edges. If you rock it, pushing in on one end and pulling out on the other at the same time, and the blade moves. Replace or rebuild the pump.
 
If the pump pulley wobbles when you twist the fans as described, you have a bad pump. You can probably drive on it anywhere from 10 - 500 miles, but it's a crap shoot, you don't want the pump binding up on the road.

FYI the water pump won't have a high pitched whine when it fails, it'll just clunk about like a bad rod bearing or something similar sounding.

replacing the pump is easy... just take the radiatior out and put it back in... I can have the radiator out in 15 minutes or less, just suck it up, face the music, and yank it out... it's not a big job.

By seal do you mean the water pump gasket? You always must replace paper gaskets any time you pull something apart. Just buy one, they are easy to replace.
 
Alan is "right on". Any movement of the pump shaft means that the bearing is shot. Sooner or later the seal will go & you are stopped. Usually sooner when the coolant leaks out.

If the fan itself is by chance loose, it will rapidly come off & go through the hood or radiator or both.
D
 
By seal, I mean the water pump seal (not gasket)which goes on the back of the pump as shown in the parts catalog.

Are the pumps worth rebuilding?
 
Andy -

No, don't bother rebuilding it. Get a new one from Bill Bolton in Oregon. He provides them for a good quality/price.
 
Alan,
Do you have contact info for Bill Bolton? Is there a business name?
 
Yup, that is what I am talking about. If Moss sells it, I must need it, right? (laugh) Victoria British shows it as a separate part too. But you are saying it is included with a new pump.
 
Correct, you don't need the seal if you get a rebuilt pump. Some of the separate parts are available for the brave who wish to try rebuilding the pump themselves. It takes some specialized equipment just to get the pump apart & back together. Much better chance of success for an experienced rebuilder with the equipment to do it.

Note that the two new bearings alone cost nearly as much as a rebuilt pump.
D
 
Andy65 said:
Are the pumps worth rebuilding?
Click to expand...


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------No! Buy it new---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonod.gif
 
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