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Water pump question #3130042
03/17/23 07:04 AM
03/17/23 07:04 AM
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Detroit area
6PAX Offline OP
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Is there any way of telling if a water pump is good (or testing it) without it actually being installed on the motor and run? I got a box of spare parts with one of my cars and among them is a used Mopar Performance aluminum water pump that I'd like to use but don't really want to go through the trouble of installing it only to find out it is bad.

Re: Water pump question [Re: 6PAX] #3130051
03/17/23 08:26 AM
03/17/23 08:26 AM
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imperial mo.
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stickman Offline
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I didn't want to chance it. Went to rockauto and brought a gates one. Is a cast iron with 8 blades. A nice looking piece. Didn't break the bank.


YOU CAN`T RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS IF YOU NEVER LEAVE THE PORCH.


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Re: Water pump question [Re: 6PAX] #3130150
03/17/23 02:19 PM
03/17/23 02:19 PM
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Bend,OR USA
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How do the impellers and front seal area look?
You could put some water in the housing with the fan mounting surface pointing down to see if the water will seep or leak out the seal to start with shruggy

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 03/17/23 02:19 PM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Water pump question [Re: Cab_Burge] #3130163
03/17/23 02:58 PM
03/17/23 02:58 PM
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north of coder
moparx Offline
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make sure to tilt the assembly to see if any moisture starts to appear at the weep hole on the pump as well.
beer

Re: Water pump question [Re: moparx] #3130232
03/17/23 09:39 PM
03/17/23 09:39 PM
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Omaha Ne
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TJP Offline
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I'm not sure either of the above suggestions will "prove" the pump is OK.
3 other things have to be considered.
1. Head pressure of the coolant above the pump when installed
2. System pressure
3. Temperature
In my earlier days i experienced good pumps that would go south while an engine was out being machined. I attributed this to "drying" out. I the started placing the pumps in a bucket of coolant and had no more failures. I stopped doing this years ago as pumps became cheaper and it was not worth risking a comeback on a customers car.

On a somewhat related incident, I recently had a real strange one. The car had come in for a coolant leak. Ok I pressurized the system and immediately noted several leaks at the hose clamps. Tightened the clamps and left it under pressure over night. Easy fix.
up
A week or so later the customer calls and says it's leaking again ? I have him check the clamps and they are all tight. he brings the car back in and mentions that the leak only appears after it's been sitting 2 or more days, STRANGE shruggy
I pressure test again with no problem noted. So I just leave it sit. Sure enough on the 3rd day the weep hole on the bottom of the pump starts very SLOWY dripping. Like 1 drip every 1/2 hour realcrazy In over 50 years i have never encountered this A new pump and all was well beer

Re: Water pump question [Re: 6PAX] #3130236
03/17/23 09:52 PM
03/17/23 09:52 PM
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Highland, MI.
Sunroofcuda Offline
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Put a new one on - they are so cheap.


No Man With A Good Car Needs To Be Justified
Re: Water pump question [Re: Sunroofcuda] #3130271
03/18/23 08:07 AM
03/18/23 08:07 AM
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nowhere
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Sniper Offline
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Bearings and seals aren't unique, any decent bearing supply house should be able to match them up. So unless your impeller, shaft or housing is damaged you can rebuild them.

Though you might find a new pump is cheaper than new seals and bearings.

Re: Water pump question [Re: Sniper] #3130318
03/18/23 11:48 AM
03/18/23 11:48 AM
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north of coder
moparx Offline
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i wonder what brand seals quality restoration shops are using, vs the brand seals pump manufacturers use ?
if a better quality, it "may" be worth doing the pump you have instead of buying a pump.
this is providing a guy has a press, knows how to use it correctly, and figures his time doing this is worth doing, instead of buying a new pump, then having it fail within a year or less due to leaking seals.
beer

Re: Water pump question [Re: moparx] #3130390
03/18/23 05:00 PM
03/18/23 05:00 PM
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VA
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Having rebuilt a half dozen and taken apart about a dozen plus water pumps 66 up type. The shaft and bearing are one piece. There really is no way to test without installing. Even with a good bearing, I have found the shaft pits under the seal collar and getting the mechanical seal to not leak around that pitting is the issue. So new bearing/shaft and seal. Impellers, fan mount are available also. The whole exercise is save the period correct housing.

2843290 Hemi waterpumpkit.JPGIMG_1082.JPG
Re: Water pump question [Re: Cab_Burge] #3130393
03/18/23 05:13 PM
03/18/23 05:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
6PAX Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
How do the impellers and front seal area look?
You could put some water in the housing with the fan mounting surface pointing down to see if the water will seep or leak out the seal to start with shruggy


"make sure to tilt the assembly to see if any moisture starts to appear at the weep hole on the pump as well."

Here are a couple pictures of the pump. I had it standing on end all day (propeller end up) with water in it. No leakage anywhere including the weep hole even when I tipped it. The only thing that seems unusual is when I turn the impeller, it seems it doesn't turn as easily as the pump I have on my other car.

DSC00004.JPGDSC00005.JPG
Last edited by 6PAX; 03/18/23 07:46 PM.
Re: Water pump question [Re: 6PAX] #3130545
03/19/23 01:31 PM
03/19/23 01:31 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,237
north of coder
moparx Offline
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any idea how old that is ?
i have seen and used old [10 years or more] pumps before that didn't leak when installed.
however, i have used old pumps that have leaked as well.
kind of a crap shoot. maybe how they were stored has an effect on the seals ?
beer







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