VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Water pump leaking

Just started my 1940 chevy after replacing blown head gasket. I now have a leak coming from the vicinity of the water pump; but haven't been able to Identify source. Only drips when engine is running. Have tightened hoses & bolts, but still have leak.

I checked the pump over before installing it; and it looked clean and dry. There is no play in the pump shaft, although there did appear to be some discoloration around the lower two bolts to the block. Since those bolts go into the water passage, I coated them with gasket sealer at installation.

Question: Is there some way of testing the pump other than replacing?

How about pulling the fan blade and running the car to better see where leak is originating?

If the water pump seal is leaking the water will drip from the little drain hole on the bottom/front of the pump. Plug the hole. Run or drive car for a few miles. Remove the plug. If water runs out look for a new pump.

OK, I noticed that before installing the pump. I'll plug it and let you know the outcome.

Thanks.

Jmikl

Jmikl,

Get another water pump (WP).

If the leak is coming from the vicinity of the WP - and not from water tracing down the hose connection - then it is the WP. Count on it.

Gene's test, while sound, will only tell you that it is the WP. Might as well go ahead and get ahead of the problem.

If I'm wrong, then just send me the new WP. After all, you don't need it.

Best,
Charlie

Mine started as a little drip and quickly turned into this...



Water pumps are cheap enough to order, find, or rebuild that it's worth it to have it done and have a spare for the trunk anyway. Helpful tip... make sure on your spare that the pulley will line up with the lower one before it goes on the car so that the shop you take it to doesn't break it trying to make them line up with a hammer!! That's how it gets to be on the flat bed! At the Central Meet swap meet there were at least four 216 water pumps available in the $20 range. One came home with me.

Note that the 1940 water pump fits 1939 and 1949 only. They came witht he pulley installed. The 1937-1939 pump looks the same and is the same except the pulley is different.
I keep a spare water pump in the trunk of my cars. Never know when you are going to need one when yor a long ways from home.

A spare water pump is always good insurance.

a. 1975. Same project car. 41 cabriolet w/54 engine

b. Slung a fan blade in WY (Wyoming). Took fan off. Heading west into stiff wind anyhow.

c. Damaged WP. It started leaking on down the road

d. Took one off an engine at junkyard in Rollins. WY

Should have had one with me.

Charlie

Thanks all,

I couldn't get my bifocals in position to clearly see the leak source, or effectively plug the drip hole in the water pump. Ended up pulling the radiator, and discovered the leak coming from the bottom edge of the pump. Thankfully the freeze plug is ok.

After pulling the pump, discovered the gasket between the back plate and the casting had blown. (Source of my discoloration around bottom two bolts.) My instinct is to pull the pump apart, replace the gasket, and try again. (New pumps are averaging $150.) However, I don't seem to be enjoying playing in antifreeze and cleaning up what remains of my recent engine compartment paint job; as much as i remember from years past... And am not relishing a potential third replacement.

I've ordered a new pump, It will be in later this week.

Thanks again for all your comments.

I hope you ordered a new pump and not a rebuilt one. There is a lot of quality differences with the rebuilt ones. I recently chose to return a rebuilt one because of my concern with it's quality. I was glad when I found a newly manufactured pump with a life time warranty. It was worth the extra cost and peace of mind. It was the third time since 2003 that I was replacing my water pump. The previous two had not worked out. In each case I had used anti freeze and the last one even a lubricant to aid the pump. It is not a fun job to replace a water pump on a 41. It was interesting that I could have gotten the same warranty with a rebuilt one, but I was not going to run the risk. The pulley was even hard to turn on the rebuilt one while the new one turned smoothly. Good luck, Mike

P.S. If a rebuilt one looks bad on the outside, all pitted, and the pulley doesn't turn smoothly, what does it look like on the inside? How long will it last?