Water Pump

[30Coupe]

Hi gang,

I'm wondering what kind of popular opinion exists concerning these new "maintenance free" water pumps? They can be had for about $165, and I'm considering doing it. Any thoughts?

Best regards,

Joe

[Mitch]

Welcome Joe to the VFF

Most of us have been there and done that on the leakless pump options. Some are partially maintenance free grease-less VS others that are fully maintenance free. If your going to do it take the fully maintenance free route. From mine and others past experiences on durability i would highly consider spending a little more and go with the James Rupert Extreme leak-less pump. The pumps from the suppliers always seemed to fail long before their time.

http://www.leaklessapumps.com/extreme.htm

When servicing the pump always put sealer on the R/S upper mounting stud as it's not a blind hole and goes into the water jacket.

FYI:: These look a like fake water-pump studs make it easier for future service and really simulate a stock set up.
https://www.brattons.com/water-pump-...tud-bolts.html

Along with this info if your running an original fan now is the time to change it up to the aluminum 2 blade, as the originals can fracture and behead you or take out your radiator and or hood.

https://www.brattons.com/two-blade-fan.html

[30Coupe]

Thanks very much, sir! The fan blade assembly issue was something I knew nothing about! And you feel that I'll get acceptable CFM from a two-bladed fan, compared to the flow from a four-blade assembly?

[Mitch]

Ck the fan question and answer on this MAFCA post. I would disregard the last sentence or so because the fans being sold now do not have a balance or real fit issue.

http://www.mafca.com/tqa_e_cooling.html

Both the two and four blade riveted together fans can come apart as mentioned. To go with this the proper looking fan for your car would be the 2 blade. I would estimate that 95% of the folks run it and are very happy. The other 5% estimation use the plastic 6 blades or the bolt together four.

[30Coupe]

I wonder, is anyone aware of a difference in flow-volume between the original and these newly manufactured maintenance free pumps?

[Greynomad]

The pump doesn't need to move much water and can't move too much unless it causes cavitation and I've not heard of a Model A pump doing that. A Queensland Model Aer over here drove 3,500 Km on his way to the National rally in Darwn in 30C temperatures and a broken water pump shaft. The pump doesn't do much.

[Mitch]

Many replacement pumps can put out more volume, but i have never had an issue with that. Some have ground down the impeller blades, but i think a large part of the issue is that the radiator needs to be free flowing to take down the incoming water flow. Many of these 87 year old cars do not have a 100% flowing radiator so be aware of that. A new one is not cheap but sometimes necessary so your not running the motor hotter than normal.
When putting your pump on, watch that the snout of the impeller shaft does not rub the inside of the head. This is common so if it does grind that down a little.
Put sealer on the threads of the r/s upper pump stud as it goes into the coolant jacket. I think i already mentioned that previously...

[Greynomad]

I'm sure we have all heard the old wive's story about an engine running hot because the pump moved too much water meaning that it was not in the radiator long enough to cool properly. Ba Humbug!! If it is not in the radiator long enough to cool, it's not in the engine for long enough to get hot.
The only supply of water for the pump is from the bottom of the radiator via the motor. No matter how plugged the radiator is, an efficient pump cannot cause water to exit via the overflow. In other words, the only water the pump can deliver to the top of the radiator what has just been taken out of the bottom of the radiator. That leaves overfilling, overheating or exhaust gasses getting into the cooling system, thereby increasing the volume of the contents of the system, about the only reason water will be ejected. In most cars when the radiator is plugged, the pump sometimes cause the bottom radiator hose to collapse. That's why many cars were fitted with a spring like coil in the bottom hose to keep it open. Henry used a metal tube to do the same thing.

[30Coupe]

Excellent counsel! Much appreciated, fellas! I'll post an update and some in-process pictures. Again, thanks for taking the time to mentor me, here.

[Tom Wesenberg]

25 years ago I rebuilt my original pump and the only new parts I used was the new pair of lead packing rings and I think I might have used a new rear brass bushing. The pump never leaked a drop once I put grease around the lead packing rings. For the past 5 years the only thing I do different is use the new rear bushing with the double lip seal, just to be sure the grease and antifreeze stay separated.