Hi Dave,
If you decide to rebuild a water pump, you might want to check locally for a Massey Ferguson tractor dealer. The same water pump was used on the older tractors, as on the cars. The pump and parts for it are often a lot cheaper at a MF dealer. There are MF dealers all over the U.S., I even found one here in San Jose, where we don't have a great deal of farming going on since the orchards were replaced by high tech industry (Well, there are a few server farms, I suppose).
On the other hand, I bought the upgraded, 6-vane type from British Frame & Engine (
www.britishframeandengine.com). It is a lot more expensive, but I'm running a fairly modified engine and want to be sure I'm getting all the cooling possible.
The main advantage of 6-vanes is that pulsations in coolant flow are lessened, a more steady and even flow is produced. Plus the curved vanes are less likely to cavitate at higher rpms. I can't report how it works yet (work in progress) but the upgrade has been pretty well proven in the British vintage race/rally group.
Another major problem with many of the repros offered today is that the inside of the fanbelt pulley rubs against the housing of the pump. I was very pleased to see that the housing of the pump I bought from BF&E had been machined so there is no chance of that happening.
Just a thought.... A good trick while the water pump is out is to replace the single bolt with a stud, if that's not already been done. This makes water pump replacement much easier in the future.
With the bolt, you're supposed to remove the pulley first, and that can be tricky under the hood, even in the comfort of a garage. Putting the pulley back on under the hood can be a fight, too, coaxing the Woodruff key back into place.
Especially, replacing the bolt with a stud makes an emergency water pump swap at the side of the road on a dark and stormy night oh so much easier.
The replacement studs were originally intended for use with the repro pumps with the non-removeable, pressed-on pulleys. But, the stud works equally well on pumps with the original, bolted-on pulley. Most of the Triumph vendors sell the replacement studs, but it's a standard size you might be able to find locally or cut down from one that is slightly longer. (3/8 NF on one end, 3/8 NC on the other, if I recall correctly)
One last thing, the original seals used in TR water pumps required 45 seconds of "dry" break-in when first installed, to seat properly. That meant not topping up the coolant right away and running the engine briefly. This was the method described by the factory repair manual.
However, most modern replacement pumps have a different type of seal and shouldn't be broken in this way. Be sure to ask about proper break-in procedure, when buying a water pump or parts for one. I can tell you that the BF&E high performance pump uses a modern seal and should not be run through a dry break-in.
Cheers!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L
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