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Tips

Wedge TR7 Water Pump

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I

Izual Angel

Jedi Trainee
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Finally got that water pump rebuilt. My question is this. the bearing and everything spun smoothly before I put the cage on. After I put it on it takes a great deal of effort to rotate the cage around the pump itself. There is also a gap between the water thrower and the oil seal. Did I do something wrong? Any ideas?
 
Do you have the impeller on it? If so, the spring loaded graphite seal pushes against the bottom of the impeller, so can be what is making it hard to turn. That is normal.

The shaft shouldn't be hard to turn at all with the impeller off. The only resistance it should have to turning is the oil seal that is just above the bearing. Try lubricating the bearing and the shaft around the seal with a little motor oil. Also check to make sure the shaft is in line with the center line of the cage. If its not, you may have gotten the bearing in wrong, so its binding a little, possible bearing damage if that is the case...

The water thrower should have a space between it and the oil seal, so it sounds like you are ok there. Make sure the outside edge of the water thrower is reasonably straight and that it does not touch the brass cage at all.

After my last TR7 water pump rebuild, I made the decision that its well worth the $300 to get a new one from Wedgeparts, rather than deal with rebuilding the !#$%# things.
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Oh, when you do get it all back in the car and start it up, don't freek out if you get a little water out the hole in the side of the block. The graphite seal and mating surface on the bottom of the impeller have to get seated in good.
If its still leaking after about 30 min or so, be concerned. If its still leaking after an hour of operation, freek out...
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Changing a TR7 water pump is a fairly serious undertaking compaired to about any other car, and rebuilding it is not as simple as the manual makes it look. If you have any serious doubts about the pump you have, or install it and it doesn't work out, Wedgeparts has the lowest price on them I have found. $329.95 at the moment, wish I had bought one or two last year when they were $249.
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Well, I pulled the impellor off (it was easier than removing the cage). It spun easily, and freely. I was afraid (like you said Mark) that the bearing was bound up. Of course, I have a new problem. As I put the pumnp in the block, and then tightened the bolt a little more to seat it in the jackshaft gear the head broke off the bolt
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So, I think I'm going to Sears to pick up a 3/8 to 1/2 adaptor so I can use my torque wrench. And an EZ out
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>And an EZ out
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Be sure you get one for left hand threads.....
 
Well, I got it out w/o the EZ out. Just used a pencil eraser to spin the bolt remnant out.
 
I have never had any luck trying to rebuild one of those pumps. Always wound up having to buy a new one after I tried to rebuild the old one.

One thing I found helps in re-installing a pump is to put it in the freezer overnight and put a heat lamp on the water pump block opening. Those pumps are a pretty tight fit and this helps expand the tolerances and makes an easier fit.
 
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