Water Pump Leak

[Michael Oritt]

All coolant that came out of both the radiator and engine was normal (green and clean) with no discoloration or rust, so whatever came past the wp seal must have been a combination of old grease with just a hint of coolant to give the slime sprayed around the engine compartment that nice, bittersweet taste.

Anyway, everything was straight-forward with the usual struggle to get the radiator out, etc. Once I had the pump off I could detect a definite wobble in the shaft and there is a good amount of congealed grease built up around where it exits the pump body.

Given that this pump lasted only two years I decided to get a rebuilt one from Healey Surgeons--considerably more expensive ($195.00 with a core exchange) than the County pump sold by Moss but if I do not have to do this job again for several years it will be worth the difference.

 

[Deleted member 21878]

i have a 62 tri-carb. when i built my engine i just put in a new water pump rather than try to mess with the old one. may have been a mistake....

SO the other day i got the old one out and thought i might try and rebuild it. as i was looking at it, i wondered... is it even an original pump? it may be a replacement for all i know. is there a way i can tell if it is an original? or worth rebuilding?

Thanks

 

[Lin]

Good article on water pumps on Mike Salter’s blog.
http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/2019/07/13/austin-healey-bj7-8-reproduction-water-pumps/

Lin

 

[roscoe]

Don't know if this pump is one of the " not preferred mfg" but it has the threaded heater port and an improved water flow. My only interest is that I have one as a spare in my boot.
https://www.bpnorthwest.com/austin-healey/bn1-bn2/water-pump-uprated-bn1to-bn2.html

 

[John Turney]

i have a 62 tri-carb. when i built my engine i just put in a new water pump rather than try to mess with the old one. may have been a mistake....

SO the other day i got the old one out and thought i might try and rebuild it. as i was looking at it, i wondered... is it even an original pump? it may be a replacement for all i know. is there a way i can tell if it is an original? or worth rebuilding?

Thanks

I pulled mine apart and sent the following measurements to Mike Salter. He said it was rebuildable and I did. It's now my spare.

 

[tahoe healey]

On the original BJ8 pump there is an emblem in the shape of a diamond with some indistinguishable lettering inside. It is visible on Mikes video. I rebuilt mine along with John via phone conversations. Problem is I don't know if I did well until I need it as it rides in my boot.

 

[Deleted member 21878]

just read Mike's article. then went out and did a quick look at my old pump. i believe mine is one of the reproductions he wrote about with the "made in England" stamped on it. does not have the stepped edge on it and no other numbers i could see.

i will look closer tomorrow.

 

[Michael Oritt]

I am in the process of reassembling things with a rebuilt water pump obtained from Healey Surgeons.

In post #4 to this topic Keoke recommends not having a grease fitting on the side of the pump body. Can anyone--including of course Keoke--give me the rational behind this?

Also i have read/heard recommendations to run the pump dry--without coolant--for some period of time in order to promote quicker bedding in of seal or something along those lines. What is the groups' experience/wisdom on this?

 

[John Turney]

I am in the process of reassembling things with a rebuilt water pump obtained from Healey Surgeons.

In post #4 to this topic Keoke recommends not having a grease fitting on the side of the pump body. Can anyone--including of course Keoke--give me the rational behind this?

Also i have read/heard recommendations to run the pump dry--without coolant--for some period of time in order to promote quicker bedding in of seal or something along those lines. What is the groups' experience/wisdom on this?

Not having the grease fitting means the bearings are sealed. The bearings should be protected from coolant by the seal. If there is a drain between the bearings, and the bearings are not sealed, dirt can get into them.

As as for running dry, about 30 sec to a minute should do. That applies to any water pump with a mechanical seal.

 

[fishyboy]

Hi
This thread might help
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf...T7-advice-needed-please&p=1106669#post1106669
Phil

 

[steveg]

FWIW the dry running can be done on the bench: holding the pulley against a buffing wheel. I used the belt and motor pulley on my drill press.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Prior to getting the rebuilt pump from Healey Surgeons I contacted Michael Salter--he said he is presently unable to get a couple of components to do a rebuild as he would like.

One of the water pump bodies I have in my collection of failed units was not drilled and tapped for grease nipple but all of the pumps I have seen seem to have the same or similar form with the boss to receive a grease fitting cast into it. If the point of distinction as to whether or not grease is called for is the nature of the seal I cannot tell that from the outside and am certainly not going to disassemble the pump to examine its innards, so I've fit the nipple to the pump and will give it a couple of strokes every so often.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

OK, now I'm confused; wouldn't you only be interested in greasing the bearing, not the seal?

 

[Jake]

If the bearings are already the sealed variety, you won't need to grease them further. If you take off the pulley, you should be able to see a snap ring that holds down a grease shield. If you take those two items out, you should either see an open ball bearing (original style) or a sealed one (new replacement). I would find out before pumping grease in so you don't damage possible existing bearing seals with hydrostatic grease pressure.

 

[John Turney]

The seal is NOT greased; only non-sealed bearings.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Bob--

I do not have access to my owner's or workshop manuals right now but if there was a zerk fitting on the pumps when the cars were new I must imagine that a couple of strokes on the lube gun were called for. Looking at the exploded view of the water pump in the MOSS catalogue I cannot tell where the fitting is located in relation to the seals and bearings, but wouldn't it stand to reason that it was located between the bearings so they would both get greased? If so, whether or not the bearings are of the sealed variety--and I am not now going to dismount and disassemble the pump--how can the seals be damaged?

 

[Keoke]

Excess pressure from the grease can distort the seal on old pumps.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

It's been over 30 years, but the original pump on my BJ8 had a fitting, but it wasn't a zerk; it was a cup with a 'flip top' cap that you opened and forced the grease in with a syringe-type pump (I still have both). I found a partial explanation here:

https://vtauto.org/water-pump-grease/

I'm betting the HS pump has a sealed bearing but is tapped if you want to fit a cup for 'authenticity;' I'd call them to make sure.

 

[Michael Oritt]

i finished putting everything back together today and will hold off applying any grease to the pump until I speak with Bruce or Inan. In the meantime all seems good with temps staying at 180 which is the value of the thermostat.

I checked the Workshop Manual and it refers to lubricating the water pump "sparingly" by use of the oil gun, and though it does not say whether it is to be in the oiling or greasing mode if the pumps originally came with simply a plug and orifice wouldn't point toward using oil as opposed to grease under pressure?

In any case I hope this pump lasts a while as changing it out is a PITA.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Spoke with Inan today and she said the rebuilder uses sealed bearings so as several of you suggested no lubing seems in order . Thanks..