Water pump lubrication on BN2 ?

[bighealeysource]

Hey all,
The water pump on my 100M does not have the lubrication plug on the side as shown in the Service Manual. Where the plug would be is simply a flat surface that a plug hole might have been drilled but not on this pump. The pump does have a large slotted head machine screw that screws into the top of the pump but as I recall, this is intended as a pressure relief screw or some such thing. The machine screw even shows up in the Moss blow up of a 100 water pump. One time I went to take it out to see if that was my lube hole and got a nice stream of coolant coming right out. Am I missing something or guess this engine could have a replacement pump with no lubrication plug. Cannot tell from the Moss catalog but maybe new replacements do not have the lube plug ?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[roscoe]

Original pumps had zerk fittings. Newer replacement pumps are "lubed for life".

 

[bighealeysource]

Thanks Jon - kind of what I was thinking but glad to know replacement pumps are "lubed for life" !

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Thanks Jon - kind of what I was thinking but glad to know replacement pumps are "lubed for life" !

In the case of some of the 'modern,' repro pumps 'life' may not be very long.

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Bob,
Getting some occasional weird noise coming from what I believe is the water pump but hard to pin down. Generator has been rebuilt so it is not the culprit. Water temp runs great. I'm going to take the fan belt off and see if the noise goes away when the pump is not turning. Really can only hear it when first starting up. Not the best info to figure out a noise but you know how we all are, hear anything different and drives us nuts figuring out what it is !!!
Thanks
Mike

 

[RDKeysor]

My '60 BN7's water pump, which surely isn't original to the car, has small hole in the top that looks more like a casting flaw than a deliberate creation. I've thought about using BJ Weld to mount a zerk in that location, but I haven't done that nor have I tried to add lubrication to the hole. Pump seems to work OK.

 

[Keoke]

In the case of " some " of the 'modern,' repro pumps 'life' may not be very long



However, Excessive pressure created by lubricating the pump with grease guns via the Zerk fitting initiated much of the old pump failures. Consequently, that design was discontinued.

 

[steveg]

Mike Salter has rebuild kits for some original water pumps:
michael.salter@gmail.com

He has a blog posting describing the issues with water pumps and why the originals should be rebuilt vs buying the POS new ones.
Have requested a link and will post it when he sends it.

 

[Michael Oritt]

RD said: "My '60 BN7's water pump, which surely isn't original to the car, has small hole in the top"

I believe that some pumps had weep holes on top--designed to give an early warning that water is getting past the seal.

 

[CLEAH]

Is this the hole you are referring to? I know that my pump is not original as I replaced it, twice, in 1979. The pump had failed on the Healey, and my dad was out of town, so I could not drive the car. A replacement was on the bench, so I decided to take a crack at replacing it. I messed up the hand-cut gasket, so out the radiator and pump had to come again. Second time a charm, and it has worked fine ever since. The engine is now awaiting a complete rebuild.

 

[steveg]

Mike Salter has rebuild kits for some original water pumps:
michael.salter@gmail.com

He has a blog posting describing the issues with water pumps and why the originals should be rebuilt vs buying the POS new ones.
Have requested a link and will post it when he sends it.

Here's the link to Mike Salter's blog, describing rebuilding BJ8 water pumps;
https://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/?p=994

The processes shown may be appropriate to older pumps.