Water pump failures?

[GT6Steve]

Amigos,

I'm running my 81 for twenty five miles each way of high speed (above limit) driving. The latest failure was the water pump bolts working loose dumping all of the coolant in the middle of a long desert stretch. By the time I could get off things were steamy indeed!!!!

the next morning after limping home I found the water pump bolts loose. Tightened them and the cooling system passed both a pressure test to 32 pounds and a CO in the water test. Remarkable!

Then when testing it runs but runs crappy at idle. Oh yeah, classic intake manifold leak. #8.

Fix that and then notice the belt flanges are orbiting, Hmmm...root cause perhaps? WP failure. Again!


So the question. is it worth buying one of the Stewart Water pumps and if so, which one??

I tried to ask them direct but they're not accepting E-mails these days:confused2:

Whatdya think? A presumed good one or another aftermarket replacement?:devil:

 

[010752]

I'm running A Stewart stage 2 in S Florida, pretty hot here most of the time and have zero cooling problems, runs at tstat temp all the time. didn't even have the chin spoiler for a couple years, until recently, and still don't have any of the rad foam installed. A little longer to warm up, because the stage 2 doesn't have the bypass passage and it will run a little more pressure on the engine side, which is good. If you use one of them, you must use the balanced tstat with the bypass holes drilled in it.

I would correct those pulleys no matter what pump you choose. :wink:

 

[big2bird]

I just get the Delco units from Rock Auto, and have no problems. However, the stewart pumps are far superior, and they build race proven pumps.

 

[big2bird]

I would correct those pulleys no matter what pump you choose. :wink:

Yep., A bent sheave, unbalanced fan, or bad fan clutch will phuck up any pump quickly.

 

[JeffP1167]

I would correct those pulleys no matter what pump you choose. :wink:

Yep., A bent sheave, unbalanced fan, or bad fan clutch will phuck up any pump quickly.

I've heard mechanical fans on aluminum pumps can also be a problem since the snouts were never designed for the weight of a mechanical fan. Any truth to this?

 

[big2bird]

I would correct those pulleys no matter what pump you choose. :wink:

Yep., A bent sheave, unbalanced fan, or bad fan clutch will phuck up any pump quickly.

I've heard mechanical fans on aluminum pumps can also be a problem since the snouts were never designed for the weight of a mechanical fan. Any truth to this?

I doubt it. NASCAR uses Stewarts with mech fans

 

[mrvette]

I would correct those pulleys no matter what pump you choose. :wink:

Yep., A bent sheave, unbalanced fan, or bad fan clutch will phuck up any pump quickly.

I've heard mechanical fans on aluminum pumps can also be a problem since the snouts were never designed for the weight of a mechanical fan. Any truth to this?

I doubt it. NASCAR uses Stewarts with mech fans

You think they balance those fans?? :lol::wink:

 

[Twin_Turbo]

The nascar fans are not clutch fans they are fixed fans bolted to a very lightweight aluminum spacer/hub. They commonly use a 16" 4 blade fan.

 

[mrvette]

The nascar fans are not clutch fans they are fixed fans bolted to a very lightweight aluminum spacer/hub. They commonly use a 16" 4 blade fan.

spinning 10,000 rpm ....:shocking:

 

[GT6Steve]

My interpretation was that the pulleys were wobbly because of a bad bearing. I'll know tomorrow.

Thanx for the insights.:thumbs: