bb water pump kit?

[Mark Skroupa]

My '66 427/390 factory original water pump seal finally let go! Its the 3856284 dated correct pump and you know the story. Does anyone make a rebuild kit?

[Craig S.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Mark- yes, rebuild kits are available to rebuild your current pump, they run about $30. I believe Dr Rebuild has them...Craig

[Joe L.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Mark-----

Be careful when rebuilding the pump. There is an "art" to it and it's not as simple as it might seem. Castings are EASILY broken in the process if one does not support them properly. Achieving minimum runout on the hub does not always work out.

I "experimented" with this for quite awhile before I "got the process down right" and I sacrificed quite a few parts in the "education process". I don't do ANY rebuilding for others, though---I STRICTLY do parts which are for my own cars. However, if you want to send the pump out for rebuild, Arthur Gould has an excellent reputation for good work, fast service and fair prices. His phone number should be somewhere in the archives.

[Geoff C.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

At one time we offered a kit, however as Joe states - if you do not do it the right way - you can easily fracture the cast iron. I have heard nothing but good reports about Mr. Gould.

Geoffrey Coenen

[Chuck S.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Has anyone had experience with Bill Mock in Oklahoma???????

[Jack H.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Rebuild kits, of various grades, are listed in the Chicago Corvette catalog for the do-it-yourself mechanic.

[Craig S.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Thx Woody- thought you still had the kit. The $30 labor to have Art do it is probably worth the cost....Craig

[Craig S.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

I guess Doc doesn't have them anymore (see post below). I know LI corvette has them if you can stand the interaction...Craig

[Michael S.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Try our favorite US retired service officer, Mr. Pirkle. John now does water pumps. I am not sure if he will do "your" pump, however he has many castings and dates available already built for sale.

The key to a good rebuild is a NEW shaft. Many available rebuilds at the parts store go bad and leak because they use the old shaft.

Call John Pirkle in Augusta Ga. at "Masters City Rebuilders". Sorry I do not have the number handy.

Mike Strinich
#11202

[Dick W.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

Masters City Classic Car Parts @(706) 860-9047 or www.johnpirkle.com

[Clem Z.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

the shaft is part of the bearing and i would think that they would replace the bearing and just not the seal. redoing pump is not brain surgery,all you need is a arbor press,several fixtures and a feeler gauge to set the impeller clearance. back in my BBC racing days to prevent high RPM cavatation we would press the pumps apart and remove every other fin from the impeller.now days they just buy different size pulleys to slow down the pump speed. back then we raced using our brains and now you race with your wallet. i think most chevy shop manuals show how to rebuild the pumps.

[Joe L.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

clem-----

Chevrolet Chassis Overhaul Manuals did show procedures for water pump rebuilding through about the 1971 model year edition. After about that time, the procedures disappeared from the overhaul manuals and most of the SERVICE parts for rebuilding the pumps were discontinued by GM. The rear plate gasket was the last component part available and even it was discontinued about 20 years ago. Parts are, of course, available in the aftermarket although you won't usually find them in auto parts stores anymore.

Many years ago (about 15-20) when I decided that I wanted to learn about and "try my hand" at water pump rebuilding, I had one hell of a time trying to find rebuild components. No one sold them. I went to the LA area where there are quite a few commercial automotive water pump rebuilders. I visited them all and NONE would sell me the parts. Finally, I found a "rather unique" operation in south central LA called Salgado Automotive. They sold me the parts.

I later found out that the manufacturers of these water pump rebuild parts do not package them anymore for sale at retail and have not for MANY years. They package them only in bulk quantities for sale to commercial rebuilders. Anyone can purchase the "bulk quantities", but they are way too large for an individual to use. I expect that the Corvette vendors that sell the water pump kits do purchase from the suppliers in "bulk quantities" and re-package for individual sales.

Also, I later found out that due to field rebuilding problems, GM no longer considered water pumps to be "field serviceable" after the early 70s. That's why the procedures were dropped from the Overhaul Manuals and the component parts discontinued. After that time, GM considered water pumps as "unit serviceable only".

[Clem Z.]

Re: bb water pump kit?

i still have some bearing assy and back plate gaskets around. most of the pumps i did were brand new,i just modified them so all i needed was a back plate gasket. rebuilds are cheaper than the parts to do it.