Corvette Water Pump Applications

[Jack H.]

Re: Corvette Water Pump Applications

I'm going from memory, Joe, but I think the Nov '65 date that's cited in the judging literature is 'rifle shot' at the '326 housing casting. My hunch would be that when Saginaw began date coding these, it was a 'phase in' affair since a number of casting molds had to be changed to accept date coded inserts...

[Lynn H.]

Re: Corvette Water Pump Applications

Jack & Joe,
Just wondering, any idea of when the earliest "confirmed" 326 casting is, or earliest that you have seen. I would tend to agree (not that I know anything) with Jack about the ballbark thing with the NOV 65 and the dates. Of the two 326 castings I have, I think I may have already mentioned somewhere: One is not dated and it does have the larger boss that accepts the 3/4" NPT. I have to go with what Joe stated about being reconditioned by a rebuilder as it certainly HAS gone through that process. It has both large and small bolt circles on the flange, and it also has the stamped plate (with flange) on the back of it, rather than the flat plate that (I THINK) was on the early pumps. The dated pump that I have is L14 5.
On the 330813P casting that I mentioned earlier, I also had the assumption that this may have come from an outside supplier. What I mentioned earlier that appears to be "stamped" into the casting rather than cast like dates and numbers appears to be "RP". The only thing that came to mind was Rochester Products, but I didn't think (or do not know if) they did castings. I will post a picture if someone wants to see.
Just wondering and attempting to put a little more knowledge in the vault (not that it stays there, sometimes it just visits). I tell my mopar buddies that I DO NOT want to know about their cars, cause I can't un-learn it. HA HA
Thanks for getting involved in this thread,
Lynn