RE: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

[Joe R.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

I don't think you will see an ORIGINAL 3859326 water pump on any 63, JD. That casting number didn't exist on this planet in 1963. I think a lot of folks think it did though.

Yes, the 63 in that pic had only about 9000 miles as I remember. Totally original and untouched. Original belts and hoses. Original everything. It came out of the Jerome Shinkay collection in about 1976.

Michael,

Oh yeah, somebody will come out of the woodwork with an original 326 on their Corvette.

Included will be the classic statement: "It's original because it's on my Corvette".

The "Devil" made me say that!

JR

[Jerry W.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

HERE'S A 326 DATED MAY.67 FROM A cHEVELLE

[Jerry W.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

326 Backside

[Alan D.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

Thanks Bill! Any comments on the bypass fitting?
I have same one on my 64 however judges expect a CP with diamond & circle so we learn a little more.

[Mike L.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

This is just my two cents, this doesn't pertain to the 609 water pump question but questioning the by pass hose paint. Many question have come up about paint on the fitting and hose. My friend is the orignal owner of a 1967 Z28 Camaro (yes he still has it never restored) no not for sale. The by pass fitting and hose are UNPAINTED evidence of never having paint on them. So the question I'm asking is why would Chevrolet paint just Corvette's and not there entire HP line on engine. To me this makes no sense, do we just assume that they were painted. Just looking for opionions on this matter.

[John H.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

So the question I'm asking is why would Chevrolet paint just Corvette's and not there entire HP line on engine. To me this makes no sense, do we just assume that they were painted. Just looking for opionions on this matter.

Mike -

They were all painted on the same line at Flint V-8, by the same people, using the same process (at 300 per hour). Engines with cast iron intakes and steel valve covers didn't get any major masking. Engines with aluminum intakes and aluminum (or chrome) valve covers got vacuum-formed plastic masks on the intake and valve covers, and the front of the intake mask didn't fully shield the bypass hose, water pump fitting, or clamps. Although not impossible, it would be highly unlikely for those items not to get at least some orange overspray; it wasn't a "concours" paint or masking operation at 300 engines per hour.

[Michael H.]

Re: 3782609 Water Pump Usage on Late 1963 Corvettes

This is just my two cents, this doesn't pertain to the 609 water pump question but questioning the by pass hose paint. Many question have come up about paint on the fitting and hose. My friend is the orignal owner of a 1967 Z28 Camaro (yes he still has it never restored) no not for sale. The by pass fitting and hose are UNPAINTED evidence of never having paint on them. So the question I'm asking is why would Chevrolet paint just Corvette's and not there entire HP line on engine. To me this makes no sense, do we just assume that they were painted. Just looking for opionions on this matter.

Mike,

One of the reasons many folks think the bypass hose and fitting were not painted orange is the fact that many of these fittings lost their paint rather quickly. The reason this happened often is the fact that the fitting would sometimes have a film of oil on it from the original threading operation.

It wouldn't make sense to paint the engine assembly any other way than with the fitting and hose installed. Plugging the open holes before paint would just add another operation that takes time during assembly.

I still have (somewhere in my Mothers garage) the original water pump with attached orange painted fitting, hose and clamps from the 68 Z28 Camaro that I bought new in 1968.

Both of my unrestored 63 Corvettes still have their original pumps, fittings, hoses and clamps. Almost all of the paint is gone from the fitting on one of the cars but the hose and clamps still have almost all of their original orange paint.

Pic's below are of brand new engines. The engine on the left is a brand new 63 340 HP and the one on the right is a cropped shot of a new 66 350 HP being installed in a chassis at the St Louis plant.

I think there are also at least a few GM photos of new 63-67 engine in the Noland Adams book that show the painted hose and fitting.