Water pump failure

[Kevin_73]

Anyone ever seen this type of failure on a small block water pump?





Happened on Liz's 68 today. Sure was a big cloud of steam in the rearview mirror.

[Entropy]

Had it been leaking for a while? Usually when the bearing starts to go, it starts weeping and leaving puddles.

It looks like the bearing seized, the impellar came apart and tore out the housing with it. I've looked at a lot of bad small block water pumps in my day, but I never saw anything like that.

Just damn.

[Kevin_73]

Originally Posted by Entropy

Had it been leaking for a while? Usually when the bearing starts to go, it starts weeping and leaving puddles.

It looks like the bearing seized, the impellar came apart and tore out the housing with it. I've looked at a lot of bad small block water pumps in my day, but I never saw anything like that.

Just damn.

Bearings are still smooth. No warning whatsoever, it just exploded with a huge cloud of steam.

I had just replaced the fan clutch, so I think it might have been weakened by the harmonics from the old fan clutch squealing for many years.

I have a GM pump with a stronger casting (gussets cast radially around the area where this one failed) to replace it with. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

[PortDawg]

There is the option of electric water pump and Electric fans ...

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by Kevin_73

Bearings are still smooth. No warning whatsoever, it just exploded with a huge cloud of steam.

I had just replaced the fan clutch, so I think it might have been weakened by the harmonics from the old fan clutch squealing for many years.

I have a GM pump with a stronger casting (gussets cast radially around the area where this one failed) to replace it with. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Probably fatigue after so many years. It's possible the belt was a little tight at one time and stressed the casting. You mention replacing the fan clutch, maybe the new one is slightly heavier. Every time you double a RPM, the centrifugal weight quadruples.

I'm a machinist and work with castings. There are plenty of times when machining a casting you go .030 deeper and discover a huge casting flaw. Just keep in mind that the parts were made by the lowest bidder

Jeff

[Dave]

So you're just saying that it sprung a little leak all of a sudden?


Looks like a failure due to imbalance loads on the shaft. Probably an out of balance fan would be my guess. Amazing that the housing fractured before the bearings gave up. But nope, never seen such a thing.

[Aflac]

i'm thinkin JRD is right.. looks like a heat cycle issue. Odds are it's the original casting.