Ugh, water pump issues!

P

PITT40

Gold forum user
Messages
531
Bearings were shot and it was noisy as soon as the car started.

I bought a replacement for a 65 Mustang from Autozone. Installed it last night and was happy. I go to put the pulleys back on and the water pump pulley is 3/8-1/2" out further than the crank pulley.

Are there different depth 260/289 water pumps for 64-66 Fords? I know some stuff changed when they went to cast iron with and integral steel backing plate.

Any help is appreciated.
 
That is a problem

Compare the two water pumps. The tiger pulley and fan must be closer to the engine to align the pulley and avoid interference with the radiator.

Sunbeam Specialty's sells a pump ready to install.

Rick
 
Press

I got a Bosch and corrected the problem with a hydraulic press. It sounds like you have got it installed so making due with what you have helps .
I also had to trim down the shaft as it was way too close to the radiator. Gene is also correct on the support. I had the luxury of taking my pump to a fix in at Bud's shop and I brought the old one with me and matched it up depth wise. When I got home I had the fun trimming the shaft with my angle grinder. Not much easy on these cars good guess why Rick suggested S.S. ready to install.
 
Last edited:
The stock 260 and 289 Tiger water pumps had a special pump hub with the one inch centering section on its tip to match with the one inch hole in the stock fan. I believe it is actually a Lincoln pump hub from the 50's. The hub is pressed back to almost make touch the snout of the pump housing so it would align with the crank pulley.

Sunbean Specialties sells replacement pumps with the correct hub placement, as previously noted by Rick. Others have to have the hub pressed back. It is not a stock Ford pump placement. If you pull yours to do or have that done, be sure the shaft on the impeller end is supported in the press and the impeller does not take any of the pressing force. Otherwise the impeller may bend and the bearings get compromised.

I believe there is a spec for the distance the hub needs to be pushed back but do not have it handy. I seem to recall someone (Dan Walters perhaps?) said that if the hub is pushed back until a dime just fits between the snout and the back of the pulley hub, you are about right.:)

Hope that helps, Gene
 
Last edited:
I thought I had read in another thread that you can have the water pump shaft 'pressed" a little further back to work in the Tiger. If he already has a new pump why not try and use it.
 
003-3.jpg
 
I've probably modified hundreds of pumps for the Tigers using a press. It's not an exact science but what was said above about a dime for spacing sounds about right. The thing is when using a press (or at least the one I was using) you have to be careful to not press the hub down too far. Sometimes the movement if the hub is not smooth. You apply pressure and nothing moves and then all of the sudden it "gives" and can move the hub more than intended. So the trick is to not get it too close to where it's going to "give" and rub on the front bearing or snout of the pump.

Make sure you support the bottom of the shaft and not the impeller. I used a short 1/2" bolt (or maybe 5/8") and that centered nicely on the shaft and then on the top I used a socket. The shaft on the pumps we used never needed to be shortened so the whole process took but just a minute or so.

It's been a few years since I've done this process but I seem to remember also pressing on a small steel sleeve or ring on the pumps to center it in to the fan. I can still hear the squeak as the press was released and the ram went back up.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top