rdoll

I have a 1969 350/350 . My car is eating water pumps .In the last 8 mounths I have put on 4 water pumps .3 of them came from O'Reilly and the last 1 from NAPA . Thay last 2 to 3 hundred miles . THe last 1 I didn't get 50 miles out of . Thay all leek out the weep hole . Some have a squeking sound as they go out . HELP

BB68Vett

I would check pulley alignment with a straight edge. Also, if you overtighten the belt you will wipe out the water pump bearings. If you haven't already, I'd do a complete flush of the cooling system to get out any junk that may be floating around in there. Then buy another pump and check the pully alignment. Also, you may have a bad pulley, so check the pulley itself for straightness. Good luck.

vetteguy22

Also check to make sure the fan is not out of balance. This could be putting a lot of stress on the pump too.

74modified

All the above is good advise, plus check that the fan is mounting onto the pump correctly. Something is bent, too tight, or out of balance. The only other thing I can think of is running it dry, and no one would do that.

Gale Banks 80'

I agree with all the above. I'd want to take a bad pump apart to see what went wrong. All of the above point to bearing failure and then the Seal. What type of Pumps are you getting, remanufatured or new? Most remans are done in Mexico, and probably don't use the best parts. Before a pump fails doze it vibrate or feel any diffrent ? Before You put the Belts back on spin it. Doze the Fan always stop in the same spot? Do the Pullys wable.

texas jim

All of the above advice is 100% on, no doubt. I have had a bad fan clutch before on a 1/2 ton Chevy truck and angled alignment on the pump in my '81 'Vette, but w/ the fan clutch, the vibration was horrible and was immediately evident that I needed to address the issue. The mis-alignment was evident looking at the belts and components, but not bad enough to throw the belts off the pulleys even at high RPMs. I'm just saying that something that would kill the pump so quickly, to ruin the seal, by way of vibration/mis-alignment would surely be felt/be evident.

Like what was already stated above, the contents of/in the coolant may be killing the seal. Either trash in the system or an additive put in the system, by mistake even, could be killing the seal. How about some kind of coolant additive to flush the system that should be drained out and the system flushed afterward. How about something that was added to the coolant system by accident, like brake fluid. I'm in no way saying that someone is stupid or anything of the kind. I'm only saying that accidents happen, and in the craziest ways-this type thing has happened to me in the past, my reason f/ this suggestion. Are there any coolants or additives that turn damaging after a long time in a cooling system?

I'd drain the system and flush it out w/ clean water real well, add new coolant, install a new pump and go from there. It is too bad that you can't pull one of the old pumps apart to look at the seal. You could then possibly see if the seal was coming apart and in what fashion/f/ what reason.

Good Luck w/ the process.

***Edit: The squeeling of the bearing is due to the water getting into the bearing after the seal leaks.

rdoll

Two mechanics said that my aftermarket heavy duty fan clutch is the problem . we will see.

bmans vette

Might be a good time to change over to dual electric fans.

rdoll

That is what I took off of it . They had a hard time recovering . The 30 AM fuse would almost melt .

7T1vette

Have you installed all of the required belts on the engine? There is usually a belt running just between the damper and one of the fan pulley slots. If you are not running that one, then the load on your water pump pulley [set] is not balanced and the other belt(s) is putting too much 'side' loading on the W/P bearing. It also forces you to tighten up the belt[s] you are using to keep them from squealling...also adding more side-load.

Don't know if that is your situation, but, if it is, you should add the other belt. To install it, just loosen the bolts on the fan, itself; roll the belt over the damper and then over the edge of the fan pulley groove; then retighten the fan bolts.

Also make sure that the fan pulley pilot hole is a snug fit over the pump shaft flange. If not, the pulley will be off-center and put a lot of vibration into the pump shaft...wearing out the bearing in no time.

Manuel Azevedo

Most all said here can be the problem for sure, also check the size of the pump shaft, there are two sizes and if you have the wrong size fan clutch mated to the wrong size shaft if will not be aligned properly and will shake and kill pumps. The standard shaft size is 5/8 and most vettes have the 3/4 shaft. Most all parts store will give you a small pump shaft.

rdoll

OK I think I got it fixed . This all started when I got rid of the electric fan on my 69 with A/C . I could not find a 7 blade fanwith a 3in. center bolt pattern tomate up to the early 1968-71 pully andwater pump bolt pattern . I could get a 1972 and later 7 blade with a 3 1/4 center . Got one, now find a fanclutch that would work for bough . I got a aftermarket heavy duty . This one had holes for bough water pump bolt sizes . After 4 water pumps . Steve at Corvette Specialists in Blue Springs Mo. Looked at the it and said your fan clutch was to big . After more looking I found a stock fan clutch for a late model that had grooves not holes to boles the water pump up to . A #2713 made by hayden sold by OReilly . The shaft was about 3/4 in. shorter and the drag was much less trhen the stock one . I think I got it fixed .

7T1vette

So what is the supplier of the WRONG fan clutch, which WASTED 4 water pumps going to do for you? You need to post what outfit made this blunder--whether they make it right, or not. It's the only way other folks will not get burned by them.

rdoll

All had life time warranties and were through ORielly . And YES they did make it right THe key is the 2713 makes the old pulley and new fan come together .

7T1vette

VERY glad to hear that. If O'Riellys had a store near here, I do business with them. But, no such luck!

edward lamb

I too am having similar problem one bolt exploded second pump seal gave out both in under 130 mi. I had just installed a freshly built 383 in my 68 . after the first pump I boiled the radiator an installed new fan clutch . I had issues with the clutch, the centering whole was 3/4 & the pump shat was the earlier similar diameter. thou the clutch came with a bushing it did not come into contact with the pump when all 3 pulleys where installed ( actually two ,one is a double) . Well that pump lasted 65 mi. I returned the fan clutch and reinstalled the original one with the new pump but had to remove the air pulley in order to obtain some contact with the pump shaft . I have also now payed more attention to pulley alignment and correctness seems I have none a/c 68 pulleys on an a/c car and alignment is off I am working on getting correct pulleys But i think the mounting flange on these pumps is not set deep enough to correctly mount and center the fan The last pump was a gates and the counter man and i checked several Chevy pumps and they all had the same amount of shaft exposed I am pretty sure that shaft should penetrate the clutch I seem to remember prying fans off the pumps after bolts where removed ?