Changing water pump on 62
 

Was going to a car cruise Saturday with some friends and did a little hard driving and noticed a coolant smell after we got to the cruise but nothing on the ground.When I got home later and was moving the cars around to put the 62 in the garage I noticed a little coolant under the car but not from the the tank.It appears to just be the gaskets on the pump are leaking.

I would appreciate a step by step walk through on how craddle the engine,should I remove the hood,a good replacement pump from a local supplier,what type sealer on gaskets,should I seal the threads on the bolts?And picture if you have them.

It's a 350 with stock motor mounts,stock exhaust manifolds and no cross over,finned aluminum oil pan,JMR suspension.

I changed the water pump about six or seven years ago but at that time I didn't know about the Corvette Forum.:ack:Also I'm not as able to do the work as I was then.

Thanks,
Rich

Rich,
Most probably, the gaskets between the crossover mount and the block are the ones which are leaking. This is fairly common. To replace the gaskets, the engine needs to be supported. One of the more common methods of supporting the engine is to use a bottle jack under the pan with a wide board (such as a 2x6) and something for padding between the pan and the board (rags, old piece of carpet, etc).
Remove the motor mount bolts, then jack up the engine 1/2 to 1in and then remove the water pump and cross over mount..
There are actually a total of 4 water pump gaskets, two on the rear and two on the front side of the cross over mount.
After replacing the gaskets, it is a good idea to ocassionally re-tighten the bolts after driving the car a few times to seat the gaskets more securely. As the engine torques back and forth on the cross over mount, the rear gaskets become stressed and can wear and eventually leak. Ocassional tightening of the water pump bolts will minimize wear that occurs between the block and the mount.
Replacing those gaskets is not really difficult, just kind of time consuming.
I have the identical setup on my 56, and I made studs from stainless steel all thread to replace the bolts.

Tom Parsons

Agree with Tom! Did mine that way two years ago.

I had the same problem last month. Follow what Tom said. Replace all four gaskets.

It is time consuming and since you will have to drain the system, I decided to replace the water pump at the same time. New pump at NAPA only cost $49 and well worth the investment to avoid the possibility of having to do it again in a few years.

Thanks for all the input.

Just wondering did you guys use permatex on the gaskets and bolt threads?

I used Forn-A-Gasket in the gaskets...nothing on the bolt threads...

There is for a fact a bolt that goes into the water jacket of the block and it certainly would not hurt to use thread sealant on that bolt.
Also, if your car is not a perfect, numbers matching car, and you do not wish to use studs made from stainless all thread, I would at least strongly encourage you to switch the 4 water pump bolts to stainless bolts. They are different lengths, so you will need to measure them.
It is not uncommon for a water pump bolt on these old cars to become rusted and siezed in the block and then break off when you try to turn it with a wrench. That will REALLY complicate things!!! That's why I suggest switching to stainless bolts for the water pump. :thumbs:

Tom Parsons

Here are a few threads on C1 water pump installation.
I built a saddle and rotated the bracket to the right when installing as John recommended, and don't forget to re-tighten the bolts after everything sets, and after the first drive.

:cheers:

Paul

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...pump-help.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ater-pump.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ater-pump.html

Yes - just a light film on both sides of the four gaskets, and on the bolt threads (several of them go into the block water jacket, like the head bolts).

The job is simplified if you use two 3/8"-16 studs - one in the top bolt hole on each side, as assembly aids; with the studs in place, install the gaskets, motormount plate, gaskets, and water pump. Then install the two lower bolts, remove the studs and install the two upper bolts, and you're in business. Helps "hang" the sandwich of parts without smearing off the sealer or damaging the gaskets. :thumbs:

I've used this method twice on my '62 now, really helps.

:cheers:

Paul

You don't need to remove the hood.

Does your present water pump have a fitting on top that connects to the overflow tank? It should. If it does, you need to swap over that fitting onto the new water pump. There might be an adapter there too. You'll need to swap that over. The new water pump you buy will need that hole there for the fitting.

Before you replace the pump, have you tried retightening the 4 bolts?

I didn't try retightening,but the gaskets appeared to be shot.

Many thanks to all the input from all members,which proved to be very helpful.The new pump and motor mount repainted, gaskets sealed,tightened down and left to sit overnight.I'll put the heater hose,lower radiator hose and fan and pulley on in the morning and top off the coolant.It should be good to go.
But next time I'll get a new motor mount.