Water pump grenade!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 493
Likes: 2
From: Dunellen New Jersey
Water pump grenade!
Has anyone ever had this happen to them?History.I picked up this 69 350/auto from a friend to help him out.The carb needed adjust and the door lock wouldn't work yadda yadda.He just bought it yesterday and the previouse owner said that he changed the water pump twice recently and a new radiator because it was shot.I opened the hood and the entire car is like brand new.I said 2 waterpumps and a radiator?Well on the drive home,All is good temps are fine,I stop at circle and KABOOM! and steam out the hood.I pull over and the water pump(No Lie) exploded!The fan went through the shroud.So new fan,new shroud,new water pump.I noticed in all my books the when you install a new fan you should check for run out.I presume this is why the water pump went.The fan and shroud both looked new.I belive thats why the radiator was replaced also.I am not trusting any of the BIG Corvette companies with there high priced china crap.Who has this stuff I could trust?Thanks guys
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Glendale AZ
If he replaced them because of bearing noise or leaking out of the weep hole (assuming they were new pumps of course), I'd say the fan was out of balance for sure.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,316
Likes: 4,422
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi z,
There are a couple of small companies that rebuild orginal GM water-pump castings. Would you be interested in/trust one of those?
Regards,
Alan
PS: I think you'll find the 69 GM Chassis Service Manual has a lot more to offer than Haynes.
There are a couple of small companies that rebuild orginal GM water-pump castings. Would you be interested in/trust one of those?
Regards,
Alan
PS: I think you'll find the 69 GM Chassis Service Manual has a lot more to offer than Haynes.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 493
Likes: 2
From: Dunellen New Jersey
I think I'll have a hard time telling if the puuley aligns.lol I have several manuals.I just grabed the Hayens because most of mine are 73 specific.i would love to post a pic but I can't figure it out
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 493
Likes: 2
From: Dunellen New Jersey
I stomped on it right before the traffic.No holes in the Rad or hood.Thank the lord.One thing though we did find a little coolant Very little coolant in the engine bay and couldn't figure out where it came from.The bay was spotless.Maybe a small undetected fissure?Ower is pissed but I am more because it was in my hands when it happened.He had just drove it about 80 miles to get it home stalling out all the way.Dont ask why he didn't just turn around right then and have it repaired from the guy he bought it from,
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 4
From: Concord Calif
Fan balance sounds like a good bet here. One thing to check is the shaft size on the pump. Most corvettes are 3/4" shafts and most other GM's are 1/2". Meaning if you have the Corvette fan with the 3/4 hole in it and a standard auto parts water pump with the 1/2 shaft, you have no real way the be sure the fan spins some what true and will shake!! Some of these small shaft pumps will give you a brass bushing to take up the difference in shaft size, but I would just get the right pump. Just a possibility that you might have.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,804
Likes: 4
From: Standing still with all my might Texas
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09-'11
Did it look anything like this?
That was the result of several years of running with a bad fan clutch, followed by replacement with a fan clutch with the wrong size pilot hole.
That was the result of several years of running with a bad fan clutch, followed by replacement with a fan clutch with the wrong size pilot hole.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,804
Likes: 4
From: Standing still with all my might Texas
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09-'11
When that happened to me the belts stayed attached and were still turning the unsupported pump impeller inside the shattered housing. It sounded like I had broken the camshaft or something. I seriously thought I was going to have to get a new crate motor for it until I loosened the WP belt and was able to see that the entire snout was broken loose.
I made a bushing to make the 3/4" pilot hole in the fan clutch fit on the 1/2" shaft. All has been well since then, and the car has even been raced hard a couple of times.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
worn out, old AF ... or no AF at all ... will soon wreck WP bearings & seals.
if you found little coolant in bay ... maybe it was mostly water & quickly evaporated (unlike a typical 50:50 mix).
or ... maybe the piece was never properly purged and the pump ran in an air pocket ... that'll quickly wreck em too.
if you found little coolant in bay ... maybe it was mostly water & quickly evaporated (unlike a typical 50:50 mix).
or ... maybe the piece was never properly purged and the pump ran in an air pocket ... that'll quickly wreck em too.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 493
Likes: 2
From: Dunellen New Jersey
I did have the huge steam cloud and I thought I blew the motor.The whold fan,clutch and front half of the pump were laying on the frame rail.I did notice yesterday that the top of the radiator was hit so I will be pulling that also and taking it to a rad shop.Its not bad,but just for the insurance
