Water Pump ball bearings
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 250
Likes: 5
From: Winchester VA
Water Pump ball bearings
I am replacing the water pump on my 94 LT1. It has 75,000 miles on the engine.
After removing the water pump, I brought it to work and it became the 'hot topic around the coffee pot' this morning. One of the engineers noticed that a large number of the small ball bearings surrounding the shaft were gone.
After closer inspection, it appears that there are two rows of ball bearing. Approximately 50% of the bearings were missing on both rows. The inside row (which was much harder to see) was worse.
So we then moved all the ball bearings to one side and noticed that the wobble in the shaft was significant. If fact I am rather surprised I did not hear the wobble earlier (i.e. before it leaked!).
Also it appears that the water/antifreeze leaking out was coming out through that area.
Anyway, not sure this really means much but found it interesting and wanted to pass on.
KC
After removing the water pump, I brought it to work and it became the 'hot topic around the coffee pot' this morning. One of the engineers noticed that a large number of the small ball bearings surrounding the shaft were gone.
After closer inspection, it appears that there are two rows of ball bearing. Approximately 50% of the bearings were missing on both rows. The inside row (which was much harder to see) was worse.
So we then moved all the ball bearings to one side and noticed that the wobble in the shaft was significant. If fact I am rather surprised I did not hear the wobble earlier (i.e. before it leaked!).
Also it appears that the water/antifreeze leaking out was coming out through that area.
Anyway, not sure this really means much but found it interesting and wanted to pass on.
KC
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 250
Likes: 5
From: Winchester VA
so, where are the ball bearing going? 42000 miles is not a lot of miles on bearings.
1. Corrode and fall out as dust?
2. Factory defect?
Cam swap? I have slight seepage of oil from front of engine. Since I am replacing water pump and opti, I am contemplaing pulling off front cover and looking at where oil is seeping out of. Not sure it is worth all the work....... How difficult was it to remove front cover to swap out cam?
1. Corrode and fall out as dust?
2. Factory defect?
Cam swap? I have slight seepage of oil from front of engine. Since I am replacing water pump and opti, I am contemplaing pulling off front cover and looking at where oil is seeping out of. Not sure it is worth all the work....... How difficult was it to remove front cover to swap out cam?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 250
Likes: 5
From: Winchester VA
Good point on the 'no side load' concern....didn't think about.....however, that makes it even more troublesome that bearings would fail so quickly......especially on a 'high end sports car'.....
