Need ideas on waterpump drive - LT1
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
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From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
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St. Jude Donor '12
Need ideas on waterpump drive - LT1
So I'm putting the 383 together and have issues 
Put the oil pump on and the cam would rotate about 180* in either direction - off it came and opened up the housing.
CARP - gears are all pitted and gouged and the dings keep it from rotating. - replacement on order and should be here Monday.
Now to the problem - the original waterpump drive has a torn up gear. I used the drive gear from my original 350 and test fitted the new cam gear. Now the came rotates almost 360* before getting hung up.
Aarrggh - so I'm going to pull the cam gear off and the waterpump drive off and inspect every single tooth.
Question - I have some 2 jaw pullers around - can I use one of those to pull the old broke gear off? any other ideas on how to get it off?
Once its off - how do I get the new one back on without messing the bearing up???
Put the oil pump on and the cam would rotate about 180* in either direction - off it came and opened up the housing.
CARP - gears are all pitted and gouged and the dings keep it from rotating. - replacement on order and should be here Monday.
Now to the problem - the original waterpump drive has a torn up gear. I used the drive gear from my original 350 and test fitted the new cam gear. Now the came rotates almost 360* before getting hung up.
Aarrggh - so I'm going to pull the cam gear off and the waterpump drive off and inspect every single tooth.
Question - I have some 2 jaw pullers around - can I use one of those to pull the old broke gear off? any other ideas on how to get it off?
Once its off - how do I get the new one back on without messing the bearing up???
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,686
Likes: 753
From: NEwhere Ohio
So I'm putting the 383 together and have issues
Put the oil pump on and the cam would rotate about 180* in either direction - off it came and opened up the housing.
CARP - gears are all pitted and gouged and the dings keep it from rotating. - replacement on order and should be here Monday.
Now to the problem - the original waterpump drive has a torn up gear. I used the drive gear from my original 350 and test fitted the new cam gear. Now the came rotates almost 360* before getting hung up.
Aarrggh - so I'm going to pull the cam gear off and the waterpump drive off and inspect every single tooth.
Question - I have some 2 jaw pullers around - can I use one of those to pull the old broke gear off? any other ideas on how to get it off?
Once its off - how do I get the new one back on without messing the bearing up???
Put the oil pump on and the cam would rotate about 180* in either direction - off it came and opened up the housing.
CARP - gears are all pitted and gouged and the dings keep it from rotating. - replacement on order and should be here Monday.
Now to the problem - the original waterpump drive has a torn up gear. I used the drive gear from my original 350 and test fitted the new cam gear. Now the came rotates almost 360* before getting hung up.
Aarrggh - so I'm going to pull the cam gear off and the waterpump drive off and inspect every single tooth.
Question - I have some 2 jaw pullers around - can I use one of those to pull the old broke gear off? any other ideas on how to get it off?
Once its off - how do I get the new one back on without messing the bearing up???
Whatever puller/ press you use needs to engage both the outer and INNER races of the bearing.
If you pull just the outer race of the bearing you will destroy it.
Im sorry I dont have more information, as I didnt do the work myself.
I just handed the parts to them, paid them $25 and they did it all. I stood by waiting for about 20 minutes and they handed it back to me.
BTW. I had to do all this because I went with the extreme duty timing kits where you must put the kits special metalurgical gear onto the shaft.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
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From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
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St. Jude Donor '12
Winner winner chicken dinner!
Took the old assy and new gear to a machine shop I use and they took it apart, put the new gear on and didn't mess up the bearing.
All for $10!
Took the old assy and new gear to a machine shop I use and they took it apart, put the new gear on and didn't mess up the bearing.
All for $10!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,482
Likes: 196
From: folsom california
when you installed the cam retainer plate, did you reuse the button head screws ? they provide the necessary clearance, if you used cap screws, the will interfer with the back of the cam sprocket and create the type of interfernce you are experiencing
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,686
Likes: 753
From: NEwhere Ohio
be careful w/ the retainer plate!
I broke off the ear on mine when I hammered out the shaft from the intake side to remove it...
I had forgot to fully unscrew both retainer plate screws before hammering on the backside of the shaft to remove it! Duh!
I broke off the ear on mine when I hammered out the shaft from the intake side to remove it...
I had forgot to fully unscrew both retainer plate screws before hammering on the backside of the shaft to remove it! Duh!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Not unless they recently changed. I read all the internet hype, so I tested both the OEM LT4 water pump gear and the LT4 Extreme Duty gear. The hardness result....identical.I ran my water pump stock gear with the Extreme Duty cam gear for years before switching to an electric water pump. With my 383 I switched back to the mechanical pump. I've run my OEM LT4 water pump gear with the Extreme Duty cam gear for the last two years...nearly all on road courses.
Last edited by 96GS#007; Apr 30, 2012 at 10:42 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Cam plate - yep used the button head screws.
Didn't get a chance to pull things apart tonight so not sure where the exact interference is, but I'll get it figured out.
I'm happy having the shop pull the broken gear and put it back together. With the interference issue it means when I rebuild the original LT1 I'll do it again. Best $10 I spent
