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Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
I posted this in Drew's build thread but figured I would post here in for more visibility. It's a Cardone 58320 and is currently listed on rockauto for 10.05. here is Drew's thread.
Re: Water pumps with no hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
In the picture, that "hole" is for coolant weeping and indicates that the waterpump bearing and/or the seal is leaking. Replacement of the pump is necessary.
Re: Water pumps with no hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
He’s referring to the bypass hole that is present in the newer castings and is often blocked off with a pipe plug. The original castings did not have this hole.
Re: Water pumps with no hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Coolant "bypass" systems/holes, whatever, allow coolant to circulate in the engine, before the thermostat opens. Without SOME kind of "bypass" engines would hot spot and suffer eminent failure.
The drilled "weep hole" at the bottom of a water pump, has been on every water pump I ever saw, since I entered the Auto Repair Business in 1973. When the water seal fails, the weep hole gives the leaking coolant a place to exit. It this hole wasn't there, the coolant would be forced through the pumps outer bearing, leading to quick, catastrophic failure. IE The pump bearing would likely seize up!
Some kind of wishful thinking , leads some folks to surmise, that if the weep hole was not there, or plugged, the leaking, failed pump would last longer.
Well engineered parts are designed to fail GRADUALLY.
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
I'm not sure about "original" vs "newer" casting designation...
SBC "tall" WPs have had that hole since they were introduced in 1969, and as such, a casting WITH the hole would seem to be the "original" style. It's on the suction (rad hose) side of the pump, and was used as the cooled-water return from the heater core. The various body styles began incorporating that port into the cold tank of the radiator (essentially, the opposite end of the lower rad hose; for all practical purposes, the same point in the cooling system) starting in the 80s, changing over as body updates and engine configurations were changed during a period of a few years, maybe 86 - 89 or so. Seems like it was 88 in F body. Some V-belt systems may have used the rad port as well, maybe in F body or maybe not, I'm not sure about that, there's no reason except for "features from the future" that it couldn't have been done. AFAIK all reverse-rotation (serpentine drive) WPs used the rad instead of the WP for that port. Having that hole makes the casting more "universal" since it then fits either the older (69-8x) and newer (8x-up) applications. Reverse rotation is a property of the impeller (the way the blades face), not the casting, so either casting can be made into a finished pump for either drive system.
I know of no particular reason that a casting w/o hole boss would be preferable (say, interference with some other object), butt hay, for $10 for a brand-name reman WP, if it works, go for it. Maybe they're cheeeeeep because they're getting rid of the non-universal (no boss) ones as quickly as possible, as overall SBC part sales decline due to aging out of in-use vehicles.
Last edited by sofakingdom; 01-21-2022 at 12:36 PM.
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
The one I received did not have the boss for the plug just like the picture shows. hopefully everyone who ordered one also gets whats pictured.
I wanted one that matched what originally came on the car. I know it's stupid but I just don't like things that are universal if there is a exact replacement. The Belt Tensioner is another one of those parts. If I remember correctly the spot where you put a ratchet is smaller than original. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.
Last edited by TF34MECHH; 01-21-2022 at 06:45 PM.
Reason: clean up
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Originally Posted by TF34MECHH
The one I received did not have the boss for the plug just like the picture shows. hopefully everyone who ordered one also gets whats pictured.
I wanted one that matched what originally came on the car. I know it's stupid but I just don't like things that are universal if there is a exact replacement. The Belt Tensioner is another one of those parts. If I remember correctly the spot where you put a ratchet is smaller than original. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.
Nope, not stupid at all. I'm the same way on certain things, esp the 2 you mentioned.
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Not sure how the hole is "stupid". ???
Because somebody doesn't know how to use Teflon tape?
Should all the people with older cars who buy radiators with the coolant level sensor for newer applications return them for having this "stupid" sensor in them?
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
My 20 yr old edelbrock ( freshly rebuilt) also leaked and left a mark out of the weep hole.
It's stupid because some of us that like to keep the look of the original pump.
Functionality of the pump is obviously the same but with that generic housing there's just another chance for a leak.
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Weep hole (shaft seal & bearing vent) and heater hose fitting are 2 separate matters.
Still not seeing how it's "stupid" to do away with castings that only fit a minority of applications, when one casting can replace many. Unsightly, maybe; non-"original", sure; STUPID, not so much. Especially when anybody competent with Teflon tape can minimize any chance of any leak.
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Originally Posted by sofakingdom
Weep hole (shaft seal & bearing vent) and heater hose fitting are 2 separate matters.
Still not seeing how it's "stupid" to do away with castings that only fit a minority of applications, when one casting can replace many. Unsightly, maybe; non-"original", sure; STUPID, not so much. Especially when anybody competent with Teflon tape can minimize any chance of any leak.
Right. I missed the heater hose tapped hole in the photos. Often guy denounce the weep hole, because they do not understand its function. Not this time, however.
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Originally Posted by sofakingdom
Weep hole (shaft seal & bearing vent) and heater hose fitting are 2 separate matters.
Still not seeing how it's "stupid" to do away with castings that only fit a minority of applications, when one casting can replace many. Unsightly, maybe; non-"original", sure; STUPID, not so much. Especially when anybody competent with Teflon tape can minimize any chance of any leak.
Its stupid to me not only for looks on the serp belt cars but it's also nice to be without thhatboss to help quickly identify which pump you have without taking them apart.
When i see the stupid casting boss I immediately think standard rotation V-belt pump.
pump was used on a lot of applications
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Sorry, not sorry. I guess your idea of "stupid" (a minor personal inconvenience to YOU at the most, and mostly a matter of aesthetics, in an utterly trivial matter that you don't even experience regularly) is different from my idea of it (something that's wasteful, willfully or thoughtlessly inflicts harm on oneself or on others, isn't well thought-out beforehand, lacks input from formally acquired knowledge, etc.).
In fact I would argue that it could be thought "stupid" on the part of rebuilders to continue to force themselves to handle 2 different castings in 2 different ways when 1 casting can cover both applications. Except of course if customers who insist on the different casting are willing to pay the (significant) extra cost it generates to continue providing it. As time goes on and SBC parts on the whole fall off in popularity among the general car- and truck-driving public, it will in reality be BENEFICIAL for vendors of maintenance parts like WPs to contain their costs as much as possible, to keep their products as affordable as possible for those who want / need them. Enthusiasts are a VERY TINY portion of their total market and the purist desires of a minority even of those don't constitute a binding definition of "stupid" in their world.
It has still failed to be proven how the fitting boss is "stupid".
Re: Water pumps with no plug hole for 10 dollars on rockauto.
Originally Posted by sofakingdom
Sorry, not sorry. I guess your idea of "stupid" (a minor personal inconvenience to YOU at the most, and mostly a matter of aesthetics, in an utterly trivial matter that you don't even experience regularly) is different from my idea of it (something that's wasteful, willfully or thoughtlessly inflicts harm on oneself or on others, isn't well thought-out beforehand, lacks input from formally acquired knowledge, etc.).
In fact I would argue that it could be thought "stupid" on the part of rebuilders to continue to force themselves to handle 2 different castings in 2 different ways when 1 casting can cover both applications. Except of course if customers who insist on the different casting are willing to pay the (significant) extra cost it generates to continue providing it. As time goes on and SBC parts on the whole fall off in popularity among the general car- and truck-driving public, it will in reality be BENEFICIAL for vendors of maintenance parts like WPs to contain their costs as much as possible, to keep their products as affordable as possible for those who want / need them. Enthusiasts are a VERY TINY portion of their total market and the purist desires of a minority even of those don't constitute a binding definition of "stupid" in their world.
It has still failed to be proven how the fitting boss is "stupid".
I guess we shall agree to disagree on this stupid pump design.
Really don't care if you understand it or if the proof of why I called it stupid isn't suitable for you.
you want cheaper stuff, I want the correct parts, that I get.
A full refund has already been issued btw
01-19-2022, 03:00 PM
