Sliding water pump shaft

fritznbud

fritznbud

Senior Member
Hello all, Last friday was our 1st cruise-in of the season and as i was showing off my jewel, i wiggled the fan blade, it was tight but the whole shaft and blade assembly slides forward and aft. If it wasn't for the fan belt, it would slide right into the radiator. This cant be proper, can it? She runs cool and i have no leaks. Thanks for your input.
 
You need one of those collars that goes on the shaft in front of the pump to limit the endplay. It will be hidden by the fan hub and solve the problem. They're available from Model A parts vendors.
 
The collar alone won't fix the problem if the shaft can slide FORWARD into the radiator. The movement in the forward direction is limited by the washer that goes between the impeller and the engine-side bushing.

Are you shure that you have this washer in place ?
 
Just make sure the belt is not too tight also. Can wreck a shaft and bushings/bearings in no time.
 
The pump shaft should have only .006-.010" of end play. It's designed to rest against the inside of the head, to prevent rearward movement. Forward movement should be limited by the impeller itself, and its thrust washer. I'd check to see if your impeller is actually attached to the shaft. Maybe the pin is sheared or missing, or the thrust washer is missing.
 
Sounds like the shaft is loose in the impeller. The shaft will turn, but the impeller is just spinning on the shaft.
 
WaterPump-1.jpg


Be sure to keep the proper clearance as mentioned, or this could happen. When the thrust washer comes out of place it can rattle around loose and chew up the shaft until the impellor falls off. I like to use the square thrust washer and aftermarket locking collar.
 
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