Water pump

I would think if it was seals you would not be able to pump grease into it.
... it ain't necessarily so...if you have a good grease gun you can blow the seal!! don't ask:rolleyes:
"How can you tell if it has sealed bearing?.....Vern" Ah, generally exteriors look identical, so you can't differentiate unless you take it off and dismantle, thus unless you're wanting some spannering I would just try a gentle squirt of grease.
 
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I have a stock water pump. I ran it stock for a few thousand miles, then bought the modified rear portion, the brass part with a modern seal for the rear. It is still brass for the bearing and the rear fitting takes grease. I add one or two capfuls at a time. The front uses the original roller bearing type and requires a squirt at 500 miles.

I was able to use a ~5 1/2" bolt and some washers and a nut to push out the stock brass insert and my 8" vice was just big enough to press the new sealed unit in. The original packing and gland nut remains but is not tightened. It will be the backup to get me home when the seal fails.

The car cam with and the vendors have sold pumps that require no grease front or rear. Modern sealed bearings are installed in both places. The zerks are still on the pump, but the passages are not there. It looks original to the eye.

The one on our coupe when we got it 3 years ago was a very expensive one. And the individual that made it has retired and the web site is gone. It has a double row / two sealed bearings at the front. They were pressed onto the shaft and thus there was no issue with the for and aft movement of the impeller. It made it 11000 miles and failed. It was a nice outfit.

I learned from the forums and then reading all the info on Snyder's and Bratton's for their pumps.
 
Some prior owner of the Wretched Roadster put sealed bearings both front and rear. Surprise!

All of my water pumps have sealed ball bearings front and back and a modern seal. With nothing rubbing on the shaft, I figure they will last as long as a modern one does and who ever hears of a modern car needing a new water pump.
 
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