Water pump - opinions please

[widdowson2008]

Does it lead into the bearing bore? Perhaps its between the packing washer and the support bearing to allow any water that gets past the packing washer to exit before it gets into the actual support bearing and causes problems ?

Not sure without splitting the pump exactly where it goes. (Don't want to split this pump cos I have plans for it )

Guessing here. Just behind the impellor, in the casing, there will be a rotary seal. For coolant to get past this seal suggests the seal is buggered.
Once past the seal, coolant is straight into the bearing, but the bearing is solid (not a ball race or needle) so what damage could it cause? and doesn't antifreeze have lubricating properties anyway? (thought I had read that somewhere)

Also, if your assumption is correct (not saying it isn't), then what is the top hole for?

[rita]

Does it lead into the bearing bore? Perhaps its between the packing washer and the support bearing to allow any water that gets past the packing washer to exit before it gets into the actual support bearing and causes problems ?

Not sure without splitting the pump exactly where it goes. (Don't want to split this pump cos I have plans for it )

Guessing here. Just behind the impellor, in the casing, there will be a rotary seal. For coolant to get past this seal suggests the seal is buggered.
Once past the seal, coolant is straight into the bearing, but the bearing is solid (not a ball race or needle) so what damage could it cause? and doesn't antifreeze have lubricating properties anyway? (thought I had read that somewhere)

Also, if your assumption is correct (not saying it isn't), then what is the top hole for?

Its called a weep hole,when it starts weeping water your pump is on the road out.They can also weep oil/grease if the bearing is on the same road.

Cheers..

[widdowson2008]

Does it lead into the bearing bore? Perhaps its between the packing washer and the support bearing to allow any water that gets past the packing washer to exit before it gets into the actual support bearing and causes problems ?

Not sure without splitting the pump exactly where it goes. (Don't want to split this pump cos I have plans for it )

Guessing here. Just behind the impellor, in the casing, there will be a rotary seal. For coolant to get past this seal suggests the seal is buggered.
Once past the seal, coolant is straight into the bearing, but the bearing is solid (not a ball race or needle) so what damage could it cause? and doesn't antifreeze have lubricating properties anyway? (thought I had read that somewhere)

Also, if your assumption is correct (not saying it isn't), then what is the top hole for?

Its called a weep hole,when it starts weeping water your pump is on the road out.They can also weep oil/grease if the bearing is on the same road.
Cheers..

If you were to put a grease nipple in the hole, you could inject grease to prolong the life of the pump, sort of stopgap fix? Is that what you mean?

The tell tale weep hole sounds logical, but on a Bongo, it's a bit difficult to see, even when underneath, cos there is another belt(s) in the way.

[Northern Bongolow]

steve whats the position of the holes in relation to the spindle length ?. is one hole the first stage failure of one seal, then the second hole the second stage failure ie further up the shaft towards the bearing.

[widdowson2008]

Holes are both obout in line.

[rita]

Hi,

Years ago water pumps had a grease nipple fitted,you used water pump grease,it was a heavy white grease.They now use pre packed bearings.Fitting a grease nipple now would be a waste on time.Keep your hole clear.

Cheers

[Northern Bongolow]

Holes are both obout in line.

i still cannot work out why 2 holes.
any leak then should always favour the lower-- harder to view path,as yours does. this hapens quite often,and folks look at the higher easy to see top hole and pressume that the pumps not leaking.

so why 2 holes. i think it needs cutting up

[helen&tony]

Hi
I have a replacement pump on the way....and a disc cutter!
Cheers
Helen

[Northern Bongolow]

[widdowson2008]

Hi
I have a replacement pump on the way....and a disc cutter!
Cheers
Helen

Yipeeeeeeeeeee Get cutting gal (and send some pics)

[helen&tony]

Hi Steve
I'll get going as soon as pump is near by courier...and our neighbour has the cutter!...Diamond jobbie!
Cheers
Helen

[bigdaddycain]

No antifreeze? Couldn't say. Would no a/freeze create this sort of marking? I dunno

Hi Steve, i've only just re-discovered this thread, i'm about to read the rest of it now...

I've never seent the innards of a pump "in the metal" as it were... I suggested no antifreeze as the inner chamber looks like it's been stained by rusty water. (maybe they all look that way after a while? Dunno!)

[widdowson2008]

No antifreeze? Couldn't say. Would no a/freeze create this sort of marking? I dunno

Hi Steve, i've only just re-discovered this thread, i'm about to read the rest of it now...

I've never seent the innards of a pump "in the metal" as it were... I suggested no antifreeze as the inner chamber looks like it's been stained by rusty water. (maybe they all look that way after a while? Dunno!)

Hi Ste
Not stained as such, more like a coating - scratches off easily back to base metal. Very similar to that cylinder head I chopped up recently.

[bigdaddycain]

I see, thanks Steve.

[bigdaddycain]

I'm not 100% convinced about the pocket of air in the pump spinning it up perhaps causing a rattle. Firstly would a pocket of air not be dissipated into bubbles as it was drawn into the pump? Reduced mass of the bubbled (cavitated) coolant may cause the pump to spin quicker (internal pressure must alter also) But surely this would be VERY quick? Not enough to make even a mason alarm adjusted gauge shoot up? I'm just chucking a few queries around here.

Steve, how long has the bongo been in this country? Do you know what coolant it had in it, and what coolant is in it now?