Update with pics and water pump question Okay, so the most important pic is of my youngest boy, Matt with the fish. The kids caught fish like that several a day for a week and lots of smaller fish. Great fishing trip. Plus, my oldest found my digital camera in my tackle box. $10.00 reward for him (his idea) Other pics are of my oldest driving the truck with the aforementioned shite eating grin and number two son also driving the truck for the first time. also a pic of Blake installing upper radiator hose. Kid worked on the truck with me the whole time we did the water pump core support, radiator, fan, etc. Great kid. Too bad the pesky adaptor plate is still giving me trouble and will have to remove, reseal and reinstall once again. anybody got any ideas on the proper sealer to use on this. first time was Hi-Tack (terrible...leaked BEFORE I put the coolant in). Second time was RTV blue. Better, but small leak at bottom of pump where it meets and bolts to the adapter plate. I'm thinking the problem is how the pump is bolted to the adapter plate. Bolts go through plate from back side facing out towards front of engine where they are secured with nuts. This leaves the bolt heads squarely in the middle of the water jacket (better believe I used locktite on those puppies). However, I'm thinking this is the potential leak point as it has NO gasket around the bolt heads where they meet the plate inside the water jacket. Yes, I put copious amounts of sealer all around the bolts to prevent just this from happening. Probably wrong sealer. This time, I'm thinking of trying RTV black. I used gaskets and sealer between the pump back and adapter plate and between the adapter plate and the block. Thought I nailed it last time, but I guess I was wrong cuz it still is leaking. Damn, I don't wanna hafta do it a fourth time. Cut my own gasket for between the plate and the block, used the supplied paper-thin gasket between the pump back and plate. Thinking I may cut my own gasket for both next time as the gasket material is way thicker than the wafer supplied with the pump. Any ideas? Andy
Vacation Pix WAY cool Andy ! keep on this road my freind . As far as your adapter plate , bear in mind I'm not there to see it but , I'd say wire brush it squeaky clean then get an aerosol can of Permatex " The Right Stuff " and use that no gasket needed , black RTV won't last . I assume you've checked to see the adapter plate is perfectly flat ? .
Yes, Nate, Adapter plate is perfectly flat and I even machined the counter sink holes as they weren't deep enough to accept the stock GM screws that attach the pump back to the pump. Plate is HEAVY gauge steel. Really not possible to warp. Never used "the right Stuff", but will give it a go with no gasket next time. BTW, I edited the post between when you replied and when I wrote this reply. Please read it again regarding pump to plate bolts and possible leak point. Thanks, Andy
Water Pump Adapter Plate Interesting Andy ; I've never seen one of these in person . You could use copper washers under the bolt heads in the water jacket to prevent leaks there . I wonder if stainless steel bolts would be wise....? I dunno if you've ever worked on an old Brand "F" FlatHead V-ate 60 - they have the water pump bolts not only in the water jacket but they're down inside the water pump where you can only get to them after you remove the hose... NOT a good thing in cars that generally used plain water for coolant...
Great minds think alike Already using stainless bolts. Will try the copper washers as well this time. Also, will post pics of how it all goes together for further advise once I remove from truck. Thanks, Andy
Soooo....just get back from vacation over the long weekend, drop the kids off at the crazy lady's house and come home. Benn itchin' to take care of the water pump adapter plate leak so I have it as soon as I can. Get the core, support, fan, belt off and what do I see??? It's not the plate after all!!! The pump was bad. the leak was coming from the bearing itself and weeping out of the little hole in the bottom of the pump onto the adapter plate. couldn't see it until everything else was off the truck. Well, I'll tell ya, I was seeing RED after that. This is the same original GM pump that I had all those problems with from the rebuilder. This will be the third time that he gets the pump and this time he is gonna keep it. Put my cheap rebuilt chinese knockoff pump from the FLAPS on the truck last night (thanks Nate for "The Right Stuff" recomendation). Put the rest of the truck back together at lunch and fired it up. Worked fine, no leaks and the cheap chinese pump spins better than the crappy rebuild on my nice original GM pump. Boy is that rebuilder going to get an earful. Nate, that "The Right Stuff" gasket maker is SOME product. I really like it. Different than anything I have ever used. Pricey, no doubt but worth it. Andy
Yay ! Glad to hear it's working . Is that water pump a short shaft one or what ? . I need a late 235 short shaft water pump I can use as a core...
Nope. It's a 216 water pump. The adapter plate allows you to use a stock 216 water pump on a later 235. Brings the radiator fan to proper height. 216 water pump already has the short shaft. Short shaft pumps from the catalogs still leave the radiator fan too low on the core. that's why I went with the adapter plate. I really like the Permatex "The Right Stuff" gasket maker BTW. Took your suggestion and used it without any gaskets at all. Hell to get off your hands but works great. Very interesting stuff for sure. Plan on using it on the rocker cover after the valves are adjusted. BTW, how often do you adjust your valves? I plan on doing it soon, but do I have to do it again shortly after once again? I just want to know so I can seal up the rocker cover once and for all and not worry about taking it off again anytime soon after I do it. Andy
Good Morning ! I don't use The Right Stuff on covers I know I'll need to remove again anytime soon..... Rockerboxes always get a rubberized cork gasket and squeaky clean metal surfaces . When I first adjust the valves , I always go back in around 3,000 ~ 5,000 miles later as they tend to bed in and close up the gaps , esp. if you find any with zero lash , those'll close up again pretty quick . then I go back in every 3,000 miles @ oil change time , untill I find them all within spec. , then I go to annual or 12,000 Mile intervals . Some engines they'll close up in less than 3,000 mi. like clockwork , others less so . BTW : when my son was 18 or so I got him a job in a busy equipment / lawnmower shop , he was doing big time line mechanic repairs on contractor equipment that couldn't wait for gaskets to be ordered and couldn't go out the door with weeps & seeps much less oil leaks so he stumbled across this Permatex " The Right Stuff " and pushed me to try it , I really don't like sealants but this one in particular is rerally good so I highly recommend it to all . It comes in Foo-Foo cans and tubes , I've only used the tubes so far , I like to make the smallest hole in the tip I can , this allows better control of the bead IMO . YMMV , IFAIK , Do NOT Taunt Happy Fun Ball !
I know the first one! Still working on the second! But in the interim, I remembered another one that you military types will recall. FIGMO!! The first Vet who remembers that gets my ever-loving devotion! The rest of you do too! First one? "your mileage may vary"
As Far As I Know I'm feeling good for the moment , was in too much pain to do a simple valve adjust on SWMBO's 4 cylinder Diesel Mercedes so I ran errands and cleaned stove parts , then Hijo Lindo (my son) came over and I passed tools and played with the dogs as he popped a front drive axle out of his Subaru Impreza Wagon racecar , we test drove it to dinner - almost ~ he goosed it at the first red light and the freshly re-built drive axle sheared right off ! I can't wait to see the stub when he yanks it out to-morrow morning . Then off to the new Chiropractor for me , I hope he has good news . Be well all .
Thanks Nate Ken~ I had that one, Bill was just too fast again! (FIGMO) Another one from those days- SWAG. Be the first to guess it and, well, you'll be the first to guess it!
That'd be the one! Sorry~ I had to throw that out there. FIGMO reminded me of that. Two good ones from AF daze. Reading all this stuff about wire size, valves, gaskets, mounts, etc~ The ONLY thing I'm sure of is KC will kick Texans BUTT!!! Sorry~ I had to throw that out there. FIGMPR!
