I know that there has been lots of threads on here about water pumps, adaptors and new pumps on older 235's. Here's my problem: I had a 1955-57 235 rebuilt top to bottom. Switching over everything to 12 volt Painless kit with 1 wire alternator. The pump on my old 235 (1954) year was the short shaft. The new one has the long shaft. The opening for the water intake on the old one is two holes whereas the newer one is a larger one hole so that I can't use the short shaft old one. I need a 1955-57 short shaft water pump to clear the radiator and line up with the pulleys. Does this make sense? The adaptor on ebay is the opposite of what I need. Do places like NAPA carry something? I will post some photos when I get this this put all back together. Thanks, Brian PS. All this is going in my 1950 3100 panel.
Short Shaft 235 Water Pump This used to be a common item and even Pep Boys carried it a couple years ago but not in the catalogs any more . NAPA tells me it's available new from Airtex but you'll need to match it up in the pictures section . ALL the vendors have it , just say you need a short shaft 235 water pump .
I put the adapter plate and a '53 and earlier STOCK 216 water pump on my '57 235. The pump is much less pricier than the short shaft pumps available from the vendors and the adapter plate positions the fan correctly on the radiator. Just putting a short shaft pump on that engine without the adapter plate leaves the fan blade very low on the radiator. The instructions were VERY clear that the early 216 pump (two holes) works very well on the one large hole later 235 engines. Also, the narrower belt needed for the early pump will work fine on the wider pulley on the later 235 engines. The narrow belt sits a little deeper on the balancer pulley which means it will turn the pump slower and prevent cavitation. Don't be afraid. It really is a straightforward installation and you will be very happy with it. Besides, the 216 pump is available at any FLAPS if you need one in a pinch and can't wait for your catalog short shaft pump to ship. A couple of tips here, though. Use Permatex "Great Stuff" gasket sealer when installing this unit. I had mine off three times before Nate turned me on to this fantastic gasket sealer. Also, if using the adapter plate it is advisable to also install some copper washers on the bolts that will be inside the water jacket (you will see what I mean) and those bolts inside the water jacket should obviously be stainless. Don't worry about the two holes on the back of the 216 pump and how they don't match up with the larger hole in your new block. That two hole plate on the back of the pump is discarded when using the adapter plate which opens up the entire back of the pump for water flow from the large opening in the block. One last thing. The adapter plate left the fan blade VERY close to the balancer pulley and it would hit when the engine went above 2000 RPM as the fan flexed. I had my local steel shop buddy fab up a circular 1/4" spacer to fit between the fan and the pump and that solved all problems. The spacer was thick enough to allow the fan to clear the balancer and thin enough so the center hole on the fan still seated center on the shaft of the pump. Oh yeah, you will need an earlier 216 radiator fan as well. The later 235 fan will not fit on the 216 pump. Works like a charm. Andy
That Fantastic Sealant Made by Permatex , is called " The Right Stuff " and it comes in both tubes and little Foo-Foo cans with nifty applicator tips ~ I just used my two year old can to re-seal the banjo typ pumpkin into a little British car , the floating rear axle shafts & drive hub flanges too and British anything are notorious leakers , so far not a drop . It's good stuff ! .
right stuff I agree with Nate, "right stuff" is the best sealer out there. It is a urethane type sealer. Be careful when using it, as it is very hard to get off of fabric, such as clothes, seats, and hands too. It can also be a pain to remove if for some reason you need to take it back apart to reseal. It will however cure every leak I have ever come across, even the stubborn ones. It is not cheap, but you can reuse it many times, unlike silicone sealers that dry up in the tube once opened. I highly recommend it....Mike
My bad!!! "Great Stuff" is the expanding foam in a can you use to seal up leaks around windows and stuff after doing renovations on your house. I love that "Right Stuff" gasket sealer. It's unbelievable. Hey land-locked surfer dude (MIsurfer), The '54 water pump that you have is the exact pump you need. The reason I said use a '53 and earlier pump from a 216 is because '54 was a transition year and sometimes your FLAPS may get confused as to which pump to give you for a transition year. In '54, they used the earlier style (216) pump and it sits up higher on the block, just like on the 216's. In '55, the pump position was moved lower and the shaft was longer with the introduction of the Task Force series trucks. You already have the right pump. I know that Jim Carter's sells the correct adapter plate, but I am fairly certain that the plate available on eBay is what you are looking for. PM me with the link and I will let you know if the eBay plate is correct for your application. Andy
Andy, thanks for the information. Here is the link on Ebaymotors of the guy in WA who is selling the adapter. Let me know if this is what we are talking about. Nate, struck out at NAPA and a number of other stores on the short shaft pump. I wish I would of had my old 54 235 rebuilt and I wouldn't be dealing with no matchups on a number of things. But that what old trucks are for, aren't they. Brian http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1955...c0.m245&_trkparms=65:12|39:1|72:1171|240:1318
