1922 Dodge water pump packing

[Paul Williams]

Where do I buy the water pump packing for a 1922 Dodge?

[R W Burgess]

Welcome to the Forum Paul. Have you tried posting in the Dodge Forums on down the line here. That's a very active forum with a lot of knowledgeable guys that can help you.

Wayne

[Ivan Saxton]

Probably a graphited fibre packing was original Paul, but no-one can see if you use a teflon woven type. People here often prefer the graphite which seems softer. It is generally preferred to use a series of rings with matching angle-cut ends; and you stagger the joins when you fit them.

The shaft section that runs in the packing is much more important. Originally the shafts of old car water pumps were grade of steel that deteriorates in time through rust; but when people have been clever to make new ones of stainless steel, the wear rate at the packing has been disappointing. What I always use is a stainless steel Metco metal spray coating, which I finish by grinding to a fine finish. Though, as with virtually all sprayed coatings, you used a sealer, the lubricant still fills minute pores on the surface. Coating and packing life I have always found excellent, and if you loose coolant it is not from the pump. Ceramic flame sprayed coating, I understand, is even better. I have the aluminium oxide powder to do this, but somehow I have never found time to experiment with spraying and grinding this. The Metco field engineer told me that it is a finish like glass, and water lubricates it.

Material, finish, and size are the important criteria. One of my firends asked me to rebuild the shaft and replace the bushings of the water pump of his RR Silver Ghost once. I reckonned is was unnecessarily comlex for what it had to do. Nevertheless, when I assembled it, it turned very nicely with about a thou diametral clearance. I had no correct packing here, so I instructed Des where to get some from in town. A couple of years later he told me that it was just dripping a tiny bit when stationary. Obvious question:--- Des and the spanner monkey he got to fit the pump on the Rolls engine had both forgotten the packing!!!! You should not have too much trouble finding someone who can spray and grind for you. I am unfortunately a bit far away or I would do it for you.

Regards, Ivan Saxton