valk Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 My water pump is beginning to talk to me so I want to replace it. Looks very straight forward but there are a lot of pumps out there for sale with a pretty wide price range. I was thinking of just going to Bob's but wanted to see if any of you guys had any better ideas. Thanks, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 I've been satisfied with Bob's and have one of their pumps on the shelf for my Limited (in fact, it'll probably go in before the October southern Ohio tour we're hoping to do). I've always had good service and they stand behind their stuff. My hunch is that the same rebuilders do them all so quality is probably pretty uniform. You can also send yours out to be rebuilt by one of the specialists like Arthur Gould, which is about the same price. Buick pumps seem to be better than Cadillac pumps of the same vintage--it took three rebuilds to get my last 1941 Cadillac water pump right. Another good reason to buy another one--I like changing it instead of rebuilding it just to have an extra one on the shelf. Mine chatters a bit but it hasn't failed so I'll keep it as a spare when the new one goes in. I don't know anything about those brand new pumps. I think it's awesome that they're selling new pumps, but are they really new? New castings? New internals? Or just more rebuilt than most? I don't know. And are they really as good as an original? No idea. Replacing it is a hassle but not very complicated. Put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to protect it and your knuckles. Remember to use sealer on the bolts because they go into the water jacket. Careful with the gasket and don't use too much RTV when you inevitably tear the gasket. Pay attention to which way the fan is oriented so you don't put it on backwards, which has happened to more than a few people. But nothing you can't handle in the driveway in an afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 21 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said: I don't know anything about those brand new pumps. I think it's awesome that they're selling new pumps, but are they really new? New castings? New internals? Or just more rebuilt than most? I don't know. And are they really as good as an original? No idea. All I know is that they are claimed to be brand new, look to be brand new, are less expensive than any rebuilt pump I could find, and (most importantly), the one I got from Cars, LLC has performed flawlessly since I installed it in March of this year. That's what I would recommend based on my own experience. http://www.oldbuickparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=11020 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 Unfortunately, I have had issues with some rebuilt water pumps which leads me to question the quality of the work. I do agree that the rebuilding is actually done by just a few rebuilders. I have had rear covers leak and bearings start to make noise in less than 3,000 miles. After many years working on cars and using rebuilt pumps, this seems to be a new problem. Given the option, I'd go with an entirely new pump. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valk Posted August 28, 2019 Author Share Posted August 28, 2019 Thanks all for your help and advise. I'll try a new one since they apparently work fine and are cheaper. Matt, thanks for the tips on installation - the radiator will be out since I'm going to paint it so I should have plenty of access. I'll have to paint the pump Dante Red. Also installing the fog lights (a rather complicated procedure), cleaning up the engine compartment and thinking of having the tops of the front grill "bars" painted black (as they should be) while I'm deep in the front end. And all this has to be completed by mid-October so I can attend the Rockville, Md car show. More than enough time unless something catastrophic happens... thanks again boys. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 If you buy your pump through Cars, LLC, they also sell rattle cans of Dante Red. Another tip: For some reason, Cars sometimes sells stuff on Ebay for a lower price than you would pay if you order direct from them. My pump was $125 on Ebay (even though it was coming from Cars) even though the price in the catalog was $149. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valk Posted August 28, 2019 Author Share Posted August 28, 2019 Dante Red in a spray can? Great! I was on the verge of buying a quart from Hirsch and having to use a spray or air gun. There are several vendors that offer new water pumps, all for the same price and they all have the same stampings and markings which leads me to believe they are all from one source. No deals like yours on Ebay, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 Yeah, this is their Ebay deal right now, only $2.05 less than buying from their website, but you DO get free shipping. https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Water-Pump-1941-1949-Buick-248-ci-320-ci-8-cylinder-41-42-46-47-48-49-/192150504983?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10 They must have been running some special deal when I bought mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 I'm guilty of putting my fan on backwards and realized it years later.It never did run real hot even backwards. Greg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 No such thing as the fan being backwards. The only thing changing the 'blow" would be to reverse direction of rotation 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Haha -- I was going to say the same thing, Don. I learned that years ago with model airplanes. A propeller is less efficient if it's mounted backwards because the blades have an airfoil shape, but it's still pushing air in the same direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Are you guys sure? I thought about it for the whole walk home and I'm not positive that's true. Look at this fan: Say we're looking at it head-on and it's spinning clockwise, installed "correctly" to cool the radiator. It's grabbing air with the black leading edge and the silver blade is pushing air backwards (or pulling it through the radiator). But if you mount it backwards, now it's still spinning clockwise but the stainless blades are on the leading edge and sort of pushing the air underneath. Efficiency would be much lower because there's no edge to grab the air and no curved blade to force it backwards with any velocity. It might still move some air, but it isn't like it's the same either way. The correct orientation should move A LOT more air. Or am I thinking about this the wrong way? I need to hold one in my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 As you say, an incorrectly installed fan will be less efficient, but it will still be pushing air in the same direction. Unless either the pitch of the fan is reversed or the direction of rotation of the fan is reversed, it will still be pushing air in the same direction. http://www.chrysler300club.com/tech/fanmore.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Matt, that isnt exactly a stock fan either. No matter how you slice it, the only thing that changes the air flow is change of direction. Not gonna happen on a car engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Whether it's a stock fan is irrelevant, I was just thinking out loud and using that fan as a visual aid. There is most certainly a right and wrong way to install a fan and it may not be obvious at first glance. That's why I offered the advice I did--pay attention to how it's oriented so you get it right when you put it back together. I guess installing it the wrong way will still technically pull a little air in the same direction but not nearly as well as installing it properly. That was the point of my advice. I don't think I mentioned that installing it backwards would force air to go the wrong way, only that it would be a mistake and would affect cooling. So OK, technically there's no "backwards" way to install a fan, but there is certainly a right and wrong way. This car isn't pink, it's light magenta. Edited August 30, 2019 by Matt Harwood (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 The fan on my `41 248 engine has humps between the mount holes, fan will only go on one way.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 I think they all are that way, with the bumps on your era car. Earlier fans hove no bumps and the blades are each separate parts. However, that doesnt mean reversing it cant be done. Folks can be creative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBP Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Peter: If you’re going to order a brand-new manufactured water pump from Bob’s, have an eye on the size of the holes in the circular fan mount flange on the front of the pump. I ordered a brand new pump from Bob’s this April for my ‘53 Roadmaster, and had difficulty getting the fan bolts to go in. Felt that it shouldn’t be difficult as it was, and pulled it off to take a closer look. The drilled holes (in my pump anyway) were metric (being a Canadian, I’m okay with metric, but this was unexpected 😉). Called Bob’s to give them a heads-up. In any case, tapped them slightly for correct size, and bolts went right in. Pump has performed really well, no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuickBob49 Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 (edited) I bough a quart of engine paint from Hirsch and asked my neighborhood paint store to put some in a rattle can for me. It worked well when I repainted the spark plug cover on my 39 Roadmaster. The store's fee to put the paint in a rattle can was very reasonable, and I still have quite a bit of paint in the quart can for future use. They did the same thing for me a few years ago when I needed to paint a drawer front in my kitchen with some oil enamel paint. No brush strokes to worry about! Edited September 1, 2019 by BuickBob49 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYER15015 Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Well lookie there, Matt posted a picture of my fan. Though I did have to trim about 1/2" off the blades to clear the Generator. I have had very good luck with the "Flying Dutchman" rebuilding my water pumps. Got one on the '40 Buick and one on the '31 Chrysler. Price on both was very reasonable, as was turn around time. Mike in Colorado Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterpainter Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 New water pumps are just that New Reproduction made overseas. I have heard they have plastic impellers, but cannot confirm that. Bobs also keeps rebuilt water pumps in stock. If your car is a driver that collects serious miles while on tour, I would run a rebuilt pump and carry a new pump as a spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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