Water pump woes

[Spanky]

My SB Chevy eats water pumps. I replaced my Weiand aluminum short water pump after only a few hundred miles. It squealed like a pig on startup. Ordered a Flow-Cooler cast iron water pump and it worked great . . . for a few hundred more miles. Now it's squealing on startup (goes away after a minute or so)! I use Prestone green stuff coolant, mixed with water 50/50. My fan belt is not too tight - 1/2" deflection between pulleys. I'm thinking both the pumps I've tried are "made in China" and I'm ready to bite the bullet and get an Edelbrock Made-In-The-USA unit. Pricey though. Any suggestions??? (And, NO, LincolNut . . . don't tell me to replace it with a FORD! )

 

[old round fart]

Alternator bearing?

 

[409T]

Stamped steel water pump pulley with a slight wobble?

 

[lincolnuT]

I have had to replace
a Ford Water Pump also, but not that many......LOL...……..You really know what you need to do anyway...….LOL

 

[Neshkoro]

Spanky, are you sure it’s the water pump that’s making all the noise? It could be a crappy belt, misaligned pulley or maybe something else. What’s the difference in cost between the pump made in China or the pump made in the USA?

 

[Neshkoro]

Did you try to squirt belt dressing on the belt and pulleys? I hate that stuff but it is a way to tell something. If the squealing goes away, it’s probably not the pump. The only things that could squeal in a water pump is the bearings or the seal. Usually when the seal fails the pump begins to leak. Are your pumps leaking?

 

[Spanky]

Not the alternator bearing, and the pulley runs true. I'll try squirting something on the belt & see what happens. I did notice today that after the squealing stopped, the engine speed increased 100 RPMs or so. Could a bad bearing create that much drag?

 

[Tbuilder]

If an alternator bearing seizes it will stop the engine dead.

 

[AusBucket]

G'Day Spanky,
Take the belt off and try turning the Alternator by hand to check the drag on the bearings. I usually find squeal at startup to be not enough wrap on the crank pulley, the alternator puts a fair load on the belt and the crank pulley spins inside the belt while it takes up the load. (Loose air Con belts do the same thing.)

 

[HenrysT]

Check the pulleys for a glaze, you might have to de-glaze them with some sandpaper. Some people put dimples in them using a center punch (helps the belt grab).

 

[lincolnuT]

Just think if you put a Ford in it then most of you noise will be good...…..LOL...….Then you would be like some of us Ford people, "Great People"...….

 

[old round fart]

If you put a Ford motor in it you won’t have the noise. The motor won’t turn but it won’t have any noise. Lol

 

[Spanky]

G'Day Spanky, I usually find squeal at startup to be not enough wrap on the crank pulley, the alternator puts a fair load on the belt and the crank pulley spins inside the belt while it takes up the load. (Loose air Con belts do the same thing.)

You may be onto something there, AusBucket. I checked my setup and the "wrap" on the crank pulley is only about 40 degrees. Without adding an idler pulley or such, is there any way to maximize the grip of the crank pulley?

 

[Spanky]

I checked my setup and the "wrap" on the crank pulley is only about 40 degrees.

My bad . . . I meant 80 degrees (a little short of 90 degrees).

 

[Spanky]

My belt layout . . .

 

[fletcherson]

My vote is alternator drag squealing the belt. Never had a water pump do that, as stated, they typically leak.

 

[Neshkoro]

Spanky, if your setup is like the drawing, I think you’re good as far as belt wrap. It’s been my experience (limited) they once a bearing begins to fail the water pump begins to leak rather quickly after the failure. A friend of mine is running a 383 cu inch small block in a ‘67 Chevy. He switched to a serpentine belt using boneyard parts. He did the swap for that exact reason of the squealing noise. Just a thought. It’s not a fancy machined billet aluminum pulley setup but it’s a lot cheaper. I

 

[HenrysT]

Speedmaster Gilmer Drive Kits | JEGS

 

[AusBucket]

G'day Spanky, from my experience you don't have nearly enough wrap on that crank pulley to stop squeal, is there any way you can raise the height of the alternator so the centre of the two pulleys are equal in height?
Regards,

 

[Spanky]

is there any way you can raise the height of the alternator so the centre of the two pulleys are equal in height?

Unfortunately, no. Space is very limited on that side of the block with mechanical fuel pump boss and water pump inlet directly above the alternator.