The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

We have just rebuilt a racing engine from the dolly,but

Water Pump-I have the 6 vane version but finding big problems getting the seating correct

So water leaks!

I have read somewhere that fitting an Electric pump is best,just going to order some more gaskets from Rimmers

Any advice appreciated

Andy

The underside of the impeller must be very smooth and not scored or it leaks.
Make sure the graphite seal is sprung high enough to touch the impeller.
Good luck.

Hi Andy, I presume the water is coming out of the hole in the block below the pump. If so this is the gland seal leaking & changing the gaskets will not cure this. If it is coming out of the joint between the block & the water pump cover then you have probably not set up the clearance from pump to cover correctly.

I use electric pumps now on all of my Dolly engines.

Regards.

Although there have been always a lot of criticising about this rather strange water pump, I still think it is a good pump with the possibility to rebuild is instead of a swap, and adjust it to your needs, road, race.
When you rebuild a pump, you have to take it seriously and for a start check the replacement parts, I have seen wrong O rings etc in several rebuild kits.
Beside the Impeller, it is important that the oil, and the water seal are fully home in the housing, (see the pictures)
To rebuild a water pumps I use several home made tools as described in the Sprint manual.

The impeller have to be reworked for a proper seal, look at the pictures and the comment at these pictures.

Of course the opening in the block must be clean and without burs or rust, otherwise it will damage the outer O rings during fitting.

Water pump rebuild tools


Water seal home





Machining WP impeller surface (use old shaft to support the impeller)


Impeller reworked, Little roughness helps to bed in the new seal.


Sins I build the pumps min this way I never had a leaking pump.


--
Hans ten Broeke
De Hoge Esch 49
7783 CB Gramsbergen NL

Trying to describe the bit that needs machining has always been nebulous until those photo's Hans. Well done!

You'd be amazed at what folk have machined in the past following written or verbal instruction!!

Thanks for the info

Re fitted the water pump yesterday with a marginal thicker gasket and hey presto NO LEAKS

Now planning to test the car sometime in April

These pictures are of a fast road engine.
I spend a bit more time by reworking a racing engine pump.
Hans

...and a decent seal, plastic not metal too!

The gland seals should be carbon, not metal or plastic.

Regards.

Sorry, I'll amplify, I'm on about the bit that sits snuggly in the brass cage Ken, the latest seemingly available now have a pressed metal cup that requires a press tool to get it into the cage whereas the 'older'? ones have a plastic cup. What concerns me (being mere mortal with simple home made extractor tool) is its all well and good to press the metal cup into the cage, but if the cage later choses not to let go of the block, it could cause problems trying to get the whole pump assembly out if then the pressed cup will not let go of the brass...?

Hans ten Broeke,
excellent photos, these have clarified for me which why up the seal goes in the brass cage, This has expalined more than anything I have read on the slant 4 water pumps.

BUT, I am not sure which why up the graphite seal goes that sits between that and the impellor. one side is smooth and the other has very shallow rebates?

MAS

Magenta Auto Sprint wrote:Hans ten Broeke,
excellent photos, these have clarified for me which why up the seal goes in the brass cage, This has expalined more than anything I have read on the slant 4 water pumps.

BUT, I am not sure which why up the graphite seal goes that sits between that and the impellor. one side is smooth and the other has very shallow rebates?

MAS

The graphite seal incorperated in the water seal its one item - see attached http://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/PartImages/148322.jpg

The graphite seal must face upwards and a recess is machined in to the impellor to allow the fitment of a ceramic washer - have a read at the attached shorcut viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7214&start=15 especially page 2

Regards
Paul

Hi Paul,
many thanks for the reply but my seal is different to that, mine has 12 small rebates/reliefs on one side and a thin rubber seal on the other. it may be the old style of water pump kit.

many thanks

Malcolm