Can we talk about water pump failures?

[jimk]

1 hour ago, TobyB said:

In any car, water pumps are a consumable- they used to last 5k,

Have you had one with a grease cup?

[John76]

51 minutes ago, tech71 said:

Every 18.6 years, count on it.

Hmmm ... so 37.2 years total (for both sides)?

I just cleaned and repacked the front wheel bearings, serviced the brakes (clean/lube cylinders & calipers and fluid flush), and adjusted the endplay on the front bearings. Never serviced the rear hub bearings, but I was wondering if they are ticking time bombs. Currently not "ticking" or making other "lack-o-lube" noises. Rear hubs have never been off. Original cotter pins and yellow paint check marks.

 

[jimk]

2 minutes ago, John76 said:

(clean/lube cylinders & calipers and fluid flush)

Air being a fluid, did the tires get new air? 

 

If I change only the liquids, then I skip the tire air.

[Mike Self]

6 minutes ago, John76 said:

Never serviced the rear hub bearings, but I was wondering if they are ticking time bombs. Currently not "ticking" or making other "lack-o-lube" noises. Rear hubs have never been off. Original cotter pins and yellow paint check marks.

They'll give ample warning of intending failure, in the form of an increasingly loud hum.  I think I've only replaced two of four on my 02s, with 227k and 272k respectively, and just replaced my first front wheel bearing at 271k.  It had been reminding me for some time, but I thought it was either  U joint or the center driveshaft support bearing.

 

mike

 

 

[John76]

10 minutes ago, jimk said:

Air being a fluid, did the tires get new air?

I only change the air when I rotate the tires.

Don't want to confuse the old air by making it spin in a different direction. 

BTW, my spare tire still has the original Munich air from September 1975...never used!

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, Daily02 said:

… The real worry is the part going NLA after a failure…

 

+1

 

That’s why, as an owner of a 50-year-old car, you keep a stash of spare parts. And if you can’t find a new or rebuilt example, you keep a good used example… just in case!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, Daily02 said:

Hub failures. A new can of worms. My car is up on jack stands for this problem now. How often do they fail? 

 

Regards

 

Dono

How many miles are on those hubs? How old are they?

 

And how many miles are on the car. An original owner knows not only how many times the odometer has turned over, but how many times the speedometer cable, speedometer, and odometer have broken — talk about problem areas 🙄😳 — and how many times the speedometer or instrument cluster has been swapped.

 

If not an original owner, odometer readings on a 5-digit, easily replaced or zero’d, odometer are… generally not meaningful — without a slew of supporting documentation. 
 

Don’t assume every problem on a 50-year-old car of vague mileage is a frequently-repeating problem.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[bavariaboy]

I keep my spare in the trunk.

[cda951]

11 hours ago, Mike Self said:

 

 

While you might malign French cars and engineering, the water pump on my '59 Renault has never been replaced, after 63 years, because it has a grease fitting--a short squirt every 5k miles keeps the bearings well lubricated.  Worn/wobbly bearings cause the carbon seal to leak, and there goes the water pump.  Too bad our BMW pumps didn't have a grease fitting...One of these days I'll take a derelict pump apart to see if one can be added...

 

mike

 

Ha, my girlfriend and I just bought a silly little French thing from the same era, also has a grease fitting for the water pump and almost every other thing that moves or rotates whether drivetrain or suspension . . . . 

 

As  for BMW 02s or anything else with a M10 engine, one unique condition is the rubber alternator mount bushings, which might catch newbies by surprise. Squealing drive belt when cold? Tighten the belt, of course! But we all know that bad alternator bushings will pull the alternator out of alignment, which can actually exist and be OK for a decent amount of miles until an actual problem occurs, such as more squealing or throwing a drive belt.

 

So, make sure the alternator is parallel with the crank and water pump pulleys, replace the bushings as needed, make sure a good ground strap exists between the alternator and engine block, don't over-tighten the belt, and drive the crap out of the car! 

Edited October 23, 2022 by cda951

[Mikesmalaga72]

I had an experience with a brand new BMW water pump with my luck sprung a leak just after starting it for the very first time noticing a leak of blue BMW antifreeze and distilled water mix from the lower weep hole ticked me off royally! Had to redo it.. 

[TobyB]

On 10/22/2022 at 11:05 AM, jimk said:

Have you had one with a grease cup?

not on a water pump, no. 

Not even on the Farmalls.

Those would be the 5000 mile pumps of yore, right?

The Case does have one of those cups on its distributor shaft, which is on the end of the generator...

 

As to NLA, it's a concern, but not for water pumps for carbed cars.

You'll be unable to keep the rest of the thing going before the aftermarket

gives up on those.

And they can be re- bearing-ed, re- shafted, and re- sealed...

 

t

more worried about oil pumps, timing components and bearing shells.

And rockers.  And rocker shafts.  And squeegies.

 

 

[BarrettN]

If you are really worried about it, or maybe for a tii where a new pump is more expensive, maybe have a used pump rebuilt by the guys at Flying Dutchman? When tii pumps were getting up there in price a while back their name came up and it looks like a pump they rebuild should last a long time. 

Flying Dutchman Rebuilt Remanufactured Foreign Domestic

WWW.WATERPUMPS.BIZHOSTING.COM

---

We rebuild and remanufacture water pumps for most import and domestic automobiles, including antiques and...

 

[OriginalOwner]

BarrettN,

 

perfect timing, I was just talking to The Flying Dutchman yesterday.

 

I asked him if it would be possible to add a grease (zerk) fitting to a '74tii water pump.  Here is his reply,

      "I probably wouldn't recommend trying to put a grease fitting in that pump as the bearings are not greaseable anyhow.  If you absolutely have to have it I can make it happen but it would be rather involved and not really necessary.  I use a rubber sealed water pump bearing that will probably last for every bit of 20-30 years of regular driving if the belt is not over tightened.  Thanks, Wade"

 

 

Cheers,

 

Carl