Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1939 water pump replacement

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: 1939 water pump replacement -- page: 1 2     parrish 10-09-2009 @ 8:09 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 There used to be a thread relating to water pump replacement and this is a follow-up question: the "hidden" bolt inside the pump...is there any gotcha associated with its removal? I am removing my grill and radiator for better access, but I did inspect the hidden bolt and it looks pretty corroded in there! Also, I have new motor mounts for the same replacement...any heads-up on replacing those? I plan to very slowly jack up the oil pan with a large wooden support underneath it...thanks for your help! deluxe40 10-09-2009 @ 9:28 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 413 Joined: Oct 2009 Soak it with your favorite penetrating oil for a night or two (I use Liquid Wrench but others report even more powerful solutions). Remove all of the other bolts, saving the tough one for last (sometime you can get the pump to wiggle back and forth a little to get started - it won't move much because the impellers hit the block). Most importantly, use a SIX sided socket. This is worth a special trip to the tool store, if you don't already have one. supereal 10-09-2009 @ 9:29 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Use a six-point socket when removing the "hidden" bolt. This will lessen the possibility that a rusted bolt head will round off. In spite of fears, those bolts seldom present a problem. We substitute a stainless bolt from a hardware store when we remount the pumps. With a proper extension on your wrench, it isn't usually necessary to pull the radiator. As for motor mounts, after you have removed the bolts that secure the mounts to the frame. jack up the engine just enough to remove the old mounts. Be sure to assemble the new mounts correctly, insert the bolts, and lower the engine. Tighten the mounts until the rubber starts to bulge, and secure with a new cotter pin. ford38v8 10-09-2009 @ 9:36 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2759 Joined: Oct 2009 Parrish, you'd be surprised at the number of guys over the years who have made the "gotcha" mistakes that you have already discovered. With your forethought so far to this point, no doubt you'd complete the job with no problem, but I'll put forth my thoughts on the subject anyway: For the hidden bolt, use a 6 point rather than a 12 point socket. This will help prevent damage to the bolt head. Use of an impact wrench will insure it's safe removal. You'll want to replace this bolt with one of stainless steel, in the exact same length. (A longer bolt will bottom out before making a seal). Water pump gaskets are sometimes shrunken to the point that they don't fit properly. Determine that you have good gaskets, and secure them to the pumps with a dab of grease. some guys use a sealant, which is OK, but makes it difficult to clean the block surface for the next pump change. Sealant may also be squeezed into the small oil delivery hole, which is not good. Use a headless bolt of a longer length as a locating stud for pump placement. This stud may be removed after the other bolts are in place. If you hadn't removed your radiator and grille, you'd see that this is almost a required step to prevent damage to the gasket. For the motor mount, be sure to use a bottom washer having the shallow cup that effectively prevents the rubber from herniating. Some suppliers don't furnish this cup washer. Tighten the mount till the rubber begins to swell, and use a cotter pin. If your '39 is a Standard, it will have a short straight lower hose, which is extremely difficult to install with both radiator and engine mounted securely. Before you install the motor mounts, install the hose on the pumps, then slowly lower the engine while installing the hoses on the radiator. For this, I use silicone grease, which helps preserve the hoses, and facilitates the installation. some guys use sealant, but I consider that if your hoses need a sealant, then you haven't installed them correctly and they are likely to fail regardless. The hose clamps should be of the modern type for the best compression seal possible. If you intend to have your car point judged, the modern clamps can be replaced later with the vintage type, after the rubber has taken a set. I also differ from some on the use of antifreeze. I don't live in an extreme climate, so I never need it, but most guys don't drive their Fords in freezing weather anyway, and store indoors in the winter, so I don't believe any of us needs antifreeze. Rather than antifreeze, I use a bottle of anti- corrosion/water pump lubricant. I could go on and on, but your question is covered, I believe. Alan parrish 10-09-2009 @ 6:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 thanks to deluxe40,supereal,ford38v8(Alan)! I'm soaking the hidden bolt (and the other 3, although they probably aren't corroded considering the protective dirty grease layer) with WD40 for a couple days. I used a nice sharp flat screwdriver to gently scrape the sides of the big head "hidden bolt" and they both look fairly "squared off" on the head. One pump has blue paint still on the leg and the other pump is red (even on the pulley). I suspected the red was newer and really eyeballed it more. I found that the nut on the red side motor mount is riding a little higher and the hidden bolt looks not quite as square. Also, the inlet doesn't look as cleanly manufactured inside as the blue one, so I'm guessing the red pump is a replacement from years ago...Final question: should I heat the hidden bolts before trying to twist 'em? Seems like it couldn't hurt... 40guy 10-09-2009 @ 6:15 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 270 Joined: Oct 2009 Ah yes, the "hidden" bolt. Saw a block broke into three pieces once upon a time by someone who did't know about the "hidden" bolt and proceeded to pry off the water pump with a large screw driver and hammer. 25 years ago and I still have the car. Restored now though. ford38v8 10-09-2009 @ 10:56 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2759 Joined: Oct 2009 Parrish, NO, do not heat the bolts. They will not give you a problem at all. You shouldn't even have to soak them with penetrating oil. Do use a 6 point socket, though. Alan parrish 10-10-2009 @ 4:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 thanks, alan! I'm going to use the allthread bolt idea for aligning the gasket & pump. That's a good tip and I'll pass it along! Having the grille and radiator out of the way really opens up the work area and I think I'll have the radiator pressure tested as long as it's out of the car. I bought the motor mounts from Drake and they look like the right design and quality. GM 10-11-2009 @ 6:02 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 15 Joined: Oct 2009 Make sure any replacement bolts are exactly the same length as the ones removed. There have been several cases of longer bolts being used that bottomed out in the threaded hole before pulling the pump up tight. Clean the mounting surfaces good and only use a thin film of grease on both sides of the gasket. I have also seen many cases of the oil hole plugged with silicon, stay away from that. G.M. fortyfordguy 10-13-2009 @ 7:27 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 27 Joined: Oct 2009 Go to SEARS and purchase one of their sets of bolt removers...designed for nasty, corroded, rounded-off bolt heads. They look like deep sockets but have special curved ridges inside. Pick the size for the bolt you want to remove. Tap it onto what's left of the bolt, then twist off with a socket wrench like normal. The tighter you turn (unscrew) the tighter the SEARS tool bites into the old bolt. I've used the tool on a number of badly corroded water pump bolts and never failed to get it out. No heat was needed. Some WD40 or other penetrant fluid never hurts.

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1