Hi guys. I'm hoping I might get some quick and easy suggestions for this pesky dripping problem I've got. (Not the kind for a urologist!) I've been troubleshooting all kinds of little glitches going on with my '22 Roadster, which you fellas say is a '24, and I think I agree. (I hope I have enough friends at the DMV to solve the title discrepancy.) At any rate, my problem now seems to lie with the water pump. And before half of you tell me I should rip it out, and use it as a clever holder for screwdrivers, just accept the fact that it's there and I need to make it work.
So here's what's going on.... The engine runs great. Purrs right along. Not even getting that hot anymore. New plugs, new head gasket, rebuilt the carb, flushed the radiator and all the fluids. But when I stop the engine, I get a strong drip from the housing around the shaft going to the impellor in the pump. I imagine there is some sort of packing or sleeve or something in which this shaft spins, and obviously it is not as watertight as it should be. When I start the car, the drip all but stops.
Hoping to get a few suggestion to remedy this problem. I've already thought of carrying a bucket for whenever I park the car, and I probably will, so you'll have to be more creative than that!
Thanks guys!
Besides being told to take it off, you need to replace the packing behind the nut in the impeller housing. You can use the graphite impregnated string packing that you get at the plumbing supply places. Clean out the old stuff and wrap the packing around the shaft a few times counter clock wise. Then screw the packing nut back in till the shaft just still turns. If the leak continues add a wrap or two to what is there. If it's an old pump with a steel shaft then the shaft may be two pitted to seal. If that's the case you an ether take the pump off and rebuild with stainless steel shaft and new bushings or put the original water inlet on and see if it needs the pump. Some cars can live without the pump some with old radiators, it does help.
Trey your a brave man to bring up water pumps around here. Mark's advice is good and you can get the packing at most hardware stores.
I have a water pump that I rebuilt on Nelly Bell, she needs it with the radiator I have. By the way that "two" should be "too" or is it "to".
I knew it wouldn't take TOO long TO get TWO or more replies. Great. Keep 'em coming!
(And yes, Mark, my English degree tells me it should be TOO.... But sound advice trumps good grammar any day, in my book!)
Thanks guys!
I haven't repacked any T water pumps but I've done a lot of propeller shaft gland repackings.
If you have a west marine or just a good marine parts store anywhere near, try some teflon packing. This material was so superior to regular packing, after I found it I never used anything else.
Cheers
schuh
Hi. I used a ceramic seal for a well pump. It was around 7 dollars 10 years ago when I put it in and I get ice cream any time I want. It took a little machining to fit the seal but its worth it. Scott
Dump the Pump! Henry didn't need 'em and neither do you.
Before the most virulent anti-pump guys chime in, if the shaft is worn where the packings ride you won't stop it from leaking.
Get the shaft replaced and your problems will be over.
It's probably only 80-90 years old........
You should just cut it in half with a hack saw, toss it in the dumpster and then forget about it. Water pumps cause lots of trouble for Model T owners and do nothing to improve a Model T.
The sooner you learn this the sooner you can eliminate your water pump problems forever. Every T owner that has a water pump eventually figures this out. Some guys are just a little slower than others.
I came on this forum in about 2000. By that time I had had my '26 coupe for 30 years and all that time it was equipped with a waterpump. Back then, in 2000, there were a lot of legendary, old school T'rs posting on the forum who really knew their stuff and all of them said scrap the waterpump, which I reluctantly did. If there was any change in performance, it was for the better and something I have never regretted. Jim Patrick
A waterpump without a thermostat may be wrong in most cases. In cool or mild temperatures, too cool is more often the problem.
Packing is sold by the big boy parts houses. it's Teflon coated. Actually it might be entirely made of Teflon. Any way, it's out there and it's cheap enough. So cheap in fact that if you order 1 length of it the shipping might be more than the part! I don't know which direction it should be wound on the shaft. Can't help you there however I had a pump on my '23 that had a grease fitting in the shaft area. It was to lube the packing. A few shots of grease into the fitting and a small squirt of water would come out of the front of the packing gland and I was good for a week or so of leak free driving. I believe they leak when you stop because if the packing is wound correctly the spinning shaft "screws" the coolant back into the pump. I've seen old articles on wrapping axle shafts with packing (in the correct direction) so the spinning axle screwed diff oil back to the center of the housing so direction might be critical for it to work properly. I'm with you. Had 2 T's with pumps on them and both ran well cooling wise and I left them on. If it ain't broke don't fix it.