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Hi All,
Next in my re-commission of the 1929 DeSoto Roadster is the leak around the water pump spindle. It drips out when the rad is full and stops when it reaches the level of the pump. The car has been in a museum for about 10 years so no wonder. I can take it off the engine block but not sure if it is repairable or will I need to find a new replacement unit? I doubt whether any commercial anti-leak product would help.
Any advice would be welcome.
All the best , Peter
I don't know exactly what the pump is like on your car. I did have a Model A Pherd that had a gland nut and packing much like a water faucet. You could unscrew this nut and slide it down the shaft, dig out the old packing, and replace it. The packing was graphite impregnated string, available at any plumbing supply, which would compress to form a seal when the nut was tightened. BUT, usually after 50 years, the shaft would have pits and then the shaft would have to be replaced.
I suggest that you take the pump off and send it to a reputable water pump rebuild guy. There are likely some in your country, and someone will suggest a good shop here in the US.
Good Luck
Steve
Steve, Excellent! A very helpful and informative response. Many thanks Peter
Hi Steve,
You are correct in that there is a brass gland nut. If I tighten this the leak stops. However the fan becomes difficult to turn. So I conclude I need to drain the rad, loosen off the gland nut completely, repack after seeking advice and re tighten the gland nut until the fan resistance is just felt and see whether the leak problem is solved when I refill. If not I will take the whole pump off, get it rebuilt and try to find or make a water pump gasket to fit.
Thank you for being spot on.
Regards,
Peter
