Water Pump Advice Needed

soemtimes a rebuilt waterpump is leaking a little for some time and then it is ok again.

so as long as it is only a very little cooling fluid comes out just fill up again a little, but when it should start draining then it says: engine out again

 

Keep it under observation imo ...

 

Take it out.


I reseal the pump on every single TR and BB motor I take out. They should leak zero and if they leak at all it can fail big time. It will not get better.


I feel for your situation but it is why I advocate some shake down miles close to home after any large service or repair.

 

My water pump seal first went at 46,000 miles then again at 88,000 miles and both times the water pump seal went,the water and oil mixed.So do not take a chance fix it.

 

Listen to Rifle.. stop ****ing around and tell them to re-seal the water pump.. Whatever has to be done should be done.. period..

R

 

Brian ,
Do you pressure test the cooling circuit after working on the water pump and before the engine goes back its place?

 

I didn't read the first time that you already had it home. A shake down that long sure doesnt make sense.


Ferrari has several different waterpump seals that look almost exactly the same with just a couple of thousandths in OD between the biggest and smallest. I have had several deliverd to me mismarked and of course did not measure before I installed it. On a hand held pump like a 355 it is easy to know right away you F'd up but on a TR with the chain drive pump they might have done that and missed it. I am afraid that if that happened you will very suddenly have a pool of coolant under the car. No good if you are out on the road somewhere.



Water should only get into the crankcase if and only if two seals fail together. Personally I have never seen it on a TR. Since it is only 200 miles I would try and get it home. The tow bill won't be huge if you want to go that way. If not, fill the trunk with water bottles and hope for the best. Just do not overheat it whatever you do.

 

You should definately test the water pump seals before putting the engine back in. Here is one thread, there are some other good ones too:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/boxers-tr-m/208183-90-tr-waterpump-seal-removal.html

 

Trust me the oil and the water do mix..If i remember it was a few years back but there was only one seal and a o/ring or gasket on mine. it was the seal on the shaft that went both times ,the first time i even removed my heads and had them pressure tested.I did get good mileage between failures. My car was a 1985

 

I believe yours did but since the TR intro in September 1985 of all the leaking water pumps I have seen in TR's I have never seen one do that.


There is a seperate seal behind the water seal that seals off the crank case. The water seal and the oil seal would need to fail. Can't say it can't happen but out of the few hundred TR's I have serviced I haven't seen it yet

 

I must agree. I believe the weep hole is between the two seals. This makes sure coolant doesn't push past the oil seal.

I've only serviced 25 or 30 TRs but I can tell you the water pump never leaked on any of them. Must be an installation error or the wrong seal installed. The seals are some what fragile and it would easy to cause damage during installation.

 

There is a collar the small seal runs on and I've found on bb's ESP that is worn . There have been times when these are not avail and you ll have to decide to make a new one or continue shopping. This is how I've seen water get in engine and BTW ..check to see if the weep hole is clear.Change the coolant every couple of years . Got into an argument with a 35 year master (dearship worker only)that said no they never go bad and the bearing inside never went bad either... do it once do it correctly and don't get paralysis by analysis . Forza ! You got to love a guy that drives a flat twelve cross country.....

 

+1...made a few of those through the years!

 

Bottom line:
Never, ever install the motor without doing a pressure test on the seal first!
Rgds,
Vincenzo

 

I never have and so far so good.

 

Never.

Do it right.

Do it once.

 

well done !

because when it is leaking ( steady drip ) only when there is pressure on the sytem it will be a failure of repairing I`m sure.

 

Don't be too hasty on that conclusion. When the engine is running, so too is the pump. A running pump significantly changes the pressures within various areas of the system.

Industry (but not necessarily the local mechanic) routinely carries out hydrostatic testing. The money would not be spent if there was no merit.

Rgds,
Vincenzo

 

Which shop did the work?

 

I would do the same