223 Water Pump Car/Truck

[Adriatic Machine]

So I learned that the truck water pump is smaller than the unit that I’ve seen on car engines. The truck pump looks about what you would expect in a water pump. The car unit has an exaggerated bulbous shape to it and it has a cover plate that attaches to the back, which I have had leak in the past. I decided to try and swap in a truck style pump and here’s what I found.

 

[Adriatic Machine]

The engine block actually has a small port in the lowest point of the cooling jacket. This port is covered by the car style pump but the truck style does not, which would create a very persistent leak lol. I decided to install a plug.

 

[Adriatic Machine]

I examined the hole and it seemed as though there was no thread, just a hole. So I cautiously set up to drill and tap for a 1/8-27 NPT plug.

 

[Adriatic Machine]

I drilled in about 3/4” deep and carefully tapped it with a sharp tap. I say this because I initially used a tap that I learned was not very sharp and it was making my hands shake at the thought of a broken tap in this location lol. I debated on adding a drain valve for a more thorough flush when the time comes but decided to just use the setup shown.

Few things to note; having more space in the engine compartment is always a plus, having fewer parts that could leak or fail is also a plus. Because of the shape of the original pump, I struggled with a top alternator bracket ever since I converted to an alternator. With this setup I now have a solid place to mount the new bracket and more space to adjust the belt. Pics to follow.

 

[Frank]

Pulley lines up ok?

 

[Adriatic Machine]

Oh yea I forgot lol. Pulley is not perfect maybe 1/16” short. I might add a shim we’ll see how it goes.