I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**Accelo** · 06-26-2022, 06:26 PM

My friend was driving back from a car show. Water Pump gave out on him. This is what he found. Mind you this is a China manufactured chrome pump he purchased new a long time ago.
The casting failed and the whole thing let loose. Good news it the total cost, minus the towing bill, was a replacement water pump and the antifreeze.
Life happens at the intersection of hard work, talent and luck.
This was the luck part.

He was in fifth gear cruising about 1500rpm when it let loose.
Cheers

**PbFut** · 06-26-2022, 07:00 PM

Bet that made a helluva bang. Funny how it went from no leak to total failure. That could have been way worse of an outcome. Good to hear the result was pretty tame.

**Palf70Step** · 06-26-2022, 07:03 PM

Never have seen that either. What a mess.

**Stocker** · 06-26-2022, 08:39 PM

Sure looked purty, though.... right up until it detonated. Dang! Glad it wasn't a worse outcome.

**jabborabbo** · 06-26-2022, 08:59 PM

I pulled up to a store (fortunately next to an Autozone)…smelled coolant when I got out of the truck, lifted the hood and there was green coolant all over the place…I checked the hoses, connections, etc., and found nothing. Went into Autozone and got hosed buying a gallon of pre-mix coolant; the radiator took the whole gallon…cranked her up and looked for leaks…nothing. Got home, figured I needed to replace the water pump, took the old one off and you could actually hear it grind when I rotated the shaft…that pump MIGHT have lasted anther 10 miles before imploding.

**DA71Grande** · 06-26-2022, 10:15 PM

Lol… I just went through that about a month ago. Water pump, fan, fan-shroud, upper and lower pulley, radiator, Etc $1000.

**Steeveedee** · 06-26-2022, 10:47 PM

^ Yeeouch! That really sucks. One of my uncles had that happen while traveling. Nobody needs that kind of aggravation.

**Bob B.** · 06-26-2022, 11:03 PM

How tight was the belt!?!? Just kidding...

**Accelo** · 06-27-2022, 12:51 AM

DA71Grande
Was your a new China pump?

The same thing happened to my Chevelle years ago. Newly rebuilt pump i.e. less than two weeks old. The housing cracked. I am sure it happened when the rebuilder pressed the pump's bearing into the housing.
They warranted the pump. The fan, fan clutch and radiator all had to be replaced by me.

**michael bustamante** · 06-27-2022, 12:25 PM

years ago my toyota hilux, sent my fan thru the radiator on the freeway, turns out the fan clutch let go at the shaft and there went my fan!! i felt a huge boost in power. lol never realized the fan clutch choked so much horsepower. lol

tdangle · 06-27-2022, 04:58 PM

I had something similar happen to me, but at high rpm. Discovered I had not installed the bushing for the center of the fan clutch and it was just enough off balance that at high rpm it broke the snout of the water pump off.

**DA71Grande** · 06-27-2022, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accelo

DA71Grande
Was your a new China pump?

The same thing happened to my Chevelle years ago. Newly rebuilt pump i.e. less than two weeks old. The housing cracked. I am sure it happened when the pressed the pump's bearing into the housing.
They warranted the pump. The fan, fan clutch and radiator all had to be replaced by me.

I didn’t see any type of markings on it so it probably was.

**special-K** · 06-28-2022, 07:18 AM

My response after reading your post was going to be "Count your friend lucky that it didn't take out the radiator". Then I read all the posts and now you know he was lucky. Just the pump, no other damage. I guess the seal was still good

The old saying, "Chrome won't get you home", sure played out here

06-26-2022, 06:26 PM	#1
Accelo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: washington Posts: 2,295	I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story My friend was driving back from a car show. Water Pump gave out on him. This is what he found. Mind you this is a China manufactured chrome pump he purchased new a long time ago. The casting failed and the whole thing let loose. Good news it the total cost, minus the towing bill, was a replacement water pump and the antifreeze. Life happens at the intersection of hard work, talent and luck. This was the luck part. He was in fifth gear cruising about 1500rpm when it let loose. Cheers Attached Images

06-26-2022, 07:00 PM	#2
PbFut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Ca Posts: 630	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story Bet that made a helluva bang. Funny how it went from no leak to total failure. That could have been way worse of an outcome. Good to hear the result was pretty tame.

06-26-2022, 07:03 PM	#3
Palf70Step State of Confusion! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Gulfport, MS USA Posts: 47,216	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story Never have seen that either. What a mess. __________________ Bill 1970 Chevy Custom/10 LWB Fleetside 2010 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner SR5 Double Cab - DD Member of Louisiana Classic Truck Club (LCTC) Bill's Gallery Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God!

06-26-2022, 08:39 PM	#4
Stocker 20' Daredevil (Ret) Join Date: May 2003 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 13,722	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story Sure looked purty, though.... right up until it detonated. Dang! Glad it wasn't a worse outcome. __________________ - Mike - 1972 K20 LWB 350/350/205 RIP El Jay

06-26-2022, 08:59 PM	#5
jabborabbo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Podunk, Texas Posts: 762	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story I pulled up to a store (fortunately next to an Autozone)…smelled coolant when I got out of the truck, lifted the hood and there was green coolant all over the place…I checked the hoses, connections, etc., and found nothing. Went into Autozone and got hosed buying a gallon of pre-mix coolant; the radiator took the whole gallon…cranked her up and looked for leaks…nothing. Got home, figured I needed to replace the water pump, took the old one off and you could actually hear it grind when I rotated the shaft…that pump MIGHT have lasted anther 10 miles before imploding. __________________ "It is hard to search for a black cat in a dark room, particularly if it is not there. Especially if this cat is smart, brave, and polite." Sergei Shoigu, Russian Minister of Defense

06-26-2022, 10:15 PM	#6
DA71Grande Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Liberty Twp, Ohio Posts: 346	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story Lol… I just went through that about a month ago. Water pump, fan, fan-shroud, upper and lower pulley, radiator, Etc $1000. Attached Images __________________ Doug 71 Sierra Grande C25 16 Sierra 2500HD All Terrain 23 Chevy Tahoe Z71 https://paypal.me/digdug7131?locale.x=en_US Last edited by DA71Grande; 06-26-2022 at 10:22 PM. Reason: .

06-26-2022, 10:47 PM	#7
Steeveedee Who Changed This? Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 10,676	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story ^ Yeeouch! That really sucks. One of my uncles had that happen while traveling. Nobody needs that kind of aggravation. __________________ ~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA

06-26-2022, 11:03 PM	#8
Bob B. Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,363	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story How tight was the belt!?!? Just kidding... __________________ 1967 GMC CM-2500 Camper Cruiser, 351E V-6, NP 435 4 speed, Dana 60, and factory A/C. 2012 GMC K-3500 WT regular cab, 6.0L Vortec, 6L90.

06-27-2022, 12:51 AM	#9
Accelo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: washington Posts: 2,295	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story DA71Grande Was your a new China pump? The same thing happened to my Chevelle years ago. Newly rebuilt pump i.e. less than two weeks old. The housing cracked. I am sure it happened when the rebuilder pressed the pump's bearing into the housing. They warranted the pump. The fan, fan clutch and radiator all had to be replaced by me. Last edited by Accelo; 06-28-2022 at 12:08 AM.

06-27-2022, 12:25 PM	#10
michael bustamante Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Albuquerque NM Posts: 7,862	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story years ago my toyota hilux, sent my fan thru the radiator on the freeway, turns out the fan clutch let go at the shaft and there went my fan!! i felt a huge boost in power. lol never realized the fan clutch choked so much horsepower. lol __________________ 1967custom

06-27-2022, 04:58 PM	#11
tdangle Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jurupa Valley, Ca Posts: 1,210	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story I had something similar happen to me, but at high rpm. Discovered I had not installed the bushing for the center of the fan clutch and it was just enough off balance that at high rpm it broke the snout of the water pump off. __________________ Terry 1970 Custom Camper/C20 , GM Crate 350/7004R, Dana 60, factory AC

06-28-2022, 07:18 AM	#13
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,851	Re: I haven't ever seen this happen. Water pump story My response after reading your post was going to be "Count your friend lucky that it didn't take out the radiator". Then I read all the posts and now you know he was lucky. Just the pump, no other damage. I guess the seal was still good The old saying, "Chrome won't get you home", sure played out here __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~



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