Water pump pully wobble

So, I put a new radiator, hoses, water pump, and misc. parts on my 2n last summer, and while pulling the wood trailer out of the woods last weekend, I heard a terrible noise in the front end.
I stopped and found that the fan and pulley were flopping like a dead fish. I pulled the fan off, thinking the bolts for it had not been tight.

Wrong! the pulley on the water pump is whats moving around.

Has anyone tried to just rebuild the pump? And have they had any luck?
I'm thinking there's just a bearing in the housing, and hoping it's something I could just replace, or best case, re-seat it.

I'd hate to have to buy another water pump, but is this the best choice?

I wish I had saved the old pump, I would look at it before I open this one up.

Chances are you got a pump from the land of almost right. Which means it's not worth the time & money to rebuild. If it was an OEM pump, I'd have it rebuilt. Look it over carefully though just in case it is OEM w/ a poor rebuild.

I wouldn't try & rebuild one, especially an aftermarket pump. Because if you do it wrong, the next time it breaks it could easily launch the fan into your radiator.

just get a new one from here, Dennis Carpenter or nnalert's. And beware that some of these new pumps have a thicker mounting flange & require longer studs.
75 Tips

Some years ago I had the same problem as you. I took mine to the local NAPA dealer and got a new(rebilt one) and he took the old one and it went to the rebuild shop.

Well, I have the pump off of the tractor, the pulley (finally) off of the pump, Harbor Freight gear puller to the rescue, and for the life of me, I cannot get the impeller and shaft to come apart from the bearing and housing. I can't seem to find any type of keeper or snap ring that would retain this.
I am using my bench vise as a press, and I would have thought I would have enough rump to pop it apart.
So, any idea what I would be missing?

The shaft and bearing are "unitized", they ain't supposed to come apart.

Support the "front" of the housing, and press against the shaft, forcing the shaft out of the impellor and the unit shaft/bearing out of the housing.

Then, press the shaft out of the hub.

Sometimes, despite the greatest care and effort, the break.

If successful, going together, support the bearing while pressing it into place, then support the opposite end of the shaft when pressing on the hub and the impeller, so no pressing force is ever carried though the shaft/bearing.
Kellogg

(quoted from post at 12:19:56 02/12/17) Well, I have the pump off of the tractor, the pulley (finally) off of the pump, Harbor Freight gear puller to the rescue, and for the life of me, I cannot get the impeller and shaft to come apart from the bearing and housing. I can't seem to find any type of keeper or snap ring that would retain this.
I am using my bench vise as a press, and I would have thought I would have enough rump to pop it apart.
So, any idea what I would be missing?

Click to expand...

If it is anything like the '54 International water pump I rebuilt two years ago . . .

You need a serious press or an Arbor press to push the shaft out of the impeller. I set up a pad of stacked 2 X 4's with an opening down the center (like is used to block up boats on land). I warmed the impeller with oxy acet and it took some serious driving and reheating to force it out.

I was winging it like you are, not knowing what to expect. I took a great risk because I could have broken the impeller that way -- according to a professional water pump rebuilder.

So as was said, a new bearing will come already positioned on a new shaft.

Your next hurdle will be the seal. It is a mechanical 2-part seal where the outside ring is tight to the housing and the inner ring is a tight press to the shaft. SO . . . you need a special stepped seal installer that bears evenly on the inner and outer parts of the seal at the same time, otherwise the seal gets pulled apart.

I bought the seal installer for $25. from Will Kellogg in Arizona; he made it. He sold me a new shaft and bearing, new seal and two gaskets for $18. ! Can't beat that. Plus he helped me over the phone.

The seal configuration had changed over the years, so he told me I had to machine 1/8" off of the impeller hub which i did in a lathe.

A mistake almost cost me . . . I put a loctite sealant on the shaft before trying to press on the mechanical seal. big mistake. Either lubricate it or leave it dry.

Old and new mechanical seals

Pump on

P.S.
The old styled International pump seal on the right, was designed to have the impeller hub rubbing against it . . . mating itself to the carbide ring in the seal.

The replacement seal on the left, isn't designed to have the impeller hub rub against it. So I had to lathe away just enough of the impeller hub so as to make sure it didn't touch the end of the new seal.

I haven't had to do my Jubilee yet, but Will Kellogg told me that this seal installer (aluminum round stock with an inner recess) will work for my 235 Chev water pump shaft as well.

I doubt that it will work on my Red Tiger pump, smaller shaft I'm assuming.
Old and new mechanical seals