Just finished installing a remanufactured Jasper 460 longblock for an 86 E350. This van is for my wife's business and it's her busiest time of year so I can't afford for it to be down. Here is the scenerio;
Stock intake, ALL new accesories, everthing went together as it seems it should. only thing I'm not sure about, old motor did not have a water pump plate and never overheated in three years, so when I installed new water pump I didn't put a plate on,(since I didn't have one and cannot get one locally). New engine overheats with or without thermostat, with or without radiator cap. Have tried "priming" heater coil, water pump, radiator, intake, and block. Have put way more than 7 gallons of coolant into this thing and have checked oil to make sure none is getting down into there. Heater blows hot air, block gets hot, water pump gets hot but lower radiator hose and bottom of radiator stays cold. When I run engine with no cap on radiator, as engine heats up, radiator starts burping like there is still air in block. I'm wondering if problem is that I'm not getting circulation because of bad new water pump, still air in block, or because there is no plate on pump. If it is because of the plate, why did the engine not overheat before?
Obviously, I am an amature mechanic trying to make wife's business run on a shoe string.
Please advise with ya'all's infinite wisdom.
Thanks,
prometheius

 

hey prometheius sounds like you migh thave just a bad water pump and about that plate i am not shure what to tell ya all the water pumps i have put on has it and if you didnt have a issue with it not one befor it shouldnt matter but i may be wrong i would replace the water pump they should exchag it for a differnt one it seems like i have been runnininto more issues thease day with the reman parts there was a few time i had to replace alt's and starters. afew times befor i got a good one. good luck and lets us know if that was the issue or what it was.

 

that water pump plate has to be on the eng also the new eng is tight it will run a little warmer. untill it's broke in but put that plate back on there and check your clutch fan it may be bad.

 

At one time you could get the water pump spacer plate from NAPA.