I'm looking into getting new water pumps for my flathead. Has anyone used the new bearing water pumps from Speedway motors? They're supposed to be better but I don't want to spend the extra money on them if they aren't really that much better. I'm changing them because everytime I start the truck when the engine is cold it makes a rubbing noise (like a squeeking) until the motor warms up. I've been told from several people here that it was the waterpump bearings going bad.

 

According to what I have read Skip Haney is the guru of flathead water pumps:

http://www.fordcollector.com/water_pumps.htm

Also, I just received the catalog from Job Lot Auto and they have brand new pumps for $95

JobLot Automotive

I don't know how their prices compare to Speedway but the guys on the Ford Barn flathead site have nothing but praise for Skip.

 

I bought the speedway pumps
They have modern bearings and seals and look well made
I didn't have old pumps to rebuild so the extra money wasn't an issue
If I had decent old pumps I may well have rebuilt them

I geuss the choice is yours

 

I know that you wouldn’t do what I did….. but I have to tell you about it! When I was around about 17 years old (a long time ago) I had a 51 ford car, you know the one with the point at the end of the hood so if you touched a bare spark plug wire and you snapped your head back the end of the hood just about would take the top of your skull off.

One of the water pumps had been leaking and as a poor high school kid with just gas money most days and I knew that at the community dump that there where lots of old Ford cars. This was in the days before sanitary land fills and the dump was over a very steep cliff into a canyon with the discarded cars pushed over and they rolled down until they ended up at the bottom of the dump.

So down I go with a arm full of tools, man it was steep, one hand to hold onto tools and one to hang onto trees, (the enthusiasm of youth, what a waste) but finally made it and selected a suitable donor. Working away, not going good, concentrating, heard something, looked back up the cliff and saw a car tire and wheel coming down at me with more following, one of the garages was dumping a load of old tires and wheels and didn’t see me (Maybe?). Where to go for cover, the trees, nope too far, jumped inside the car body for protection, made it but could have been killed. After all was quiet, got back at the pump with one eye on the top of the dump, got it off and a killer climb to the top with my trophy.

The punch line………………………….. I always bought new or rebuilt after that because that damn pump leaked worse then the one I took off.

 

That squeak may just be a loose fan belts.
Cool story Ray, brings back memories of my youth with no spare change and always scrounging for used water pumps. Those leaky used pumps leaked certainly weren`t worth bothering with.

 

i run the speed way pumps on my flat head-love them !