Water Pump Question

[multimopes]

I know this should be in the heating and cooling section but I posted this question several days ago on another members thread there and no response. "Is the opening in the rear of the water pump housing on a 1968 440 engine the same size as the opening on a 78 motor home 440 engine? Also, does that opening size vary from drivers side v/s a passenger side inlet?"
I will copy and paste the picture from the other member; thank you "Sonny"!

 

[cheeseburgerhead69]

I believe there all the same.

 

[multimopes]

Thank you, if that's the case I will soon be ordering the aluminum housing from 440 Source!

 

[R/T Boy 67]

I don't know from first hand experience, but I read somewhere that some of the passages in the 440 source pump housing were small, but could probably be ground out. Just throwing that out there.

 

[multimopes]

Thanx RT, I believe you are correct about that. However, I recall they re-engineered them soon after. I was following a thread about that many moons ago. There was a link to another site like this that brought that issue up. I am sure it was more than 5 years ago. The thread also mentioned trying out Evans Waterless Coolant. I am just looking for more reinforcement of the factory iron pump housing hole size being a constant or being somewhat different for various applications. If all 440 pump housings have the same inlet size I will be ordering a 440 Source housing pronto. I already installed a high flow aluminum pump in my factory housing years ago. I don't want to have to drain the system and remove the pump just to see what size my inlet is just to find out that it is as large or comparable to the 440 Source unit.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

It makes sense that the article would be years ago. I don't remember anything unless it is at least give years old.

 

[oldkimmer]

I bought a source housing in 16 and don’t have any problems. Kim

 

[origcharger]

The 440 source housing I bought in 2018 doesn't have any problems with port size, HOWEVER the ports going into the engine block do not match the holes in the gaskets very well. The ports in my stock cast iron or my CVR aluminum housings match up much better

 

[multimopes]

Are you saying the gaskets are slightly off or the casting of the pump housing? I assume the gaskets come with the new housing. If they are a little off, I could just buy a different gasket.

 

[origcharger]

Are you saying the gaskets are slightly off or the casting of the pump housing? I assume the gaskets come with the new housing. If they are a little off, I could just buy a different gasket.

On my 440 Source housing the port holes don't match up well with the gaskets, the gasket holes do match up with the holes in block and other housings I checked. See match on stock cast housing below and mismatch on 440 Source housing below right. Note gasket had already been run with the 440 source housing leaving the stain from the mismatch of gasket overhanging the hole.

 

[oldkimmer]

U could also massage the port some. Try the gaskets on the block first to see how they line up. Kim

 

[multimopes]

On my 440 Source housing the port holes don't match up well with the gaskets, the gasket holes do match up with the holes in block and other housings I checked. See match on stock cast housing below and mismatch on 440 Source housing below right. Note gasket had already been run with the 440 source housing leaving the stain from the mismatch of gasket overhanging the hole.

View attachment 972453 View attachment 972454

Thanks for the pictures! Wow, what a sloppy gasket fit!. I don't really care if the gasket doesn't fit or line up perfectly, just so long as it didn't leak, LOL! I am always wary of leaks when bolting up items of dissimilar metals. Different expansion rates. Just look at the present day automotive industry regarding head gasket leaks from aluminum cylinder heads on cast iron blocks! It has gotten better in recent years but you virtually never heard of a head gasket leak on older engines. At least I never did.

 

[multimopes]

Thanks Kim, I will keep that in mind when I finally get around to changing it out. Any little trick is always appreciated!

 

[multimopes]

By the way, speaking of head gasket leaks and cooling in general; I have had a head gasket leak on my 05 Neon for over a year now. It does have 249,575 miles on though. To help keep it running without replacing the head gasket on a poor old rust bucket car that I have pounded on for it's entire life, I have installed something many folks never heard of. It is a Gano filter that I installed on the Neon so I can see when the coolant level at all times and pump coolant back from the coolant overflow reservoir back into the engine. I liked it so much I also installed one on my 73 RR clone. You can remove the filter screen to either clean it of just not use it at all. I will attach photo of it here.