Water pump pulley help needed

Discussion in 'Street/strip 400/430/455' started by MandMautomotive, May 19, 2017.

  1. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    Hello, It has been awhile since I have been on V8 Buick but you all have been great help in the past. My 1971 Skylark has a 1972 Riviera 455 in it. It has always run hot and I am planning on putting in a T/A performance short water pump. My car currently has a long water pump that puts my fan completely inside the big block fan shroud. It has AC and PS. I removed the smog pump. I need a short water pump pulley. Does anyone have one for sale or know a part number or dimensions of the pulley? TA does sell a billet pulley but I am looking to stay factory. TIA John
     
  2. chucknixon

    chucknixon Founders Club Member

    Try this, it worked for me just last night on my search for a 400 water pump pulley.

    http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/455pulleybrkts.htm
    [​IMG]
     
  3. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    What is the advantage of putting a short water pump on your car over a long style?
     
  4. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    It would help the placement of the fan, if you go back and re-read his first post in this thread he says the fan is almost all the way inside the shroud. So the advantage would be to move the placement of the fan I would imagine?

    Can he just get a shorter fan that will be in the right position in the shroud to do what he wants to do? The Riv front ends were LONG in '72 with around a 3' tunnel for a shroud!! Was the fan shaft longer as well?


    Derek
     
  5. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    I put a cheap pepboys Bosch pump on this engine a long time ago. Bosch does not even make water pumps anymore. I always tell people who start a resto, "in the beginning you will find yourself saying "it's only $40" at the end it's "crap another $40?" So I went cheap on probably the most important part of my whole build. I believe my water pump is the problem with my running hot. I am going to go with the TA pump mostly because I believe it will solve a GM design problem. To answer your question my fan sits to far forward in the shroud so putting a short pump on will correct that too.
     
  6. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    The pump bodies are longer or shorter. Fans and clutches most likely are not. Long pumps need a deep pulley to have the belts line up. Short pumps need a shallow pulley. You make a good point, car body length probably dictated this. Also pulley diameter comes into play mostly because of AC or not. Remember your ten speed bike? Small pulley on the rear wheel meant going faster. That's what I need to turn the water pump faster. I need a short small diameter pulley.
     
  7. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Well, a 71 Riviera takes the same shroud as an A body GS-455. So my next question is what shroud is he using?
     
  8. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    It is the correct BBB shroud
     
  9. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    OK, I think I was remembering the Riv's sister car from back then, the '69 to '72 Pontiac Grand Prix's shroud, then. Its been a while since I've seen either car.



    Derek
     
  10. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    I believe your original statement is correct. I am 100% sure i have the correct shroud
     
  11. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    The water pumps and pullies are the same between A bodies and E bodies (Rivieras). Short pumps are pre 71
     
  12. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    So is the fan shaft longer for the E-bodies?


    Derek
     
  13. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Doesn't a 71 GS 455 with AC takes the same water pump as a 71 Riviera with AC?
     
  14. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    In thinking about this, I guess you need to get the number off the pulley you have and go from there. I guess it just threw me that you have an engine out of a Riviera which is the same as an A body. Why would it have the wrong pump but anything is possible.
     
  15. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    It is confusing as F#@K. Just for the record it is a 1972 Riv 455 long pump. From what I have read a 1971 A bodies should also be long body pumps. I want to buy a $195 TA pump so now is the time to make sure it is correct. My fan is 100% in the shroud. I believe a short pump will put my fan about an inch rearward. So my plan is to go against nature and add a short pump to solve the fan position, but in reality I believe TAs pump will solve the big problem. These engines were prone to run hot.
     
  16. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Isnt it though? :D
     
  17. Bigpig455

    Bigpig455 Fastest of the slow....

    It is. I've got the same issue, but thankfully my car doesn't heat up. I've got a correct 71-72 fan shroud, long water pump and correct pulleys and it buries my fan in the shroud. Its almost as if all 71-72s had a short pump, unless there was A/C and non- A/C shroud part numbers and I doubt that...
     
  18. gsfred

    gsfred Founders Club Member

    When you figure out what you need let me know and I will check my pullies.
    Fred
     
  19. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

  20. MandMautomotive

    MandMautomotive Well-Known Member

    aaa.jpg
    Here is a photo of my current set up
     

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