Well, trying to get the Skylark ready for spring so i started tacking a radiator issue with my car. 1st off this is a plain jane Skylark that the previous owner yanked the 300 out of and dropped in a 1964 401 in. The car originally has A/C and he properly mounted it to the engine but cobbed up the alternator and the power steering pump was almost straight up off the water pump pulley. After doing the swap he left the 300 radiator in it with cobbed up hoses to go from one side to the other. I found it next to impossible to find the correct 401 A/C radiator so i opted to remove the A/C and relocate the power steering pump as under hard acceleration it would spit off the belt. I took pulleys off a couple other engines i have and found i needed the short snoot water pump as mine had the long snoot and stuck out to far to use the pulleys. Napa managed to get me a short snoot water pump which i installed with no issue. I did how ever notice when installing the fan the water pump would begin to bind and then break free as if it were rubbing on the timing cover. As minor as it was i said "it will break in" and continued putting things together. The correct alternator bracket i had was broken in several spots so cut up the A/C bracket and modified that to mount the alternator. I got everything together and fired it up, no noises or rattles, pulleys are dead nuts straight so the belts are running true. I shut it off, loosen the alternator to spin the water pump and it spins freely so the rubbing on the timing cover "broke in". I tightened the alternator back up, fired it up and began filling the coolant and thats when i hear coolant running on the floor. I shut it down and start looking and i find it is coming from the water pump. Now some of you are going to think i wore through the timing cover but no, actually i found from all the water pumps i have that the inlets have different length passages. So, now i have to pull everything apart, pull a timing cover off one of the other engines and reassemble. What are the odds of Buick changing timing covers with certain water pumps? Now i am going to be opening a can of worms here. I know when i get it apart the timing chain will be loose, then i might better get a master gasket set and yank the intake/valve covers so i can replace the cam for a thumper while i am at it. All because the power steering was throwing the belt and i wanted the correct radiator!
Could have a '59-'61 engine in it. Timing covers & water pumps are different. Look for the engine code to identify what you have before going any further. This way when you are looking for something you know what year to ask for. Tom T.
The engine i pulled the water pump off of so Napa would get the right length snout was a 1959. Now i should be able to use that timing cover with no issue correct? I do not know what yr Napa used to order it but i know it was early 60's. For some reason the computer kept listing the engine as a 400ci, not a 401ci. I told the kid to look up any early 60's Buick with a 401ci, told him to try any Buick to see what he could find. I do have a 1965 engine with the short snoot but the bearings are bad, sat too long dry. I will check that timing cover to see if it is the same as mine or different. Maybe i will check elsewhere to see if i can get a 1965 water pump with a short snout. I did not realize Buicks were different like this. I know my Fords very well as they are probably the worst manufacturer of changing things through the yrs but i was not expecting this with Buick. I guess this will be another learning curve as i go along.
These guys should be able to help with a waterpump. http://www.fdrbp.com/ If you look under the Buick tab on their website it shows the variety of pumps. or more to see here http://nailheadbuick.com/waterpumps
Like Tom said, Buick made subtle changes thru the years on the timing cover and water pumps.... you need to do your research and match them up carefully.... the long snouts are like 59-60 years .... ran into this when I built my own GS out of a 64 coupe.... there are also small pulleys and large pulleys,,, the smaller ones being the best.... and also double groove and single groove.... with my conversion, I had to have a 4 core rad to keep it cool.... and a 7 blade 18 in. fan.... and you have to build it, but a fan shroud works wonders.....you cannot have too much cooling.... and of course there is the electric fans that is available today.....
I ran into the pulley thing already, i have more damn pulleys than i know what to do with. I used the pulleys off the 65 engine as wells as the power steering pump brackets. The aluminum alternator brackets was broken in several spots so i modified the A/C bracket to work. I also used the 65 5 blade flex fan with the longer adapter so the fan is closer to the radiator. I plan on making a new shroud and i will be installing an electric fan on the outside of the radiator pushing inward. I tried using a 7 blade clutch fan i had off an S-10 4.3, i had to modify the holes for it to bolt up and i had it on and working only to find the blades were for the wrong direction ou:. Shame to as it is a new clutch fan and moved a lot of air. I am not terribly fond of the flex fans, they tend to crack with age and come apart and the 4 blade fan is about useless IMO. I am heading out now to check the 65 engine for the water pump.
After looking at the links above it appears i need a 57-58 water pump, the one Napa gave me must be the 62-63 water pump and the one i removed from the engine was the 61. The pump on the left is what i removed, the middle is what Napa gave me and the right is what i need. You can see the difference from the outlet to the 1st bolt hole on the left side of the pics.
Thanks for the links, looks as though i will be going with one of these guys for a pump so i know i get the right one. Since i have a bunch of pumps might as well see if they want them for cores too. I checked the 1965 engine i have and it is the same as my other spare engine so it takes the larger water passage. From the pumps shown and dates it appears the previous owner of this car got the engine yrs backwards. He told me he put a 64 engine in the car and the spare engine was a 59, but going by water pumps the engine in the car is a 59 and the spare is a 64. He claimed the engine only had around 78k on it and from appearance it is spotless and runs strong so i hope he is right on that. I have intentions of freshening up the 65 engine i have so i guess i can save this new pump i already have for that. The car currently has a 3 core radiator and while running down the road it was fine but it did overheat after idling for some time. It only had a 4 blade fan with no shroud. When i am finished it will have at least the current 5 blade flex fan with a shroud and an electric fan mounted in the front of the radiator. I hope to find a 4 core radiator for it and i have a new 180deg thermostat for it. I am building my own engine tie down out of 1/4 cable to help keep the engine from tearing it all up if a motor mount breaks. Thanks for the info fella's. I am sure i will be posting back here again soon after i get done beating my head on the wall over something with this car.
