Water Pump Replacement

[SydneyRoverP6B]

I had to remove and replace my Rover's water pump today. Fitted in 2008, this pump was easily the longest-lasting and most reliable pump that I have used covering 202,286 miles (325,680km) in 14 years. The bearing has not failed, instead, the seal was no longer preventing coolant loss. The tell-tale sign of coolant exiting from the warning hole being the indicator. I fitted another new QH pump in its place. I hope this one too serves just as well as its predecessor. I used Penrite Pro anti-freeze anti-boil at 33% concentration, then Penrite long life coolant at 50% concentration from 2015. I have always used Loctite military specification anti-seize on the bolts which prevent corrosion. The bolts all undid without any undue effort and no shear failures to report.

The replaced QH pump

Reverse side view of the replaced QH pump

Ron

 

[quattro]

I am always impressed that you know how long your various parts have been on the car, and how many miles they have covered. The only way I would know anything like that, would be to go back through my rebuild thread

 

[colnerov]

Hi, I suspect he has a spreadsheet, for research purposes because he an engineer who is now qualified / certified (delete where applicable). It indicates a mindset and the determination to maintain it, both car and spreadsheet. I can be quite tenacious but not to that degree. What does impress me is the optimism that the replacement pump will hopefully last as long, but call me cynical if you will. Power to his elbow.

Colin

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

I am always impressed that you know how long your various parts have been on the car, and how many miles they have covered. The only way I would know anything like that, would be to go back through my rebuild thread

Thanks, Richard. I do indeed record all of the details, date, mileage, what was undertaken, how long the replaced part has lasted etc., and who did the work - mostly me.

Ron.

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

Hi, I suspect he has a spreadsheet, for research purposes because he an engineer who is now qualified / certified (delete where applicable). It indicates a mindset and the determination to maintain it, both car and spreadsheet. I can be quite tenacious but not to that degree. What does impress me is the optimism that the replacement pump will hopefully last as long, but call me cynical if you will. Power to his elbow.

Colin

Thanks, Colin. You are correct in your supposition. In this way, I have a record of part longevity and what may have contributed to either a shorter-than-anticipated life or the opposite. As an example, the water pump just removed made a noticeable whirring sound during the first couple of months, but then it disappeared. It would appear not to have been a negative factor in the pump's longevity.

Ron.

 

[PeterZRH]

I wonder what the affect of removing the fan and going electric is. I reckon this would seriously increase the life of the pump bearing - but hey if you are getting 200k out of it anyway.... That fan is heavy and even a tiny fraction out of balance would put oscillating loads into the bearing in addition to a standing load in the opposite direction to the airflow.

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

I wonder what the affect of removing the fan and going electric is. I reckon this would seriously increase the life of the pump bearing - but hey if you are getting 200k out of it anyway.... That fan is heavy and even a tiny fraction out of balance would put oscillating loads into the bearing in addition to a standing load in the opposite direction to the airflow.

Hi Peter,

In the case of this water pump just removed, the bearing was still fine with only a vanishingly small degree of end float. I always run the fan belt fairly tight, specifically to minimise the level of vibration induced due to belt oscillations. The fan as you mention is another point for potentially reducing the life of the bearing. I certainly cannot complain about the service life that this pump delivered. The seal wearing out after 200,000 miles is not something that I am disappointed with. Even if I did have an electric fan, the pump would still have failed at the same time.

Ron

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

I looked through my records of water pump replacements putting together this little table.

Seal leaks are the most common failure mechanism for the pumps that I have used. BL is British Leyland, the symbol being a feature within the casting. The reco exchange pumps have new bearings, seals, and impeller fitted. As can be seen, their service life is rather short. I only used reco pumps as NOS or QH replacements were not available at the time from the usual Rover suppliers within Australia. After the British-made QH pump, the two NOS BL items were next in line in terms of service life with failure shared equally between bearing collapse and seal leak.

Ron.