Re: 29 packard standard 8 water pump

Posted by Ozstatman On 2011/4/18 7:53:46

Howard,

Following the loss of his past 2 machinists, the business in which one worked folded and the other guy suffered a stroke, Wade now uses the same machine Shop as DavidM and which David recommended to him. Using the machine shop is a different proposition compared to the guys who did it previously for Wade, they did it more on a hobby sort of basis.

Concerning the modern ceramic seals Wade has used in water pumps of recent time, they are common swimming pool pump seals, relatively inexpensive and readily available. And depending on the size of seal and pump a retaining collar may be required to be machined, the pump housing will require machining, the impeller shaft may require machining either because of wear or to suit the seal size used and sometimes additional machining may be required. Bearings are usually not a concern with replacements available. What Wade does is study the pump, formulate a plan, source the parts required, draw "engineering drawings" of the machining and sizes and talk to the machinists about the purpose and requirements for the job at hand.

Doubt it would be any different in the US. If you can find a good hobby machinist, great. If not, finding a commercial machine shop willing to do small, one off jobs is a lot harder. Probably a good place to start making enquiries about machine shops might be local Hot Rod shops who would use these services for their special requirements.