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I bought a rebuilt water pump some time ago and had it at my shop for months without unpacking and looking at it, then brought it back home in my checked luggage and found that the builder had used a plastic impeller and somewhere along the line it had gotten broken. I would like to put on the cast impeller from the core and have a 10 ton press but is there anything special that needs to be considered, such as spacing (how far to press it on) and, more importantly, what to use under it in order to press it off?

Rebuild with broken impeller blade

One of our primary parts suppliers lists what they say are NOS pigtails for the 1956 senior parking lights and, while I’m not sure what my Clipper has, I know that senior 1955 and 1956 Packards did not have removable sockets (they were crimped in place) and they used a bellows-type rubber seal where the wires go in. I suspect that the seller actually has NORS as his ignition tumblers, which he lists as NOS, are also NORS.

The type the seller has as NOS



Stock 1955 and 1956 type

About a 32nd from body. .

Close as possible without it hitting pump body

I'm about 25 thousand on mine

Thank you, Riki! What do I need for my press to support the impeller while pressing the shaft from it or go I press the shaft through the pump bearing, then put it back in place with the new impeller? I’ve worked on about every aspect of cars but never before a water pump!

I can't help with any suggestions because I have not done it either but take care where the body is supported. It would be great if someone had a photo or detailed description of placement. IIRC, Cli55er and I think another person wound up with broken pump castings because of improper placement in the way something was or was not supported when they were changing something and had to press the shaft out. Cli55er mentions his difficulty in his 55 Custom blog but don't remember if he had any photos.

That you, Howard. It seems I need to press it out from the other side so that I’m left with the impeller attached to the shaft, then press it off that way.