Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Just found the site and signed up, great to see something like this for Packards!
My water pump is making a little bit of noise, and the fan wobbles a little, and the last time I had the car out, it was showing a tick hot on the temp gauge.
I'd like to either replace or rebuild my water pump.
I see there are water pump rebuild kits available. Has anybody rebuilt a pump? It would certainly save me some shipping of cores to Germany and back.
Any special tools or procedures needed for a water pump rebuild?
Thanks!
Mike

Rebuild kits have pretty much dried up some years ago, to the extent that the production rebuilders have their own parts made. I've had excellent experiences over the years with Art Gould, now d/b/a Gould Rebuilders. They're a regular advertiser in most hobby publications and are somewhere in New York State as I remember. Probably cost about $85 or so and a better job than you could do yourself.

Mike,

to the Site. You're probably our first member based in Germany and I see you've already added your Packard to the Owner Registry. Nice looking car!

Keep checking ebay, sometime there area newly rebuilt pumps on there for around $135 without any core charge or exchange.

Mike, I also suggest you contact Feltz Terrill (Terrill Machine, Inc., De Leon, Texas, 254.893.2610, feltz76444@sbcglobal.net). He remanufactures water and fuel pumps and provides them to other vendors. His work is first class. John

Patrician Industries (Packards1 on this forum) offers rebuilt pumps on a core-exchange basis. You can contact him at packards1@aol.com

You can do the job yourself if you have or can find a rebuild kit. However you must also have a press to do the job, or at least a vice that opens wide enough to get the pump into. Most old rebuild kits have deteriorated to the point that they are unusable anyway.

Several vendors already listed provide excellent service.

Not sure about the 51-54 water pump, but for the 48-50 pumps Kanters sells newly manufactured pumps without the need for a core exchange, so although slightly more expensive up front than buying a rebuilt you'd have no return freight.

I saw Kanter also has water pump "repair kits" for 60 dollars. I figured that was all a rebuild shop would do, besides boiling and media blasting my old water pump.

I envy you guys with your garages. I keep my car in a common underground garage in the city, and when I work on it, I have to go to a "Hobby garage" where I can rent a lift and workspace by the hour. They have vices and hydraulic presses which is nice though.

one false move with the alignment of the shaft into the impeller or the shaft into the bearing and your $60 is gone. I don't mind paying someone a reasonable fee for something they have done a lot.