Water Pump: Rebuild vs. Replace

[Ryan_M]

So apparently I should have bought the expensive coolant because the cheap stuff just finds a new place to escape each time I block off its previous route...(sarcasm here)

Last week's adventure remedied a leaking head bolt and then replacement of exhaust manifold. All good there.

However, I still have a leak coming from the water pump (I think). It's tough to see the underside of the pump but I have a small amount of coolant pooling on the front lip of the skid plate as well blowing back on the lower oil filter hose and everything behind it. It is coming off the front of the motor but definitely not from the head gasket. Is there any other source on the front of the motor besides the water pump?

I think I will pull the radiator tomorrow for a better look (that needs repair too so it might as well come out anyways). If it is the water pump, I need some advice. Walck's sells new ones for less than 70 bucks. This seems like a deal compared to rebuilding my existing one. I've read you need a press and other tools I probably don't have and I would still question my ability to do it right anyways. Does anyone have experience with a repop water pump? Is it like other components where it's worth scouring the earth for the holy grail NOS one or am I OK with a cheap import?

Anyone else looking forward to Christmas solely as a potentially uninterrupted day to work on a Jeep?

[athawk11]

Ryan,

For me, no chance of any Willys fun on Christmas.  But boy would I like too.

I think I mentioned that not long after I resolved a rad cap leak, my water pump failed.  There is a weep hole on the bottom of the water pump.  If the leak is at this weep hole, it's time for a rebuild or a new pump.  

I read a thread...I think it was either Carl or Calvin...it talked about the difficulty of a rebuild on the pump.  My old pump is  a GPW F marked pump.  I was kind of bummed, but decided to replace it with a new one.  (I do intend on trying to rebuild it eventually.)  The new one is a repro.  It bolted right on and has performed flawlessly.  I read a little about replacements prior to pulling the trigger.  It appears that the repros are built with modern internals and may actually last longer than the originals.  Clearly, I won't know if this is true.  I'll be long gone 60 years from now.

Merry Christmas to you.  I'm going to bed.

Tim

[Carls_jeep]

I rebuilt my water pump and when I got it apart I saw right away I was going to have to machine the surface that the rubber seal washer rides on. It was badly worn and there used to be a hand tool that Willys shops had to do that. I machined it and put it together per instructions but it seeped some. After a little thought I decided I should have pressed the impeller on farther to take up the material I had machined off. When I rebuilt my engine last spring I pressed the impeller on about .050" farther and it doesn't leak anymore.

Unless you can machine the seal surface I suggest you buy a rebuilt or new water pump.

[Ryan_M]

Encouraging answers from both of you, thanks. I'll be ordering a new one.

[Gunslinger]

I've read that the 3 a pump is the same as the cj 5 water pump, it's a stock item at NAPA.  I would have a hard time justifying rebuilding one that I can get so readily.