Leaking Water Pump

[Jamie Taylor]

On my 1884 Cat 30 I'm having a problem with water leaking from the Orberdorfer engine water pump.When the engine is running, water is dripping at a rate of a drop a second. I cannot tell where the water is coming from, but I think it might be leaking from the shaft of the water pump. Is this possible? Any ideas?

 

[d rubin]

me too

I innocently changed the impeller-then i closed it up started the engine and it was leaking from the rear of the pump. i bought a rebuild kit and will replace the 2 seals. since the shaft -which i pulled out by accident seemed to be lightly scored i am replace that too- all which means removing the entire pump- which i didn't want to do. I bought the rebuild kit from my local marine store but i bought the new shaft from Featherman in Conn.

 

[Steve W.]

save yourself some grief and buy a new pump...

I was too hard headed to take this advice and ended up with a leaking rebuilt raw water pump. The shaft and rebuild kit cost about $75.00 and the new pump, ready to mount, with new impeller was only $130.00 and 30 minutes to install. Pumps more water, so I guess the cam was worn on the old pump, too. Everything has to be perfect for the rebuild to not leak. Trust me, it is the best $$$ you will spend in terms of avoiding a lot of aggravation. Good Luck.

 

[jamie]

leaky pump

I think this is more or less common maintenance item every few years ,i have replaced mine 2times in six years,as well as all my freinds also. there are two lip seals on the shaft the one keeps the oil from the engine getting into the pump and the one at the front keep the water from the engine.If the shaft is not scored then just get kit and replace the seals and the impeller.You Might have to go to a shop and have the seals pressed in to place

 

[Tim Dranttel]

Get a New One

I agree with most of the others. I attempted a rebuild with limited success. Ended up buying a new one and keeping the semi-rebuilt one as an emergency spare.

 

[Joe Luciano]

Rebuilding not as difficult as your think

My water pump was dripping like yours when I first bought my boat 3 years ago. It's not hard to rebuild. If you have a diesel shop nearby, they can help you press the old seals out. This was the toughest part for me. Clean up the shaft with some emery cloth and put the new seals back in the pump, add the new impeller and you're back in business. The time to go to a new pump is when the shaft is too scored to seal properly. This is one of the simplest pumps there is. Don't let the mechanically uninclined talk you out of saving some money. It's not a tough job. And when you're finished, you'll know exactly how it goes together and works. Good Luck!