i had to put a new water pump on gertie the other day and holy moly what a nightmare, this new water pump from airtex(made in canada) has fins that are almost 1/4" deeper than stock. sounds great right? more water flow etc. well the stupid thing just hits the back of the block rendering it useless. i had to have my car fixed and driveable that same night and didn't have the luxury/ option to go back to the parts store so i started grinding and tapping the fins down to make clearance. it finally cleared and installed but now the pump is making weird sounds and i might have damaged the bearings during this transaction. i'm doing it again this week and i've aquired several new gaskets to stack and make clearance that way. just wondering if anyone has any insight or has dealt with this before. i just want to know why??? ps the new pump i got is exactly the same so i don't think it was a factory mistake on that individual pump. hmmmmfffff.

PSS. had an amazing s/6 experience at the show yesterday in redwood city, ca. john moran is a gentleman and a scholar. long live john moran.

As I recall, the last 2 water pumps I put in my van had a sandwich of gasket/metal plate/gasket that go between the pump and the block.

Apparantly the metal plate goes on before the impeller is pressed on (and the first gasket as well I guess).

Maybe you are getting the same pumps I've been getting, but with the metal plate missing.

nope, it came with all the normal stuff. metal gasket etc.

I'm not familier with all years of slants and if they all take the same w/p.Is your parts store showing the same pump for all slants? Just for grins and chuckles try another parts store and brand of NEW pump(never a rebuild) and see what it looks like.I've had excellent luck with GMB brand pumps in 6 and 8 cyl versions over the years but everything seems to be 'off shore' produced these days so who knows anymore.Good luck

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

This reminds me of a previous thread, see here. I wonder if you might be dealing with a similar situation. I cannot envision what exactly you've been grinding down...the impeller blades face the pump body, not the block. If your pump's impeller blades face the block, the impeller's been pressed on backwards.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

the impeller's pressed on correctly. since the flat top part of the blades were only about a 16th of an inch too deep for the block i figured i could "shave" them down a little and clearance them. that didn't work. i had to gently tap them down a little with a hammer to get an almost good enough fit. but i think i damaged the bearing or something cause it grumbles now most of the time. the heat from the grinder probably didn't help either. the stuff built up on the back of the block wouldn't chip off either. oh boy. going for it again with thicker gaskets and another new pump by airtex.

Generally I have had good luck with Airtex products; and as you noted, made in Canada; I'd take that over an overseas built product anyday! I'm not saying that just because a product is made "over here", that it can't be flawed. But i'd rather take my chances with a domestic product.

Airtex has a plant in southern IL; been by it many times! My luck with GMB branded products ahs been iffy at best over the years.
Careful "stacking gaskets" for clearance; gasket material isnt as strudy as a casting and if you go too nutz with it you could throw off belt tracking.