GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

[Mike E.]

A totally restored Corvette, done to the nth degree, just doesn't have quite the same feel as a low mile original car, no matter how well the restored car was done. I recently had the chance to eyeball a 25k-mile '71, and saw what length GM went to in order to make sure they ran smoothly. I am attaching pictures of the water pump, the water pump pulley, the clutch fan, and the fan blade. All were balanced and marked for the best and smoothest . I don't know any restorer who does, or has the capability to do, what GM did. Take a look at the pics: first the mark on the water pump;
water pump 3991399 (4).jpg

The pulley:
water pump pulley (2).jpg

the fan clutch: Sorry, no pics of the yellow slash on the base that aligns with the green slash on the pulley and the blue slash on the water pump.
clutch fan (3).jpg clutch fan (9).jpg clutch fan (10).jpgclutch fan (11).jpg

The fan blade:
clutch fan (7).jpg

[Mark E.]

Re: GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

Good stuff Mike. Thanks for sharing this.

How about photos of the overall car too?

[Kenneth B.]

Re: GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

I have always said and others have agreed that a well maintained low mile original Corvette drives & feels better than any restored one.

[Mark F.]

Re: GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

...I am attaching pictures of the water pump, the water pump pulley, the clutch fan, and the fan blade. All were balanced and marked for the best and smoothest...

Hi Mike,

Great info - thanks for posting the detailed photos, too !

My fan, fan clutch, and water pump pulley assembly bolted together has a slight wobble to it. There is no discernable play in the water pump shaft as far as I can tell.

If I take them apart (fan; clutch and pulley) and cannot find any of these balancing marks you show, is there a DIY procedure for rebalancing each piece as close as I can get it to what it was when originally assembled ?

[Joe L.]

Re: GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

I have always said and others have agreed that a well maintained low mile original Corvette drives & feels better than any restored one.

Kenneth-------


This is particularly true of any FRAME-OFF restored Corvette.

[Jim L.]

Re: GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

I have always said and others have agreed that a well maintained low mile original Corvette drives & feels better than any restored one.

A couple of years ago, in order to calibrate an FI unit, I spent a couple of hours driving a 22,000 mile '63. Unforgettable. Docile and smooth as could possibly be when just tooling around but an absolute roaring beast when provoked (which I had to do as part of calibration. Yes really).

The experience totally validates the feelings that there is nothing like a well maintained, low mileage original.

[Anthony C.]

[Terry M.]

Re: GM went to great pains to get them smooth!

I believe I can tell the difference between a door that has been off the car and one that has not by the sound they make as they close. It may be just the replaced weatherstrip, or it may be my imagination. I know I can tell aftermarket exhaust as the car drives by, and then there is the easy stainless steel exhaust sound..

As Regie Jackson is alleged to have said "They are original only once."