Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

[Roger D.]

Mine is a 1972 350/200 Automatic. Trim tag says B09. Engine is V0802CKX

Corvette Central listed a water pump on eBay a few weeks ago and I missed biding on it. It went unsold. I called and asked them if it woluld be re-listed. They said they were chaning the method they were using for eBay listings and said it would be a while. They did say they would sell it to me over the phone though. Here is the eBay description

"1972 72 Corvette 350 rebuilt original water pump dated

1972 Corvette 350 rebuilt water pump. This is a rebuilt original with the date I 22 1 (September 1971). GM# 3991399. No core required. CC#9123"

Here is the out of date listing which still has the picture and description.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260304525653&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=

Based on the information given, can someone tell me if this is the correct water pump for my car?

Regards,
Roger

[Joe L.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Mine is a 1972 350/200 Automatic. Trim tag says B09. Engine is V0802CKX

Corvette Central listed a water pump on eBay a few weeks ago and I missed biding on it. It went unsold. I called and asked them if it woluld be re-listed. They said they were chaning the method they were using for eBay listings and said it would be a while. They did say they would sell it to me over the phone though. Here is the eBay description

"1972 72 Corvette 350 rebuilt original water pump dated

1972 Corvette 350 rebuilt water pump. This is a rebuilt original with the date I 22 1 (September 1971). GM# 3991399. No core required. CC#9123"

Here is the out of date listing which still has the picture and description.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260304525653&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=

Based on the information given, can someone tell me if this is the correct water pump for my car?

Regards,
Roger

Roger-----


It's the right pump for you but the date is wrong. Your engine was built in August, 1971 but the pump is dated September, 1971. So, it could not have been originally installed on your engine. I don't think that waterpump dates are judged, anyway, so from that perspective the dates don't really matter. What definitely DOES matter is configuration and this pump is properly configured.

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Joe, thanks for the reply. You said that you didn't think that the date is judged? I looked in my Judging Guide and it does not specifically say that the date is NOT judged. I'd like to know for sure because I can save $85 on this one if the date doesn't matter. If it doesn't then is it because the date cannot be seen with the pump on the car? I am a purist so I am not sure I would buy one knowing the date was off but it would be good to know for sure.

[Terry M.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

There is no way to assure you that NO judge will look at the date. It is difficult to see with the pulleys installed, but some judges manage to do it.

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Thanks Terry and Joe. I will skip this one and wait for one with the correct date.

[Jack H.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

The older revision of the JG book had judging guidance telling judges NOT to attempt reading date codes on water pumps. That guidance has apparently been removed from the current edition...

Early '72 cars continued with the '71 era 3991399 pump casting and then changed to the 330813 casting with the JG giving guidance as to the date being APPROXIMATELY at VIN 20,000. Anyway you look at it, both of these versions of the Corvette, short leg, water pump are rather hard to come by because passenger car engines had made the transition to the long leg version of the water pump.

I think I'd re-think the issue of buying a 'wrong' date coded 3991399 if the price is right... First, the max you can lose is 20% on originality for DATE. Second, most judges will simply go by the appearance of the water pump vs. trying to read the casting date. Third, you've got the 'correct' configuration pump on the car while you're waiting for that bona fide correctly dated 3991399 pump to stumble into your hands AND when/if that happens, you've got a money-in-the-bank trading/resale item!

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

There was a guy at the Waco Regional a couple of weeks ago that had a '72 (with 350 engine) being judged. He informed that he had gotten his correct pump from Corvette Central. He gave them his engine stamping numbers and they provided him with the correct dated pump. How do they do that? Is the date code on a correct pump cast or stamped?

[Joe L.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

There was a guy at the Waco Regional a couple of weeks ago that had a '72 (with 350 engine) being judged. He informed that he had gotten his correct pump from Corvette Central. He gave them his engine stamping numbers and they provided him with the correct dated pump. How do they do that? Is the date code on a correct pump cast or stamped?

Roger----

It's a part of the casting and is not stamped. Presumably, Corvette Central has pump castings with a "spread" of dates such that they can come up with one within 6 months prior for most or all cars. However, it surprises me a bit with respect to the 3991399 pump casting. This is one of the rarest of all Corvette waterpump castings. That's because it was only used for about 1-1/2 years and only on Corvettes and a few MD/HD trucks.

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Joe:

Thanks. I called Corvette Central today and what you said is basically what they told me. They said if I give them my engine build date then they could notify me within 2 weeks if they have a matching pump. I'm going to give them a shot and see what happens.

Regards,
Roger

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Well one of our fine members here ran across a 3991399 pump dated
C-22-1 (that is March 22, 1971 correct?) A couple of questions:

1. With my engine dated August 1971 (stamped V0802CKX) would a March 22, 1971 pump be ok? Does this meet the no more than 6 month prior to build date rule?

2. The pump was advertised as "used". What should I look out for on this? Would I be better off getting one that is already "rebuilt"

[Harmon C.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Some owners feel they need the correct part with a date in line with normal production window. Others can get buy with one like you found that is five months from your assembly date and meets the judging standard but will need rebuilt at some date which could be now and cost $100. plus. Others would buy the rebuilt pump and put it on the car and hope the judges can't get a good look at the date or take the 20% deduction which may be one point. Some owners have made the date (I) hard to read by using some type of material and heavy paint in that area so it could be a rough casting (D) or unreadable. Their are lots of ways to go with each part so you need to decide which way is cost affective and meets your standard.

I would go with the rebuilt pump because it could take a year to get the other one rebuilt and the date is hard to see behind the pulleys.

[Jim T.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Have you contacted Mr. Mock that advertises in the Driveline rebuilding water pumps to see if he has one you can use?

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

hmmm Well there is a lot more to it all than I originally thought...

Who would one even go to for a water pump rebuild? I'd like to have a correctly dated one just because I tend to be a perfectionist.

Jim, I'll look up Mr. Mock and see what he has to say.

[Jack H.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

You can send it off to one who advertizes water pump rebuilding services (see the Services section of Driveline) or do it yourself with a water pump overhaul kit. Personally, I use one of the local guys here in Denver who've been rebuilding pumps for +20 years...

If you don't want to tackle the rebuild job yourself and don't have a local source, ask at a local machine shop. Water pump rebuilding USED to be quite common until the mass rebuilders with their reverse assy lines came along...

[Roger D.]

Re: Right Water Pump for My '72 ?

Turns out that another NCRS member here has just sent me the information he got from Bill Mock on a replacement 3991399 so I now have that to factor into my decision.

Jack, can you tell me what prices you have experienced on pump rebuilds? Also what has been a typical turnaround time you've experienced?

Lyle from an earlier post estimated $100 plus dollars which isn't too bad if a used one could be had for less than a hundred or so.