I am about to start cleaning up my 59ab flatty. The motor came out of a welder and it was running when pulled, I witnessed it running with no problems. The water pumps turn freely and nothing seems out of the norm for the motor. I am going to put a set of edelbrock heads on it with a 2 duece intake and 2 94s. I was wondering should I replace the waterpumps just because? or should the ones in it be fine? I have heard great things about the waterpumps speedway has and was wondering should I just go ahead and replace them to do some preventative maintenance? Also same for the oil pump, should I put in a new oil pump? i am going to clean up the motor and make it look real nice and though I would ask. Thanks
Without knowing how much time is on those pumps, I'd at least rebuild them. That way you will rest easy, knowing they're good
I ran some old 59A pumps that came on a previously built engine. Looked fine and worked fine for a while. Then started flinging a bit of rusty water from behind the pulleys. Time for a rebuild. I rebuilt some original pumps with a standard kit, using a big vise and some sockets as a press. Took about an hour and worked just fine. No leaks or squeaks.
I wouldn't touch it. Just my experience. But when ever I pull apart a used motor, It leads to going even deeper into it. It might be a bolt that is frozen, then breaks off. Or you may even start thinking about rebuilding the whole thing. Big bucks. If it runs with no leaks. I would add some cool looking accessories and just pop it in. EdiRoy. (Former Mobile Oil Gas Station Attendant).
I might make an exception to the "don't touch it", though I basically agree. Check for sludge through the gigantic drain plug these things have...flatheads and older engines in general are frequently heavily sludged due to lack of a PCV and, frequently, deletion of the thermostats. If it is sludge city...drop pan and remove intake and the little baffles at valley floor, go to work moving crud downhill with scrapers, brushes, and solvent. Once everything possible is outtathere and the rotating parts have been well hosed with multiple cans of spray carb cleaner, clean the pickup screen, screwitallbacktogether, and go for it.
One advantage to running the aftermarket waterpumps with ceramic seals and roller bearings is that you can pressurize the radiator. I run 7lbs with Drake pumps no problem. The old pumps squirted coolant all over when pressurised.
My 2 cents on Speedy Bill's pumps. I run a stock 49-53 Merk in my A. Have Speedway pumps, and have been running 3 years, year round, with no problems...... AND NO FAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! put them in now!
When I bought a 39 Ford in 1967 my dad said those fuel pump are crap { he was a mechanic } so I put a electric fuel pump on, Offy heads, Fenton 2x2 and 3/4 race cam. Ran great for years, wish I never sold her...........
My 59ab came out of orchard wind machine. Sat in my garage with no air cleaner for a couple of years. Got it in the car, pumps lasted about a year. Put Speedway pumps in, no difference in cooling.
I gotta disagree with that. A stock fuel pump is only a diaphragm and a valve.... if they're in good condition, what can go wrong?
In the old days they were a problem. In the summer they like to vapor lock. Most of the problems that I seen back then was the push rods were worn down. I used to weld a little on the pump end of the rod. Then the pump would work fine. But if you put a new pump in it would work ok for a while with out building up the rod. So a lot of people though that fixed the problem.
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