Pre-war (up to 1942) Water pump lubrication

[Jim Miller]

Long story not short - A few years ago I purchased a rebuilt water pump for my '41. Neither the seller nor Flying Dutchman (who rebuilt it years ago for the seller) could tell if it was rebuilt using modern seals and bearings or original type. Put it in car in 2022 and last spring it made some slight noise and I had a bit of black junk in the tray under the shaft. So I put in some lubriplate water pump grease. No more leaking or odd noise. Question - if it were rebuilt with modern guts, will grease cause a problem?

[Lexi]

Not sure, but as you noticed "black junk" that had presumeably leaked out from the pump, my assumption is that it came from a seal that was beginning to deteriorate. Have seen this before on other machinery. My guess is that the seal is now compromised, with no telling how long it may last, only to leak again. Clay/Lexi