This may look like a common waterpump on the front of another flathead Ford. Closer inspection will show that this is actually a major piece contributing to a solution to an even larger problem. Although (in retrospect) we have not photo journaled this as well as we would have liked, we’ll try and explain. Evident in this picture you can see the two small set screws in the nose of the pump casting that now locate and anchor the shaft and bearing. Originally the bearing and shaft position were secured by a snap ring and counter bore inside the pump casting. This alteration will probably raise the proverbial question “ why “? The answer is the same as for the chassis plumbing, it appears major construction and fabrication of the project was completed with the engine sitting back on the engine stand. Inadequate room was accounted for the engine in between the radiator and the firewall. You now may ask, what does this have to do with the waterpump?

We needed to make the engine bay longer or make the engine shorter. As it appeared to DML considerable (understatement) time, materials and expense have already gone into the arrangement of the nose of this vehicle, we thought it to be a more cost effective solution at this point to shorten the overall length of the engine. This was done by removing ¾” off the front of both waterpump castings. The shafts were also shortened from the back side, the bearings and shafts got pressed into the new depth and locked with the set screws before the installing new replacement impellers.