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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Water Pump Identification

Sprite Mk IV - 1967 HAN 9

Hi

When I was taking out my Sprite's radiator I was rather horrified when the bottom hose virtually dropped off the water pump due to the corrosion on the pump's inlet - most of it was left inside the hose!

Not wanting to risk major water loss, I did some digging in the archives and decided that my model needed an iron bodied pump as that would have a solid impeller rather than a pressed steel one.

A phone call to MGOC confirmed that the one they list was iron and I'd need a screw-in bypass connector.

It arrived the other day - with the bypass connector cast into an alloy body! The box had the correct part number on - £6.86 wasted!

Comparing the two pumps, however, the old one, with an alloy body, has a much deeper impeller than the new one. In the archive some folk had warned that bigger impellers might not fit in some engines but this clearly isn't the case with mine.

I intend to go ahead and fit the new pump, to see how we get on, but can anyone identify the old one for me? Is it actually just one of the later style or is it made by someone else?

There is no maker's mark on it but it does have the figures 170976 cast into it, along with a letter C.

So far, I have never had any cooling issues with the Sprite but I'm wondering whether this was due to it having the larger pump. Incidentally, the by-pass hose was completely blocked so couldn't have been passing any water at all.

The block and radiator have been thoroughly flushed out and I have replaced a couple of rusty, weepy core plugs, so I have had the chance to peep inside and know that it is pretty clean in there.

Any suggestions for the identity of the old pump would be welcome.

Thanks

Colin

Colin Mee

Colin

Your original pump looks like most of the OE and some aftermarket pumps of yesteryear. I'm not sure how many people were actually making pumps - it may be that the OE supplier was also supplying aftermarket sellers.

There was a problem with large impeller pumps when fitting to the small-bore engines (848 & 1098) where there wasn't enough clearance between the impeller and the block.

There was an issue a couple of years ago with the pump outlet being angled downwards instead of coming out straight. This had the added effect of causing misalignment of the bypass stubs.

Examine carefully before fitting!
Dave O'Neill 2

Colin,
your cooling system couldn't have been that clean or clear in the past based on what you've put - just like very many classic car engines I suspect

when I fitted my electric cooling fan kit (Sept '09) I thought I'd change the water pump too as it was unknown to me, I checked with a reliable source at MGOC Spares and was told that despite the low price (£12.55 then) the water pump I needed was well made and I didn't need to look at a £20 'completion' pump available from another supplier

the then existing pump I took out of course by Sod's Law looked fine

I'm sure you'd have no problems with the standard pump's performance, my car is a bit over standard power and easily keeps cool

get your money back on the screw-in bypass, it was their mistake not yours

PS - if you have the heater matrix fitted is that clean and clear too? :)

(grit/crud/muck/gunk from the matrix could transfer from the matrix to the rest of the heating/cooling system, admittedly there probably wouldn't be a lot)
Nigel Atkins

Hi Colin

Getting ready for the season?

Some background info in:
http://www.minispares.com/product/classic/GWP134.aspx

http://www.minispares.com/product/classic/GWP132.aspx

&

http://www.minispares.com/product/classic/GWP187.aspx

(Also search on Minispares web page under 'water pumps')

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

sorry Colin I've just thought, the screw-in bypass might be your fault if you wanted it to go into the head
Nigel Atkins

That's right Mike - It was meant to be quite simple, just fit an electric fan but, as ever with classics, other jobs and replacements added themselves to the list!

Start with the cooling system and then onto polybushes! At least I've had the front end all to pieces fairly recently so I know there shouldn't be too many surprises - not so sure of the back end! Hoping to have it all done by Easter (2015!).

Thanks for the links - If their photos are accurate it's the GWP 134 that I want (although the MGOC part number for the pump with the small impeller I've just received is the same).

Correct as ever Nigel - what I should have said is, having given it a thorough flushing and blast with the pressure washer through every available orifice (including core plugs) I think that the block is pretty clear inside now. But thanks for the reminder about the heater - I'll make sure I give the heater matrix some attention before it all goes back together!

Dave, thanks for the note about the bypass alignment. I'd read about that problem in the archive,which is one reason I went to a 'reputable supplier' whose parts one assumes should be correct! I have compared the two pumps and they match!

Colin Mee

Colin

At the time, everyone seemed to be supplying the same pumps. Good to hear that it's been sorted, though.
Dave O'Neill 2

Nigel

I had a 'phone conversation with someone at MGOC spares and asked about both the material and whether it would need a screw-in by-pass connector.

Maybe they actually have both types in stock under the same part number as this one came marked with the same part number as the one with the separate by-pass connector. I'm guessing he was working off a screen, like me, rather than from actually having one in his hand!

Not a major issue, just frustrating when you've asked the question and been given a clear answer that turned out to be wrong and left you out of pocket or having to send incorrectly supplied stuff back for a refund.

I'll see how things go with this pump and, if I decide I need the uprated one, I'll pay MiniSpares a visit as I go past that way from time to time.

C
Colin Mee

Colin,
no that sounds like it's their mistake then, I doubt they'd have two versions of the same pump without two separate part numbers to differentiate them

the pump I got (IIRC) looked like the one you got

the paperwork has -
GWP134 - Part Number (GWP = General/Generic Water Pump(?))

EQV (Equivalent to(?)) CAM4255EVA

Description - water pump 1275 X flow

Bin (bin location(?)) - 16E2

I wonder if they have the pumps listed and labelled up the right way round as the GWP134 is listed as having the deeper vanes but the ones we got appear to have the shorter vanes

but as I put mine seems to be working well regardless

my concern is always with the gaskets sealing as if it goes then a fraction of a penny piece of paper can potentially take the head out
Nigel Atkins

I made sure I ordered a couple of extra gaskets for the pump and the thermostat.

I haven't looked closely but I'm sure the additional gaskets are thicker than the one that came with the pump.
Colin Mee

This thread was discussed on 18/02/2015

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