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MG MGB Technical - water pump, pulley & fan

Changed the water pump and thought all ok then disaster when I stated engine. The metal fan hit the edge of the radiator but looks like no damage. The fan is held on the pulley with rubber grommets and 2 have gaps suggesting I did not tighten enough and the pully/fan got scewed enough.The fan was slightly loose on dismantling I guess due to rubber bush shrinkage.
Advice sought. The pulley did not slide onto the water pump like the old one did so I think I was trying to push it on by tightening the bolts but via the rubber bushes. This has clearly not been successful.
mj dodridge

It sounds like you were given the wrong water pump. The fan grommets do wear out over time and should be replaced every few years. They cost only a few pennies a piece. Bring your pulley with you to the place where you purchased the pump. They should be able to cross reference it with the pulley in hand. RAY
rjm RAY

Should be the right pump same as GWP 114, checked against old one for dimensions. Maybe the grommets are worn as there was slight play at the fan blade tips before dismantling but wondering how tight the bolts should be as maybe I left them too loose or should I have separated the pulley from the fan and tapped it to a snug fit on the pump shaft.
mj dodridge

There should be metal sleeves inside the grommets and the bolts should be tightened up hard and locked with locktabs.
Chris at Octarine Services

The metal fan is also 'sided' and is closer to or further away from the engine or rad if it is put on the other way.

I have a short-nose pump originally without the spacer, and with the fan on the correct way round it hits the block, so came to me with it round the other way, until I fitted the correct spacer, see http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/coolingtext.htm#mfans. If you have a long-nose pump then putting the fan on the wrong way round could well hit the rad.

To be a different pump it would have to be a long-nose pump in place of a short-nose, and if you kept the spacer that will also move the fan much closer to the rad. However unless you changed the pulley as well you wouldn't have got the fan belt back on.

If the pulley hadn't gone on the pump far enough then that would also put the pulley grooves out of line, but not by much, and there should be over an inch clearance between fan and rad - core at least.
Paul Hunt

Problem solved. The steel sleeves were in place I just did not tighten bolts evenly and did not get the fan on flush to the pulley. Released all and started again and then turned the egine over on the starter to check clearance and all ok.
mj dodridge

This thread was discussed between 08/10/2013 and 10/10/2013

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